brief-contract

Brief Contract (mandatory)

Every dispatch to coder, writer, or tdd-guide MUST include a 6-field brief. Open-ended briefs cost 4.3× more tokens than precise briefs (447k vs 103k per edit). Precision gates cost savings.

Template (copy-paste verbatim)

## TASK
<one imperative sentence, one outcome>

## FILES  (authoritative — this list is the scope)
- <abs/path/a.ts:120-180>  — <what changes here>
Escape hatch: you may touch at most 2 files not listed. Beyond that, stop and
return `## Blocker: scope exceeds brief — <files needed and why>`.

## CHANGE
<named symbols, named target state. "Replace X with Y in Z", not "improve Z".>

## DONE-WHEN  (mechanical; no judgement calls)
- `<exact command>` exits 0

## OUT OF SCOPE
- <adjacent code / files / concerns explicitly not to touch>

## CONTEXT ALREADY RESOLVED  (do NOT re-derive)
- <fact> — source: codememory_retrieve "<query>" | scout manifest | prior turn

## BUDGET
edits ≤ <N> | exploratory bash ≤ <M> | turns ≤ <T>
Over budget → stop and return `## Blocker: over budget — <what remains>`.

Mandatory fields

• FILES: Must list at least one file with line range. If empty or lists directories only, the brief is not dispatchable. Conductor MUST scout before dispatching.
• DONE-WHEN: Must contain an executable command (e.g., npm run lint exits 0, npx tsc --noEmit exits 0). No vague criteria like "looks good" or "builds successfully"; state the exact command.

Recommended fields

• TASK: One sentence, imperative voice. Outcome is the state change, not the activity.
• CHANGE: Named symbols, named target state. Not "improve" or "refactor" — state what replaces what.
• OUT OF SCOPE: Prevents scope creep. Explicitly rule out adjacent files and concerns.
• CONTEXT ALREADY RESOLVED: Cites the source (codememory result, scout manifest, or prior turn). Uncited assumptions = conductor must scout.

Default budgets (when unknown)

edits ≤ 5 | exploratory bash ≤ 3 | turns ≤ 25