scratchpad

name	scratchpad
description	Conventions for disposable scratch code and verification scripts. Use when writing smoke tests, quick probes, or temporary artifacts during task execution.
user-invocable	false

Scratchpad

Disposable code and artifacts live in .scratch/, either in the working directory or under a designated output directory. Never committed.

Smoke Tests

Any disposable code used to quickly verify something works. Write them liberally after implementing changes.

Type	When to use	Example
Logic verification	Verify guard patterns, state machines, edge cases	vitest test asserting a staleness guard rejects stale responses
API/endpoint probes	Verify endpoints respond correctly	curl scripts hitting local dev server
Integration checks	Verify two systems work together	Script that creates a resource then reads it back
Regression probes	Verify a specific bug is fixed	Minimal repro of the bug, now passing

• Promote to committed unit tests when a smoke test catches a real issue

Rules

• Write scratch code to .scratch/ — never commit it
• Do not store secrets or raw tokens (.env values, JWTs, API keys, cookies)
• Check project instruction files (CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md) for auth token scripts and API base URL
• Name files descriptively: {feature}-{what}.test.ts or {endpoint}.sh
• Use the project's existing test runner (vitest, jest, etc.) for logic smoke tests

Notes

Write markdown notes as you work — findings, decisions, progress. Notes persist on disk across context clears.

Use the co-located script:

# Write a quick note (auto-named with timestamp)
scripts/scratch.sh write --tag research -p "Found that X uses Y pattern"

# Write from stdin
echo "curl returned 200" | scripts/scratch.sh write --tag probe

# Explicit file path within session
scripts/scratch.sh write my-test.sh -p "#!/bin/bash\necho test"

# List notes from current session
scripts/scratch.sh list

# Read latest note
scripts/scratch.sh read @latest

# List all sessions
scripts/scratch.sh list --all

When run via run-agent, session defaults to the run ID. Standalone, pass --session or let it auto-bucket by date.