mission-engine-worker

name	mission-engine-worker
description	Builds mission engine modules, orchestration wiring, plugin system, headless execution, and code review infrastructure

Mission Engine Worker

NOTE: Startup and cleanup are handled by worker-base. This skill defines the WORK PROCEDURE.

When to Use This Skill

Use for features that implement the mission engine subsystem and production infrastructure:

• Mission orchestrator wiring (dispatch loop, handoff pipeline, milestone gates)
• Plugin marketplace (manifest, registry, resolver, loader, CLI)
• Headless execution engine (autonomy tiers, output formats, permission enforcement)
• Code review system (diff engine, severity matrix, 2-pass pipeline)
• Mission workspace provisioning and state management
• features.json state machine and precondition DAG
• state.json mutex and lock management
• Handoff directory watching and processing
• Worker-to-features dispatching and persona injection
• Friction loop engine
• Validation contract parsing and state gatekeeper
• Scrutiny reviewer auto-spawn and milestone gates
• services.yaml command registry
• init.sh bootstrap system
• Readiness scoring engine and auto-remediation

Work Procedure

1. Understand the Feature

Read the feature's description, expectedBehavior, and verificationSteps carefully. Cross-reference with the validation contract assertions listed in fulfills to understand exactly what behavior must be verified.

2. Write Tests FIRST (TDD Red Phase)

Before writing ANY implementation code:

1. Create test file in tests/mission/ (or tests/services/, tests/readiness/ as appropriate)
2. Use node:test with describe() and it() blocks
3. Use assert from node:assert/strict
4. Write tests that cover ALL assertions in the feature's fulfills array
5. Run tests with node --test <test-file> to confirm they FAIL (red phase)

Test file conventions:

• Filename: <module-name>.test.cjs
• Use temp directories for filesystem tests (clean up in after())
• Mock external dependencies with manual stubs (no sinon/jest)
• Use path.join() for all paths (Windows compatibility)

3. Implement the Module (TDD Green Phase)

1. Create module in .claude/lib/mission/ (or .claude/lib/services/, .claude/lib/readiness/)
2. Use CommonJS: module.exports = { ... }
3. Use AJV for all JSON schema validation
4. Use atomic writes for state files: write to .tmp then rename
5. Use path.normalize() for all file paths
6. Handle Windows-specific concerns:
   • fs.watch may be unreliable on NTFS - provide polling fallback
   • Use process.platform === 'win32' checks where needed
   • Use where instead of command -v on Windows
7. Run tests to confirm they PASS (green phase)

4. Verify Your Work

1. Run the specific test file: node --test tests/mission/<file>.test.cjs
2. Run the full test suite: pnpm test (must not break existing tests)
3. Run format check: pnpm format:check
4. If format fails, run: pnpm format then re-check
5. Manually verify by requiring the module and calling key functions from a Node REPL or inline script

5. Check for Integration Issues

• Verify your module exports match what other modules expect to import
• Check that file paths used match the mission workspace structure
• Ensure no circular dependencies with existing .claude/lib/ modules

Example Handoff

{
  "salientSummary": "Implemented features.json state machine with 5 valid transitions, precondition DAG evaluation, circular dependency detection, and atomic write safety. Wrote 14 test cases covering all VAL-FS assertions. All tests pass, pnpm test green, format:check clean.",
  "whatWasImplemented": "Created .claude/lib/mission/features-state-machine.cjs with loadFeatures(), transitionFeature(), validateFeatures(), and getEligibleFeatures(). Uses AJV for schema validation, atomic write via writeFileSync to .tmp + renameSync. Topological sort for cycle detection. Full state transition matrix: pending->in_progress, in_progress->validating, validating->completed, in_progress->failed, failed->pending.",
  "whatWasLeftUndone": "",
  "verification": {
    "commandsRun": [
      {
        "command": "node --test tests/mission/features-state-machine.test.cjs",
        "exitCode": 0,
        "observation": "14 tests passing, 0 failing"
      },
      { "command": "pnpm test", "exitCode": 0, "observation": "Full suite passes, no regressions" 
             
    
     
      
         
         
      
      
         
         
      
    
  
   
     
      
         
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
        
      
    
  
   

When to Return to Orchestrator

• Feature requires modifying existing .claude/lib/workers/ modules (bridge only, not modify)
• Circular dependency found between new mission modules and existing modules
• AJV schema from existing codebase conflicts with PRD-specified schema
• Windows-specific issue blocks implementation (NTFS, path, process management)
• Feature's preconditions reference modules that don't exist yet