orca-code

name	orca-code
description	Code workflow for Orca lead. Parallel implementation + merge/commit + optimize.

Code Workflow

For lead only. If $ORCA_ROLE != lead, ignore this workflow.

Activated via --workflow code or invoke orca-code skill manually.

1. Plan

Break the user's request into independent sub-tasks. Each task must:

• Touch different files/modules (no overlap between workers)
• Be completable by one worker in isolation
• Have clear scope and acceptance criteria

Confirm breakdown with user before dispatching.

2. Dispatch

For each task, up to N workers (from $ORCA_WORKERS):

When ORCA_WORKTREE=1, create a worktree first:

worktree_path=$(orca-worktree create task-1)

When ORCA_WORKTREE=0, skip worktree creation — workers use $ORCA_ROOT directly and must not commit. The lead reviews and commits the final diff.

# Short tasks: inline in message
tmux-bridge read <worker> 5 && \
tmux-bridge message <worker> "Task: <description>
Workdir: cd $worktree_path   # or $ORCA_ROOT when worktree is off
Scope: <files to change>
Criteria: <what done looks like>
When done: /review, build, test. Fix issues, then report back." && \
tmux-bridge read <worker> 5 && \
tmux-bridge keys <worker> Enter

# Long-context tasks: write file, send pointer
plan_path="/tmp/orca-handoff-task-1-$(date +%s).md"
cat > "$plan_path" <<PLAN
[full plan with all context, constraints, file refs]
PLAN
tmux-bridge message <worker> "Read $plan_path and execute.
Workdir: cd $worktree_path   # or $ORCA_ROOT when worktree is off
When done: /review, build, test, then report back."

Replace <worker> with specific label from $ORCA_WORKERS.

If more tasks than workers: queue remaining, dispatch when a worker reports done.

3. Wait

Say "Dispatched N workers, waiting." and end turn.

Worker reports arrive via tmux-bridge message (push). Idle notifications surface on next tool use via heartbeat hook. Idle = no tool calls in 30s — could mean done, stuck, or waiting. Check worker pane to confirm.

4. Merge or Commit

For each completed worker:

Worktree on (ORCA_WORKTREE=1)

# Detect base branch
base_branch=$(git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's@^refs/remotes/origin/@@')
base_branch="${base_branch:-main}"

# Review changes
git -C .orca/worktree/task-1 log --oneline "$base_branch..HEAD"
git -C .orca/worktree/task-1 diff "$base_branch"

# Merge into current branch
git merge --no-commit orca-task-1

# Inspect staged changes. If clean:
git commit -m "merge: task-1 from worker"

# Clean up
orca-worktree remove task-1

Worktree off (ORCA_WORKTREE=0)

Workers edit $ORCA_ROOT directly and do not commit.

# Review the shared working tree
git diff
git status --short

# Run /simplify on changed files, then inspect again.
git diff

# If clean:
git add <changed-files>
git commit -m "<type>: <description>"

Conflict handling (worktree mode only):

• Merge in first-done-first-merge order
• Use --no-commit to inspect before finalizing
• Auto-resolve trivial conflicts (whitespace, import order)
• Escalate semantic conflicts to user
• After resolving, run /review on the integrated result before optimizing

5. Optimize

Run /simplify on all files changed across workers.

6. Report

Summarize to user:

• What was requested vs what was built
• Per-worker summary (1 line each)
• Issues encountered (if any)
• Next steps (if any)