Context: Execution

Terms describing tool invocation and semantic safety gates during generation.

Tool

Definition Concrete runtime product used to execute commands (for example Claude Code, Codex, opencode).
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Agent, Slash Command

Tool Surface

Definition A tool-visible artifact or configuration entry that Spec Kitty installs, verifies, repairs, or packages for a concrete execution tool.
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 3.x
Examples slash command file, skill directory, custom agent profile file, hook config, MCP config, plugin manifest
Use when Describing install/config/doctor/plugin ownership for Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro, or another concrete tool.
Do NOT use when Describing logical collaborator identity, assignment, handoff, or role; use Agent or Agent Profile instead.
Related terms Tool, Slash Command, Agent

Slash Command

Definition User-facing command surface that triggers a lifecycle operation (for example specify, plan, tasks, review, merge).
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x

Semantic Check

Definition Deterministic validation step that compares extracted terms with active glossary scope(s) before generation proceeds.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Glossary Scope, Strictness, Term Sense, Semantic Check Evaluation

Glossary Strictness

Definition Policy mode controlling warning/block behavior for semantic conflicts.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Modes off, medium (default), max

Clarification Prompt

Definition Targeted question emitted when conflict severity/confidence requires human input before continuing generation.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Burst policy Cap to top 3 high-priority conflicts per prompt burst

Generation Boundary

Definition Point where text/code generation would begin and semantic gate policy is enforced.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Block condition Unresolved high-severity semantic conflict

Middleware Pipeline

Definition An ordered chain of processing steps that run before a mission step produces output. Each layer in the chain can extract terms, check for semantic conflicts, gate generation, prompt the Human-in-Charge for clarification, or resume from a checkpoint.
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Semantic Check, Generation Boundary, Checkpoint/Resume

Checkpoint/Resume

Definition A mechanism that lets a glossary pipeline pause at a generation boundary and pick up where it left off in a later session. The pause point and its context are saved so no work is lost.
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Middleware Pipeline, Generation Boundary

Seed File

Definition An optional YAML file (.kittify/glossaries/{scope}.yaml) that pre-loads domain glossary terms before the runtime starts extracting new ones. Gives teams a head start by defining known terminology upfront.
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Glossary Scope, Term Sense

Collaboration Mode

Definition The level of Human-in-Charge involvement during a mission step or workflow. Determines how much real-time oversight the HiC provides versus delegating to agents.
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Human-in-Charge (HiC), Interactive Mode, Hands-off with Review Mode, Fully Delegated Mode

Interactive Mode

Definition The HiC works alongside agents in real time — conducting interviews, pair-developing, micro-prompting, or making decisions as they arise. The HiC is present and actively steering.
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Collaboration Mode, Human-in-Charge (HiC)

Hands-off with Review Mode

Definition Agents operate independently during execution, but the HiC reviews results at defined checkpoints before work is accepted or advanced. The HiC is absent during execution but present for review.
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Related terms Collaboration Mode, Human-in-Charge (HiC)

Fully Delegated Mode

Definition The agentic stack operates asynchronously without the HiC present. Work proceeds until a final Accept/Decline decision point, where the HiC returns to approve or reject the outcome. Also known as "AFK mode."
Context Execution
Status candidate
Applicable to 1.x, 2.x
Alias AFK mode
Related terms Collaboration Mode, Human-in-Charge (HiC)

GovernanceContext

Definition The resolved set of Charter and Doctrine artifacts active for an operation. Owned by the Governance bounded module. Resolved once per operation and passed down; never re-derived mid-operation.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 3.x
Owner Governance module
Related terms ExecutionContext, InfraContext, Charter

ExecutionContext

Definition The resolved set of workspace root, branch name, feature directory, and WP identity for an operation. Owned by core/execution_context.py (Open Host Service facade). Resolved once per operation via resolve_action_context; never re-derived from CWD by individual command surfaces.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 3.x
Owner Execution module (src/specify_cli/core/execution_context.py)
OHS entry point resolve_action_context
Related terms GovernanceContext, InfraContext

InfraContext

Definition The resolved set of infrastructure credentials and endpoints for an operation, including git remote URL, CI endpoint, and any external service tokens. Owned by the Execution module.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 3.x
Owner Execution module
Related terms ExecutionContext, GovernanceContext

Effector

Definition The Actor realized inside the Execution domain — the execution-bound realization of an Actor that performs actions within a mission run, producing or consuming communication artefacts (commits, PRs, comments). Named concept in docs only; no code type until a concrete actor-kind-mismatch bug triggers materialization.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 3.x
Materialization trigger First concrete actor-kind-mismatch bug, or first feature requiring cross-log (status/retrospective/run) actor identity join
Placement when materialized src/specify_cli/kernel/actor.py (Shared Kernel layer)
Related terms communication artefact
ADR docs/adr/3.x/2026-06-03-3-effector-actor-model.md

communication artefact

Definition A durable artifact produced or consumed by an Effector during a mission run (for example, a commit, a pull request, a review comment). Distinct from planning artifacts (spec, plan, tasks) which are produced before execution begins.
Context Execution
Status canonical
Applicable to 3.x
Examples git commit, pull request, PR comment, CI run result
Related terms Effector