panopainter/docs/modernization/director-workflow.md

# Modernization Director Workflow

Status: live
Last updated: 2026-06-12

Use this workflow when the user explicitly asks for subagents, delegation, a
director, captains, or parallel agent work. Do not spawn subagents just because
a task is complex. The default is still one agent executing one task from
`docs/modernization/tasks.md`.

## Goals

- Save main-thread tokens by keeping long exploration and simple edits out of
  the director context.
- Use stronger models only where they change the outcome.
- Keep each implementation slice measurable, validated, committed, and pushed.
- Avoid merge conflicts by giving every agent a disjoint task and file scope.

## Roles

### Director

The director is the main agent in the user thread. The director owns:

- choosing the task group from `docs/modernization/tasks.md`
- deciding whether delegation is worth the coordination cost
- spawning one `gpt-5.4` captain per independent task group, including
  multiple teams when scopes are disjoint
- integrating returned changes
- running final validation
- updating docs/debt/tasks
- committing and pushing the verified slice
- resetting conversation context after the slice when practical

The director should keep local work minimal. It should not implement production
changes unless a required integration fix is smaller than another delegation
round. Prefer giving captains ownership of implementation, focused validation,
and worker coordination, then use the director context only for scope selection,
conflict review, final validation, docs/task updates, commits, and pushes.

The director may do a quick local blocking check before delegation, such as
reading task rows, checking git status, or confirming that two scopes do not
overlap. If the next action is substantive code or test work, delegate it to a
captain or worker whenever the scope can be made clear.

### Team Captain

Use `gpt-5.4` for each captain. A captain owns one coherent task group, for
example:

- renderer/export boundary
- legacy adapter retirement
- platform/package parity
- UI lifetime
- dependency cleanup
- test/hardening work

The captain owns implementation for its assigned task group. The captain turns
one task-group objective into smaller disjoint subtasks, spawns or requests
workers when useful, reviews their changes, runs focused validation when cheap,
and returns an integration-ready result. If nested subagents are available, the
captain may spawn workers. If nested subagents are not available in the current
surface, the captain returns a worker plan and the director performs the
second-level spawns without taking over implementation.

The captain must not edit broad shared files unless assigned. The captain must
not rewrite the task tracker or roadmap except for a requested status note.

### Workers And Explorers

Workers perform bounded edits in assigned files. Explorers answer specific
questions and should usually not edit files.

Every worker and explorer must be told:

- this repository may have other agents working in parallel
- do not revert or overwrite unrelated changes
- stay inside the assigned scope
- report changed files, validation run, and blockers

## Model Selection

| Work Type | Model | Reasoning Effort | Use |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Captain for a task group | `gpt-5.4` | `medium` default, `high` for renderer/platform architecture | Split task, supervise workers, summarize integration. |
| Risky implementation with cross-file C++ behavior | `gpt-5.4` | `medium` or `high` | Code changes touching contracts, build graph, or live adapters. |
| Bounded implementation in known files | `gpt-5.4-mini` | `medium` | Localized tests, simple adapters, docs/debt updates, small refactors. |
| Fast lookup or inventory | `gpt-5.3-codex-spark` | `low` or `medium` | `rg` inventory, file ownership map, simple grep-based answers. |
| Mechanical docs cleanup | `gpt-5.3-codex-spark` | `low` | Formatting, table updates, command list normalization. |
| Ambiguous strategy or failed captain escalation | `gpt-5.5` | inherited or `high` | Only when cheaper models are likely to make architectural mistakes. |

Prefer the inherited model unless the user requested this director workflow or
there is a clear task-specific reason to override. In this workflow, the user
has requested `gpt-5.4` captains, so use that override for captains.

## Token Discipline

- Use `fork_context=false` by default. Pass the task id, relevant files, debt
  ids, validation commands, and only the necessary excerpts.
- Use `fork_context=true` only when prior conversation details are essential and
  not already in repo docs.
- Do not paste large logs into prompts. Point agents at log paths and ask for
  the smallest relevant excerpt.
- Do not ask captains or workers to "read the roadmap" generally. Name the
  exact task row and debt ids.
- Keep subagent prompts under about 250 words for explorers and 500 words for
  workers/captains unless the task truly needs more.
- Ask for compact final reports: changed files, result, validation, blockers,
  next recommendation.
- Close completed agents after their results are integrated or rejected.
- Prefer the smallest number of teams that keeps disjoint work moving. Multiple
  captains are appropriate when task rows have non-overlapping write scopes and
  can validate independently. Avoid many agents in one file family.

## Delegation Flow

1. Director picks one or more `Ready` tasks from
   `docs/modernization/tasks.md` with disjoint write scopes.
2. Director assigns each independent task group to a `gpt-5.4` captain.
3. Captains implement directly or coordinate workers/explorers for disjoint
   subtasks.
4. Captains run focused validation when cheap and return changed files,
   validation, blockers, and integration notes.
5. Director reviews for scope conflicts and integrates returned changes.
6. Director runs the listed validation command or the quiet checkpoint wrapper.
7. Director updates `tasks.md`, `debt.md`, and `roadmap.md` if tasks moved.
8. Director commits and pushes the verified slice.

## Director Prompt Template For A Captain

```text
You are the gpt-5.4 team captain for the <group> task group in PanoPainter.

Task source: docs/modernization/tasks.md task <TASK-ID>.
Debt ids: <DEBT-LIST>.
Assigned scope: <FILES/DIRS>.
Validation: <COMMANDS>.

Goal: <ONE PARAGRAPH>.

Own this task group through implementation. Split into disjoint worker tasks
only when that is faster or safer than doing the bounded edits yourself. Use
gpt-5.4 only for risky C++ behavior changes. Keep tasks small enough to
validate. Do not edit outside the assigned scope. Other agents may be working
in parallel; do not revert unrelated changes.

Return:
- recommended worker tasks with model choice and file scope
- completed edits or the exact blocker preventing them
- focused validation run and result
- risks/blockers
- integration notes for the director
```

## Captain Prompt Template For A Worker

```text
You are a worker on PanoPainter. Other agents may be editing nearby files; do
not revert unrelated changes.

Task: <WORKER-TASK>.
Model fit: <WHY THIS MODEL IS ENOUGH>.
Write scope: <FILES/DIRS ONLY>.
Read scope: <FILES/DIRS>.
Validation: <COMMANDS>.

Make the smallest behavior-preserving change that satisfies the done checks.
Update tests/docs only if listed. If the task is larger than expected, stop and
report the split instead of broadening scope.

Final report:
- files changed
- behavior changed
- validation run and result
- blockers or follow-up
```

## Explorer Prompt Template

```text
Answer one codebase question for PanoPainter.

Question: <QUESTION>.
Search scope: <FILES/DIRS>.
Use compiler-aware navigation if this depends on C++ symbols.
Do not edit files.

Return only:
- answer
- supporting file references
- confidence and caveats
```

## Final Integration Checklist

- No worker changed files outside its assigned scope without calling it out.
- No generated logs or build output were committed.
- Focused validation for the task passed or the failure is documented.
- `docs/modernization/debt.md` changed when debt was narrowed or closed.
- `docs/modernization/tasks.md` score changed only for `Done` tasks.
- The commit contains one coherent slice.
- The branch was pushed.