Software Development Lifecycle

Glyph Software-Development-Lifecycle Strategy Skill

Strategy: dispatch a single official/engineer worker; on success, fan out to parallel official/reviewer (MODE: code) + official/designer reviewers; if both verdicts come back clean (APPROVE with at most minor findings), sync-poll gh pr checks as a CI quality gate — all green → finish succeeded; any red → next engineer iteration with CI context; pending → dispatch a ci-waiter (reviewer in MODE: ci) that blocks until CI terminal. Else (any reviewer blocker / major) dispatch the next official/engineer iteration with prior verdicts available, and loop. Loaded by the official/coordinator agent alongside the generic official/workflow-coordination skill at every coord wake-up.

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Case bank

Match own direct parents against these cases — exactly one matches per wake-up (the case bank is total over expected shapes; see "Failure-mode coverage"). Unexpected shapes (3 parents, an unknown agent FQN, etc.) are bugs in workflow construction; terminate with workflow finish --outcome failed --message "coord saw unexpected DAG shape under official/software-development-lifecycle: ".

CASE "no parents" (initial coord node):
  addSubgraph:
    dev (worker, agent=official/engineer, brief=)
       parents = [self]
    next-coord (coordinator, agent=official/coordinator)
       parents = [dev]
  exit

CASE "one parent, worker, agent=official/engineer, status=succeeded":
  addSubgraph:
    review   (worker, agent=official/reviewer, brief=)
       parents = [self]
    designer (worker, agent=official/designer, brief=)
       parents = [self]
    next-coord (coordinator, agent=official/coordinator)
       parents = [review, designer]
  exit

CASE "one parent, worker, agent=official/engineer, status in (failed, cancelled)":
  finishWorkflow(failed, "dev iteration ended in {status}")
  exit

CASE "two parents, both worker, agents in {official/reviewer, official/designer}":
  for each parent:
    resolve run:   TID = glyph task list --origin workflow --origin-id  --json | jq -r '.[0].id'
    fetch task:    glyph task show  --json
    fetch verdict: read /artifact/verdict.json (parse per §C of generic skill)
  blockers_and_majors = [
    f for v in verdicts for f in v.findings if f.severity in ('blocker', 'major')
  ]
  if blockers_and_majors is not empty:
    addSubgraph:
      dev (worker, agent=official/engineer, brief=)
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [dev]
    exit

  # Both reviewers APPROVE — run CI quality gate before declaring success.
  prior_dev = most recent (highest-phase) agent=official/engineer worker node in the DAG
  prior_dev_task = glyph task list --origin workflow --origin-id  --json | jq -r '.[0].id'
  pr_number = derive from glyph task show  --json
              (the engineer's success.output and/or activity log carry the
              `gh pr create` URL; parse the PR number from the URL —
              no new engineer contract required)
  ci = `gh pr checks  --json name,state,bucket,link`
       # `bucket` is gh's normalised category for each check, one of
       # `pass | fail | pending | skipping | cancel`. `link` is the
       # per-check URL (GitHub Actions form:
       # https://github.com///actions/runs//job/).
  if every check.bucket in ("pass", "skipping"):
       # `skipping` is terminal-OK (the job was deliberately skipped, e.g.
       #  conditional `if:` evaluated false); treat as pass for gating.
    addSubgraph:
      approval (human, spec={
        prompt: "",
        choices: [
          { id: "approve", label: "Approve & merge" },
          { id: "changes", label: "Request more changes" },
          { id: "cancel", label: "Cancel workflow" }
        ]
      })
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [approval]
    exit
  elif any check.bucket in ("fail", "cancel"):
    addSubgraph:
      dev (worker, agent=official/engineer, brief=)
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [dev]
    # The dev brief instructs the worker to fetch `gh pr checks --json`
    # itself so the failing-job context flows in without coord pre-digestion.
    exit
  else:  # at least one check.bucket == "pending" — dispatch a ci-waiter
    addSubgraph:
      ci-waiter (worker, agent=official/reviewer, brief=)
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [ci-waiter]
    exit

CASE "one parent, worker, agent=official/reviewer, status=succeeded" (the ci-waiter terminal):
  # Topologically distinguished from the normal reviewer-in-pair case
  # by single-parent shape: the review + designer pair always lands as
  # two parents on the next coord. A lone reviewer parent is therefore
  # always a ci-waiter dispatched via template-review-ci.
  fetch verdict: read /artifact/verdict.json (parse per §C of generic skill)
  if verdict == "APPROVE" and (findings == [] or all minor):
    addSubgraph:
      approval (human, spec={
        prompt: "",
        choices: [
          { id: "approve", label: "Approve & merge" },
          { id: "changes", label: "Request more changes" },
          { id: "cancel", label: "Cancel workflow" }
        ]
      })
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [approval]
    exit
  else:  # REQUEST_CHANGES — CI ended red
    addSubgraph:
      dev (worker, agent=official/engineer, brief=)
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [dev]
    exit

CASE "one parent, worker, agent=official/reviewer, status in (failed, cancelled)" (ci-waiter failed):
  finishWorkflow(failed, "ci-waiter iteration ended in {status}; coord cannot decide CI state without verdict")
  exit

CASE "two parents, both worker, any status in (failed, cancelled)":
  finishWorkflow(failed, "reviewer iteration ended in {status}; coord cannot decide without verdict")
  exit

CASE "one parent, human, status=succeeded":
  read metadata.response from parent node via:
    glyph workflow node-show $WF  --json
  if response.choiceId == "approve":
    # The "& merge" half of the choice label is a contract, not aspirational
    # text. Auto-merge fires only on the explicit "approve" path; humans who
    # want approval without merge use the freeform input branch instead.
    pr_number, repo = parse from prior dev task's success.output
      (PR URL captured per §Brief inputs table: matches
       https://github.com///pull/)
    merge_result = sh: gh pr merge  --repo  --squash --delete-branch
    if merge_result.exitCode != 0:
      finishWorkflow(failed,
        "human approved but auto-merge failed (exit ): . " +
        "PR # remains open for manual triage.")
      exit
    merge_commit_sha = sh: gh pr view  --repo  --json mergeCommit -q '.mergeCommit.oid'
    finishWorkflow(succeeded, summary={
      "iterations": ,
      "minor_findings_remaining": ,
      "ci": "all green",
      "approved_by": "human",
      "merged": true,
      "merge_strategy": "squash",
      "merge_commit": ""
    })
  elif response.choiceId == "changes":
    addSubgraph:
      dev (worker, agent=official/engineer, brief=)
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [dev]
    # brief should include the human's input text as additional guidance
    exit
  elif response.choiceId == "cancel":
    finishWorkflow(failed, "cancelled by human")
    exit
  else (freeform only, no choiceId):
    # interpret the input text as guidance, dispatch next dev iteration
    addSubgraph:
      dev (worker, agent=official/engineer, brief=)
         parents = [self]
      next-coord (coordinator)
         parents = [dev]
    exit

CASE (coord judgment): workflow is stuck or needs clarification
  # Triggered when coord detects ambiguity, repeated failures on same issue,
  # or design decisions that need human input
  addSubgraph:
    intervention (human, spec={
      prompt: "",
      choices: []
    })
       parents = [self]
    next-coord (coordinator)
       parents = [intervention]
  exit

Use the §B "Batch-mutate the DAG atomically" add-subgraph payload shape from the generic skill; substitute `` with the actual id from the DAG snapshot.

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Brief guidance

Coord assembles briefs based on workflow context, DAG state, and parent outputs. The following guidance describes what each brief type should convey — coord adapts emphasis, ordering, and phrasing to the current situation rather than filling rigid templates.

Brief guidance: dev iteration (first)

The brief should convey:

• The workflow's original goal (from workflow.brief and workflow.details)
• That this is the first implementation attempt
• Output expectations (branch, PR, etc. — follow the worker's normal dev workflow)

Brief guidance: dev iteration (2+)

The brief should convey:

• The workflow's original goal
• Which iteration this is and why another iteration is needed
• If from reviewer blockers: what needs fixing (point to where findings are via task ids and artifact paths — don't pre-digest the content)
• If from CI failure: that CI failed, instruct worker to check gh pr checks
• If from human feedback: include the human's response text as additional direction
• The branch name to continue on
• Where to find prior verdicts (task ids for fetch)
• CI state instructions: gh pr checks --json name,state,bucket,link — for any failing check, how to retrieve logs

Brief guidance: reviewer

The brief should convey:

• The workflow's goal
• Which dev iteration to review (parent node's task)
• The review MODE (code or ci)
• If iteration 2+: where to find prior review verdict to check for regressions
• The verdict.json output protocol (always inline the full schema and validation rules from §C of the generic skill)
• Coord decision rule (so the reviewer understands impact of their verdict)

Brief guidance: designer

The brief should convey:

• The workflow's goal
• Which dev iteration to review for UI/UX
• If iteration 2+: where to find prior designer verdict
• The verdict.json output protocol (same schema as reviewer)

Brief guidance: ci-waiter

The brief should convey:

• The workflow's goal
• The PR number and repository
• MODE: ci — block on automated checks until terminal
• Detailed instructions for capturing per-job state and log tails
• The verdict.json output protocol with CI-specific mapping rules (pass/skipping → APPROVE, fail/cancel → REQUEST_CHANGES with blocker severity)

Brief guidance: human approval

The prompt should include:

• Brief summary of what was implemented (assembled from workflow brief)
• Iteration count (how many rounds it took)
• PR link
• Reviewer verdict summary (both APPROVE, N minor findings remaining)
• CI status (all green / all green after waiting)

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Context sources for brief assembly

When assembling briefs, coord pulls context from these sources. The specific data included depends on the dispatch reason and worker role.

| Context | Source | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Workflow id | workflow.id from glyph workflow show | Always included | | Workflow brief | workflow.brief | Always included; verbatim, no rewriting | | Workflow details | workflow.details (may be null) | Include when non-empty | | Iteration number | count of official/engineer worker nodes already in the DAG, +1 | Dev iteration 2+ briefs | | Prior review task id | latest task id of the most recent agent=official/reviewer worker parent of the prior coord (the reviewer-in-pair, NOT a ci-waiter), resolved via task list --origin workflow --origin-id | Dev iteration 2+ briefs — point worker to where findings live | | Prior designer task id | latest task id of the most recent agent=official/designer worker parent of the prior coord, resolved via task list --origin workflow --origin-id | Dev iteration 2+ briefs | | Branch name | derived from the prior dev task: resolve its id via task list --origin workflow --origin-id , parse pr_number from glyph task show --json, then gh pr view --json headRefName -q '.headRefName' | Dev iteration 2+ briefs | | PR number | derived from the prior dev task: resolve its id via task list --origin workflow --origin-id , parse PR number from glyph task show --json (its success.output carries the gh pr create URL) | Dev iteration 2+, ci-waiter, and human approval prompt | | Human response | metadata.response from human parent node via glyph workflow node-show | Dev iteration briefs dispatched after human feedback |

Prior-iter lookups use the "Find prior-iter siblings" snippet from the generic skill §B (same agent FQN, lower phase). For prior review specifically, restrict the lookup to reviewer nodes that paired with a designer sibling — i.e. ignore ci-waiter reviewer nodes (single-parent shape per the case bank).

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Stop condition

Trigger PR merge (gh pr merge --repo --squash --delete-branch) followed by finishWorkflow(succeeded, ...) when a human approval node's response carries choiceId == "approve". If the merge fails (non-zero exit), call finishWorkflow(failed, "human approved but auto-merge failed: ; PR remains open") so the PR is visible for manual triage. The human approval gate is reached after: both reviewer verdicts parse cleanly per §C, the union of findings filtered to severity in ('blocker', 'major') is empty, AND the CI quality gate is green (either inline via gh pr checks --json or via a subsequent ci-waiter whose verdict.json is APPROVE). The success summary records iterations (count of official/engineer nodes in the final DAG), minor_findings_remaining (visibility — the work ships with them outstanding), ci ("all green" or "all green (waited)"), and approved_by: "human".

No hard iteration cap is baked into this strategy; coord uses its judgment to call finishWorkflow(failed, "convergence stalled — N iterations and still seeing the same finding category") when iteration is no longer productive (e.g. the same blocker keeps reappearing, CI keeps flaking on the same job). Coord may also insert a human intervention node when it detects ambiguity or repeated failures requiring human judgment.

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Failure-mode coverage

Every (parent role, parent terminal status) cell on every expected parent role matches exactly one case in the case bank — verify here when editing.

| Coord wake-up shape | Parent role | Parent status | Matched case | Action | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 0 parents (initial coord node) | — | — | "no parents" | addSubgraph dev + next-coord | | 1 parent | official/engineer worker | succeeded | "one parent, dev, succeeded" | addSubgraph review + designer + next-coord | | 1 parent | official/engineer worker | failed | "one parent, dev, failed/cancelled" | finish(failed, "dev iteration ended in failed") | | 1 parent | official/engineer worker | cancelled | "one parent, dev, failed/cancelled" | finish(failed, "dev iteration ended in cancelled") | | 2 parents | both reviewers (review + designer) | both succeeded, both verdicts APPROVE w/ no blocker/major, every gh pr checks bucket in ("pass", "skipping") | "two parents, both reviewers" → CI sub-case all-green | addSubgraph human approval + next-coord | | 2 parents | both reviewers (review + designer) | both succeeded, both verdicts APPROVE w/ no blocker/major, any gh pr checks bucket in ("fail", "cancel") | "two parents, both reviewers" → CI sub-case any-red | addSubgraph next dev iter | | 2 parents | both reviewers (review + designer) | both succeeded, both verdicts APPROVE w/ no blocker/major, any gh pr checks bucket == "pending" | "two parents, both reviewers" → CI sub-case pending | addSubgraph ci-waiter + next-coord | | 2 parents | both reviewers (review + designer) | both succeeded, any verdict carries blocker/major | "two parents, both reviewers" → blockers/majors path | addSubgraph next dev iter | | 2 parents | revi

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Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: glyphs-ai
• Source: glyphs-ai/glyph
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.