heavy-context-budget

name	heavy-context-budget
description	Keep coordinator and leaf context lean-batch reads, cap logs, use execute_code to filter-so swarms stay fast and within token limits.
version	0.1.0
author	CodeGraphTheory
license	MIT
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["heavy-coder","performance","context","coordinator"],"related_skills":["heavy-explore-first","heavy-pre-dispatch-enrich","heavy-leaf-brief"]}}

Heavy context budget

Overview

Heavy Coder optimizes swarm breadth (parallel leaves). Coordinator and leaf depth (megabyte pastes) destroys latency and blows injection caps (heavy_coder.max_injected_plan_chars). This skill is the token discipline for coordinators and for text placed in delegate_task context.

When to Use

• Every explore and pre-dispatch enrich turn
• Before pasting CI logs, stack traces, or read_file output into chat or leaf context
• Large monorepos or many candidate summaries at synthesis

Coordinator rules

Batch independent I/O

• Multiple read_file / search_files / read-only terminal in one turn when inputs do not depend on each other.
• Do not read file A, wait, read file B, wait-batch.

Cap pasted material

Material	Max in context/chat
Stack trace / test failure	~80 lines or 4 KB
Full file body	Use offset/limit; cite path:line
Directory listings	search_files with limit
Candidate summaries at synthesis	Bullets: files, commands, exit codes

Filter before paste

Use execute_code when you need to:

• Ripgrep and return only matching lines + numbers
• Parse JSON test output for failures only
• Count/dedupe paths across candidates

Skills loading

• Load only skills for the current phase (router → enrich → dispatch → synthesize → ship).
• Do not load the full heavy skill catalog every turn.

Leaf context

• Profile default leaf_toolsets: [terminal, file]-no web unless needed.
• Point to plan file path instead of duplicating full user essay in eight contexts.

Slim injection alignment

Hooks use slim_delegate_context and compact chat injection. Coordinator enrich (heavy-pre-dispatch-enrich) adds high-signal bytes only-touch map, repro excerpt, evidence bar-not narrative repetition.

Done when

• No leaf context contains a full-file dump unless that file is the entire task scope (<200 lines)
• Chat responses use references (path:line) instead of reproducing whole modules
• Logs in context are truncated with note "truncated; run X for full"

Anti-patterns

Symptom	Fix
Injection truncated by hooks	Shorter enrich block; move detail to disk plan
Eight copies of same 2 KB task	Shared enrich block once per leaf
Coordinator summarizes without reading	Batch read touch map first

Docs

• composer-hermes-swarms.md