Coding Harness — Full Lifecycle

Overview

This skill codifies the dispatch → code → audit → merge loop. Opus orchestrates and audits. Sonnet agents execute. All gates use installed PLUGINS. No custom code without Austin's permission.

Based on the "Coding Harness" agent species (source: Gemini/NotebookLM research, 2026-03-25).

Phase 1: Contract Definition (Opus — no agents dispatched yet)

Before dispatching ANY coding agent, Opus defines in writing:

1. Task: What exactly needs to be built/changed (file path, function, behavior)
2. Done criteria: Specific, testable conditions that define "done"
3. Must-not: Explicit constraints (no custom wrappers, no novel patterns, use library X)
4. Escalation: Conditions where Sonnet should STOP and report rather than proceed
5. Context files: ONLY the files Sonnet needs (minimum viable context — NOT the full CLAUDE.md or rules)
6. Worktree: If parallel work, assign a worktree via worktree-isolation skill

Write pre-dispatch entry to memory/.harness/dispatch_log.jsonl:

{
  "timestamp": "ISO8601",
  "task_id": "TASK-{n}",
  "agent": "sonnet",
  "task_summary": "...",
  "target_files": ["..."],
  "status": "dispatched"
}

Phase 2: Execution (1 Sonnet agent)

Dispatch via Agent tool:

• model: sonnet (explicit — NEVER inherit Opus)
• mode: acceptEdits
• prompt: Contract from Phase 1 + ONLY the specified context files
• Agent codes in isolation. Completes. Returns.

Do NOT inject full CLAUDE.md, full rules, or full memory into the agent prompt.

Phase 3: Stage 1 — Local Audit (5-gate pipeline via PLUGINS)

When Sonnet returns:

1. Report to Austin: "Agent came back — running Stage 1 audit"
2. Do NOT present results yet

Dispatch gate agents (each = fresh Sonnet, zero-context, reports to Opus):

Hard Gates (automatic FAIL if violated):

• No custom code without Austin's explicit permission. If agent wrote custom code where a library exists → flag it, ask Austin.
• No hallucinated APIs. If agent called a function that doesn't exist in the library → FAIL.
• No partial implementations. If done criteria not met → FAIL.

Violation Handling:

• On ANY violation: Opus asks Austin via question. Agents do NOT decide exceptions.
• Austin approves or rejects. Austin's decision is final.
• Questions are good. ASK when uncertain.

Each gate agent writes: agent_sync/audit_result_{task_id}_{gate}.md Opus writes: agent_sync/audit_summary_{task_id}.md

Max 2 gate agents concurrent.

Phase 4: Audit Loop (MANDATORY — not optional)

execute → audit → FAIL?
                    ↓ YES
              fix → re-audit
                    ↓ FAIL again?
              same issue? → STOP → research why → different approach
              new issue?  → fix → re-audit
                    ↓ FAIL a 3rd time?
              STOP → escalate to Austin with: what failed, why, what was tried

Rules:

1. A fix without a passing re-audit is NOT a pass.
2. Both the executor AND the auditor must pass for work to be done.
3. If the same issue recurs after fix: do NOT loop again. STOP. Research WHY. Try a fundamentally different approach.
4. Max 2 re-audit cycles per gate before escalating to Austin.
5. Opus tells Sonnet HOW to fix — Sonnet does the fix. Opus does NOT rewrite code (unless it's a trivial one-liner).

Phase 5: Stage 2 — GitHub PR Airlock (requires Austin approval)

Only after ALL Stage 1 gates PASS (or Austin-approved exceptions):

1. Commit to feature branch (pre-commit hook fires semgrep as first-line defense)
2. Push branch → open PR (Austin must explicitly approve — rule 00, no public actions without approval)
3. GitHub Actions triggers:
   • Remote semgrep scan (full repo, not just changed files)
   • CodeRabbit automated PR review (fresh LLM context, uncontaminated)
4. Address PR review comments
5. Austin reviews → Austin merges to main
6. Main branch = verified master export. Agent never has direct write access.
7. All repos PRIVATE unless Austin explicitly approves public.

Phase 6: Logging

Update memory/.harness/dispatch_log.jsonl:

{
  "task_id": "TASK-{n}",
  "stage1_verdict": "PASS|FAIL",
  "gates": {
    "semgrep": "PASS|FAIL",
    "coderabbit": "PASS|FAIL",
    "code_review": "PASS|FAIL",
    "security": "PASS|FAIL",
    "clone_comparison": "PASS|FAIL"
  },
  "re_audit_count": 0,
  "austin_exceptions": [],
  "stage2_pr": "URL or pending",
  "status": "complete|escalated"
}

Constraints

• Max 2 concurrent agents at any time (1 executor + 1 auditor, or 2 auditors)
• Never run a second coding dispatch while audit is pending on the first
• All gates use INSTALLED PLUGINS — not raw MCP calls
• Sonnet executes. Opus audits and orchestrates. Opus does NOT write code.
• MCP = intelligence layer only. No MCP on the hot path.