| name | strict-validation-setup |
| description | Bootstrap strict-mode tooling and per-task GOALS.md scaffolding so an agentic loop can self-verify. Use when setting up a new project, making a task self-verifying, or scaffolding goals for an agentic loop. |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
The skill ships two distinct concerns split by temporal phase:
- Project-stable: strict-mode tooling config + AGENTS.md authoring (defer the AGENTS.md content to
init; this skill only ensures it exists and references the per-task pattern).
- Task-ephemeral:
.agent-tasks/<task-id>/GOALS.md per task plus failing-test scaffolding co-located with it.
These never mix. Task goals never go into AGENTS.md (would leak as project policy). Project invariants never go into per-task GOALS.md (would duplicate per task and drift).
Modality differentiation
| Skill | Owns |
|---|
strict-validation-setup | Strict-mode tooling configs + per-task GOALS.md convention (this file) |
init | AGENTS.md authoring (project-stable): defer to it for content |
test-driven | TDD discipline (RED → GREEN → REFACTOR): defer for test-writing methodology |
type-driven | Refined-type / typestate specs: defer for type-system invariants |
design-by-contract | Pre/post conditions, runtime contracts: defer for assertion patterns |
validation-first | State-machine specs (typestate / FSM / actor): defer for FSM modeling |
tests-adversarial | Assumption-violation tests: defer for the adversarial test pattern |
setup-pre-commit | Commit-hook installation: defer for hook tooling |
setup-gitignore | Gitignore patterns: defer for ignore-file composition |
When the surface narrows to a single concern above, defer.
Three parts
1. Strict-mode tooling bootstrap (project-stable)
Detect the ecosystem from manifests, then write strict-mode config per the relevant references/<ecosystem>.md. Idempotency: merge with existing config; raise if a destructive overwrite would be required and --overwrite is not explicit.
Languages with bundled references (Q5-approved set; framework specifics deferred to a follow-up):
references/typescript.mdreferences/python.mdreferences/rust.mdreferences/go.mdreferences/ocaml.md
Languages noted but not yet bundled are deferred per Q8 rollback path: C++, Java, Kotlin, plus framework specifics (Spring Boot, Nest, React-strict). When the user invokes the skill on one of these, surface the gap explicitly and propose authoring the reference now or escalating to a follow-up commit.
2. AGENTS.md and per-task GOALS.md split (load-bearing)
- AGENTS.md: project-wide, stable across sessions and tasks. Contains: build/test commands, banned tooling, conventions, contract patterns, and the location pattern of per-task goal files (
.agent-tasks/<task-id>/GOALS.md or whatever path the project chooses). Defer authoring the AGENTS.md content to init. This skill only ensures the file exists and contains the goal-location pointer.
.agent-tasks/<task-id>/GOALS.md: task-ephemeral. Contains: the user's goal in prose, the success criteria the loop checks against, links to the failing tests in .agent-tasks/<task-id>/tests/. Cleaned up after the task merges. Write it from references/agent-goals.md, which carries the section layout and the rules for what belongs here rather than in AGENTS.md.
The architectural rule: task A's goals never appear in AGENTS.md. AGENTS.md never contains task-specific success criteria. If the line blurs, surface and refuse.
3. Verifiable-goals scaffolding (task-ephemeral)
For the current task, translate the user's stated goal into failing tests / contract assertions. The tests live in .agent-tasks/<task-id>/tests/ alongside the GOALS.md. The loop runs until the tests pass. Goals therefore exist both as prose (GOALS.md) and as code (tests).
Three sub-shapes, decide while drafting per task:
- Interactive: ask the user what success means, stub failing tests, hand back for review before agent loop begins.
- Template-driven: language-specific test stubs in
references/ (per-ecosystem). Pick the matching language template; let the user fill specifics.
- Hybrid: start template-driven; promote to interactive when the user's goal does not fit the template.
The term verifiable goals (Devin Agents101, Jun 2025) is preferred over TDD-for-agents (non-idiomatic in 2026 production stacks).
Posture
Bootstrap is a one-shot mode. After running, do not stay resident. The loop that follows is llm-self-loop's territory.
