frontier-harness-research

name	frontier-harness-research
description	Research process for exploring related patterns across 4 frontier harnesses (Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, autoresearch) and performing GAP analysis before feature implementation. Triggered by "research" ("리서치"), "gap", "frontier", "harness", "case study" ("사례 조사"), "pattern exploration" ("패턴 탐색"), "comparative analysis" ("비교 분석") keywords.
user-invocable	false

Frontier Harness Research — Comparative Research Process

Purpose: Before implementing a feature, explore related patterns across 4 frontier harnesses and establish design decision rationale for GEODE application. When to apply: Must be performed during Implementation Workflow Step 1 (Research → Plan).

4 Frontier Harnesses

#	System	Type	Core Pattern Areas	GEODE Skill Reference
1	Claude Code	CLI agent	Permission model, Hook, Memory, Skill, Context management, UI	(built-in knowledge)
2	Codex	Cloud agent	Sandbox execution, TDD loop, PR workflow, code review, multi-file editing	(built-in knowledge)
3	OpenClaw	Chat agent	Gateway, Session Key, Binding, Lane Queue, Plugin, Failover, 4-tier automation	openclaw-patterns
4	autoresearch	Autonomous experiment loop	Constraint-based design, ratchet, Context Budget, program.md, Simplicity Selection	karpathy-patterns

Research Process

Step 1: Topic Definition

Define the feature to implement in one line and extract related keywords.

Example:
  Topic: "Model Failover automation"
  Keywords: failover, fallback, retry, circuit breaker, model switching

Step 2: 4-System Pattern Exploration

Explore patterns related to the topic in each system. Read the skill file first if available, otherwise extract from built-in knowledge.

2a. Claude Code Pattern Exploration

Exploration Area	Checkpoints
Permission Model	allowlist/denylist, auto-approve, fallback after denial
Hook System	pre/post tool hooks, settings.json-based automation
Memory	CLAUDE.md, project memory, auto-memory
Skill System	skill discovery, trigger keywords, 4-tier priority
Context Management	sliding window, compression, token management
UI Patterns	status line, progress indicators, error display
Safety	HITL tiers, bash safety, dangerous tool gates

2b. Codex Pattern Exploration

Exploration Area	Checkpoints
Sandbox Execution	Isolated environment, filesystem restrictions, network restrictions
TDD Loop	test-first, red-green-refactor, automated verification
PR Workflow	Branch creation, change summary, review request
Multi-file Editing	Dependency tracking, consistency maintenance, refactoring scope
Task Decomposition	Complex task breakdown, sequential/parallel determination

2c. OpenClaw Pattern Exploration (see openclaw-patterns skill)

Exploration Area	Checkpoints
Gateway + Agent dual system	Control plane vs execution plane separation
Session Key hierarchy	agent:{id}:{context} format session isolation
Binding routing	Most-Specific Wins, static rules, hot reload
Lane Queue	Session/Global/Subagent Lane concurrency control
Sub-agent Spawn+Announce	Isolated execution, automatic result injection
4-tier automation	Heartbeat, Cron, Internal Hooks, Gateway Hooks
Plugin architecture	Channel/Tool/Skill/Hook — 4 extension points
Policy Chain	6-layer tool access control
Failover	Auth Rotation, Thinking Fallback, Context Overflow, Model Failover
Operational patterns	Coalescing, Atomic Store, Run Log, Hot Reload, Stuck Detection

2d. autoresearch Pattern Exploration (see karpathy-patterns skill)

Exploration Area	Checkpoints
P1 Constraint-based design	Define "what cannot be done" first
P2 Single-file constraint	Minimize modification surface area
P3 Fixed time budget	Limit by wall clock, not steps
P4 Ratchet mechanism	Keep only improvements, auto-revert on degradation
P5 Git as State Machine	Commit=experiment, reset=discard
P6 Context Budget	Redirect + selective extraction
P7 program.md	Agent behavior change = instruction document modification
P10 Simplicity Selection	Code deletion improvement > code addition improvement

Step 3: GAP Analysis

Compare exploration results against GEODE's current state to identify GAPs.

Output format:

| # | Pattern | Source | GEODE Status | GAP | Priority |
|---|---------|--------|-------------|-----|----------|
| 1 | Model Failover | OpenClaw | ⚠️ Definition only | No auto-switching logic | P1 |
| 2 | Circuit Breaker | Codex | ✗ None | No blocking on consecutive failures | P1 |
| 3 | Retry Budget | autoresearch P3 | ⚠️ Partial | No time-based limit | P2 |

Step 4: Design Decisions

Select items to implement from GAP analysis results and document design decision rationale.

Decision Criteria:

Criterion	Application
Same pattern in 3+ systems	→ Must adopt
Similar pattern in 2 systems	→ Extract core, adapt for GEODE context
Exists in only 1 system	→ Verify necessity before deciding
Over-engineering risk	→ Apply Karpathy P10, implement minimally
Conflicts with existing GEODE patterns	→ Existing pattern takes priority, gradual transition

Step 5: Plan Document Writing

Write a plan document in docs/plans/. Research result summary must be included.

# Plan: [Feature Name]

## Frontier Research Summary

| System | Related Pattern | Adoption | Rationale |
|--------|----------------|----------|-----------|
| Claude Code | ... | Adopt/Adapt/Reject | ... |
| Codex | ... | Adopt/Adapt/Reject | ... |
| OpenClaw | ... | Adopt/Adapt/Reject | ... |
| autoresearch | ... | Adopt/Adapt/Reject | ... |

## Design Decisions
...

## Implementation Phases
...

Research Checklist

Verify the following before feature implementation:

• Topic keywords defined
• Claude Code pattern exploration complete
• Codex pattern exploration complete
• OpenClaw pattern exploration complete (see openclaw-patterns skill)
• autoresearch pattern exploration complete (see karpathy-patterns skill)
• GAP analysis table written
• Design decision rationale documented
• Research summary included in docs/plans/ plan document

Notes

• Research is performed before implementation. Even if patterns are discovered during implementation, do not go back — improve in the next iteration.
• Not all 4 systems need to be explored. Skip systems irrelevant to the topic with "N/A."
• Always read skill files first if they exist. The openclaw-patterns and karpathy-patterns skills already contain distilled patterns, preventing redundant exploration.
• Prevent over-research: Research time must not exceed implementation time. Apply Karpathy P3 (fixed time budget).