pi-multica-spine

A Pi extension that keeps Multica work agents bound to the issue → PR → evidence → handoff contract.

What this is

pi-multica-spine is for Pi agents doing implementation or PR-producing work inside Multica. It injects a short work-agent contract and exposes typed tools that make forgotten PR binding, verification evidence, and handoff gaps visible before an agent reports done.

It also includes an experimental workflow-adapter control-plane foundation for the latest Multica design work: workflow catalog manifests, project workflow bindings, compact parent issue summaries, repo-local workflow run ledgers, stage transitions, artifact envelopes, question records, and effective-permission checks.

It does not replace Multica controllers, Todo Runner, Review Sentinel, or PR creation flow. It is a narrow spine for work agents.

Features

• Thirty-five typed tools: ten work-agent spine tools plus twenty-five experimental workflow-adapter control-plane tools (including live CLI bridge paths).
• Repo-local .multica-spine/ state store with opaque issue identifiers and ASCII-safe task filenames.
• Work-agent contract injected into Pi sessions so agents see the bind → PR → evidence → handoff flow up front.
• PR binding checker with a recommended Multica Issue: <issue-identifier> PR body line.
• Local import closure check: multica_spine_verify blocks completion while a linked vault issue still has ready_for_multica: true.
• Done gate via multica_spine_verify — fails until issue binding, PR writeback, evidence, handoff, local import closure, and git completion (clean worktree, no conflict markers, pushed commits, current PR head SHA) are complete.
• Experimental workflow-adapter persistence under .multica-spine/workflow-catalog/, .multica-spine/workflow-bindings/, and .multica-spine/workflow-runs/.
• Workflow catalog manifest validation, lifecycle transitions, project binding validation, parent summary generation, workflow run ledger creation, stage seeding/transitions, artifact recording, question recording, and effective-permission intersection checks.

Work-agent spine tools

Tool	Purpose
multica_spine_bind	Bind the active opaque issue identifier. Optional localIssuePath links a vault issue markdown for import-closure checks.
multica_spine_context	Inspect current issue, PR, evidence, handoff, and verification state.
multica_spine_next	Return current state plus the next required action.
multica_spine_link_pr	Record PR URL and metadata (prNumber, prHeadSha, prBranch, etc.).
multica_spine_add_evidence	Record verification command/manual/test/lint/typecheck evidence.
multica_spine_handoff	Record structured done/changed/verification/blockers/next handoff.
multica_spine_verify	Completion check. Fails until issue, PR binding, writeback, evidence, handoff, local import closure, and git completion blockers are resolved.
multica_spine_metadata_list	Read all per-issue metadata keys via multica issue metadata list --output json. Defaults to the bound issue.
multica_spine_metadata_set	Write one metadata key/value via multica issue metadata set --output json. Stored type matches the JS value type unless type overrides it.
multica_spine_metadata_delete	Remove one metadata key via multica issue metadata delete --output json. Deleting a missing key is a no-op.

The multica_spine_metadata_* tools are CLI wrappers around the multica CLI. They always pass --output json and return the parsed key/value map. Each accepts an optional issueIdentifier (UUID or key like DOT-123) and falls back to the currently bound issue when omitted. They are independent of the bind → PR → evidence → handoff → verify completion gate, so reading or writing metadata does not affect multica_spine_verify.

Experimental workflow-adapter tools

Tool	Purpose
multica_workflow_catalog_put	Validate and persist one workflow catalog manifest entry.
multica_workflow_catalog_get	Read one persisted catalog entry by adapter id/version.
multica_workflow_catalog_list	List repo-local catalog entries.
multica_workflow_catalog_transition	Move an entry through quarantined / audited / active / deprecated / revoked.
multica_workflow_binding_put	Validate and persist one project workflow binding against the catalog manifest.
multica_workflow_binding_get	Read one persisted workflow binding by project id/key.
multica_workflow_binding_list	List repo-local workflow bindings.
multica_workflow_parent_summary	Build the compact parent workflow issue summary for a workflow run. Optional writeback=true writes summary metadata to the parent issue via live CLI.
multica_workflow_run_create	Create one repo-local workflow run ledger from a binding + catalog entry. live=true writes parent summary metadata.
multica_workflow_run_context	Inspect one workflow run ledger and state hash. live=true also reads parent issue metadata.
multica_workflow_stage_seed	Seed the next/specified stage from manifest order + binding role routes. live=true creates and assigns a Multica stage issue.
multica_workflow_stage_transition	Transition a stage through seeded / waiting / produced / accepted / retrying / failed. live=true mirrors status on the stage issue.
multica_workflow_artifact_record	Record a workflow artifact envelope in the ledger. live=true writes artifact lineage metadata to the producer issue.
multica_workflow_question_record	Record a Question Task answer artifact in the ledger.
multica_workflow_hermes_manifest	Return the dedicated Hermes Idea-to-Build manifest with both audited source bundles pinned by commit and content digest.
multica_workflow_hermes_question_answer	Resolve the next Question Task serially and persist a provenance-bearing hashed Answer Artifact record.
multica_workflow_hermes_review_decide	Record PASS / PASS WITH CHANGES / FAIL and enforce the two-cycle spec-fix cap.
multica_workflow_permission_check	Compute effective permission as Adapter ∩ Project ∩ Stage ∩ Issue ∩ Agent capability.
multica_workflow_controller_tick	Run one bounded Controller Autopilot tick (lease acquire, validate/seed, persist summary, release, or stop). Optional live=true writes parent summary metadata.
multica_workflow_autopilot_trigger	Invoke multica autopilot trigger for controller reconciliation paths.

These workflow tools layer repo-local validation/state with optional live Multica CLI operations (live / writeback). Catalog/binding/run ledgers remain repo-local; stage issue create/assign/status, parent summary writeback, artifact lineage metadata, run metadata reads, and autopilot triggers go through the real multica executable via injectable runners (fixture-backed in tests).

Hermes Idea-to-Build Adapter

createHermesCompositeManifest() defines the dedicated Capture → Question relay → Design → optional UI Brief → Implementation Spec → Build Handoff → independent Spec Review → Plan/Implement/Review/Verify → Final Package lane. It composes two audited Markdown workflow bundles pinned by full commit and canonical content SHA-256. Runtime loading is available only through AuditedBundleLoader.loadByDigest; source URLs are attribution metadata, not execution inputs.

Hermes Question Tasks run serially by default. Answer Artifacts preserve status, confidence, source references, provenance, and deterministic hashes. User preferences may only come from an observed user statement or a declared Project Binding default; otherwise they remain unresolved. Artifact paths and lineage are validated, replacements use explicit supersession, and downstream artifacts become superseded when an upstream input changes. Spec Review allows at most two PASS WITH CHANGES fix cycles before producing a terminal human-review package.

Install

Install the published npm package with Pi:

pi install npm:pi-multica-spine

Replace pi-multica-spine with the exact name from package.json when you fork or republish this package.

Pin a specific version when you want reproducible installs:

pi install npm:pi-multica-spine@0.7.2

Install into the current project instead of your user Pi settings:

pi install npm:pi-multica-spine -l

Or install from GitHub:

pi install git:github.com/eiei114/pi-multica-spine

Try it without permanently installing:

pi -e npm:pi-multica-spine

Quick start

Clone the repo and try the extension locally:

git clone https://github.com/eiei114/pi-multica-spine.git
cd pi-multica-spine
npm install
pi -e .

Then bind an issue and walk the spine:

1. Call multica_spine_bind with your opaque issue identifier. Pass localIssuePath when a vault issue markdown should be tracked for import closure.
2. Call multica_spine_next to see the required next action.
3. Open a PR whose branch, title, or body references the bound issue.
4. Call multica_spine_link_pr with PR URL, number, head SHA, branch, and writebackRecorded: true after the source issue is updated.
5. Call multica_spine_add_evidence with verification results.
6. Call multica_spine_handoff with a reviewer-ready summary.
7. If a linked local issue markdown exists, set ready_for_multica: false in its frontmatter before verify.
8. Call multica_spine_verify before reporting done.

Recommended PR body line:

Multica Issue: <issue-identifier>

Contract injected into work-agent sessions

You are acting as a Multica Work Agent.

For Multica implementation or PR-producing work:
1. Bind the active issue identifier with multica_spine_bind.
2. Use multica_spine_next to see the required next action.
3. Ensure PRs reference the bound issue identifier.
4. If a linked local issue markdown exists, set ready_for_multica: false before reporting done so import does not re-queue completed work.
5. Do not report done until multica_spine_verify passes.

Local import closure

When a vault issue markdown is linked (via localIssuePath on bind, or auto-discovery under Issues/, issues/, or 4_Project/Multica-Agent-Strategy/Issues/), multica_spine_verify checks that its frontmatter has ready_for_multica: false before completion.

Example frontmatter after work is done:

---
title: Example task
ready_for_multica: false
multica_issue: <issue-identifier>
---

State files

State is repo-local:

.multica-spine/current.json
.multica-spine/tasks/<safe-issue-identifier>.json
.multica-spine/workflow-catalog/<adapter>/v<version>.json
.multica-spine/workflow-bindings/<project>.json
.multica-spine/workflow-runs/<workflow-run-id>/state-ledger.json
.multica-spine/production-run-state.json
.multica-spine/canary-state.json

Issue identifiers are stored canonically as opaque strings. Filenames are ASCII-safe slugs with a short hash suffix.

Workflow operations (v0.5.0+)

Repo-local scripts drive the Hermes Idea-to-Build lane against live Multica projects. JSON is the default CLI output; pass --human for summaries and --color (TTY opt-in) when supported.

Script	Purpose
scripts/jsonl-digest.mjs	Stable JSONL counts + SHA-256 digest (--human, --color, --no-color)
scripts/workflow-sandbox-canary.mjs	Sandbox-only canary: --dry-run, --apply, --campaign, --human-review, F1–F8 --fixture
scripts/workflow-production-binding.mjs	Apply production-tier catalog + binding to pi-multica-spine Maintenance
scripts/workflow-production-run.mjs	Production lane: --start, --campaign, --human-review, --report

Typical sandbox canary flow:

node scripts/workflow-sandbox-canary.mjs --dry-run
node scripts/workflow-sandbox-canary.mjs --apply
node scripts/workflow-sandbox-canary.mjs --campaign
node scripts/workflow-sandbox-canary.mjs --human-review

Production binding + run (Maintenance project, prRequired=true):

node scripts/workflow-production-binding.mjs --apply
node scripts/workflow-production-run.mjs --start
node scripts/workflow-production-run.mjs --campaign
node scripts/workflow-production-run.mjs --human-review

See docs/production-workflow-binding.md, docs/workflow-production-run-runbook.md, and docs/workflow-sandbox-canary-runbook.md.

Package contents

Path	Purpose
dist/	Compiled lib/ output consumed by published CLI scripts
extensions/	Pi TypeScript extension entrypoint (index.ts)
lib/	TypeScript sources for spine + workflow control plane
scripts/	Workflow ops CLIs (jsonl-digest, sandbox canary, production binding/run)
docs/	Release, workflow ops runbooks, and maintainer docs
README.md	Public entrypoint (this file)
LICENSE	MIT license
CHANGELOG.md	Version history

Development

npm install
npm run ci

npm run ci runs build, typecheck, coverage gate, changelog lint, pack:check, pack:smoke (install tarball + digest CLI), both walkthrough smokes, and npm pack --dry-run.

Individual checks:

npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run test:coverage
npm run pack:check

Release

This package is set up for npm Trusted Publishing, so no NPM_TOKEN is required.

npm version patch
git push

On main, .github/workflows/auto-release.yml creates the v<version> tag and GitHub Release, then dispatches .github/workflows/publish.yml to publish to npm.

See docs/release.md for setup details.

Docs

docs/ is optional supporting documentation. README stays the GitHub/npm entrypoint.

• docs/release.md — Trusted Publishing details (README Release summarizes the flow)
• docs/production-workflow-binding.md — Maintenance-project production binding and run commands
• docs/workflow-production-run-runbook.md — Production lane CLI modes and daemon context guard
• docs/workflow-sandbox-canary-runbook.md — Sandbox canary harness modes and safety checks
• examples/minimal-walkthrough/ — offline spine verify demo (repo-only, not packaged)
• examples/workflow-campaign-walkthrough/ — offline Hermes Campaign walkthrough (repo-only)
• CONTEXT.md — domain glossary (repo-only)
• docs/investigations/2026-07-24-workflow-adapter-completion-closeout.md — DOT-1116 master plan closeout (repo-only)
• docs/workflow-ops-checklist.md — daily sandbox / Maintenance rehearsal path
• docs/production-gate-decision.md — when a human may open productionAllowed (default: closed)
• ROADMAP.md — maintenance context and seed history (repo-only, not packaged)

Security

Pi packages can execute code with your local permissions. Review extensions before installing third-party packages.

For vulnerability reporting, see SECURITY.md.

Links

• npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/pi-multica-spine
• GitHub: https://github.com/eiei114/pi-multica-spine
• Issues: https://github.com/eiei114/pi-multica-spine/issues

License

MIT