punkshell/AGENTS.md

DOX framework

• DOX is highly performant AGENTS.md hierarchy installed here
• Agent must follow DOX instructions across any edits

Core Contract

• AGENTS.md files are binding work contracts for their subtrees
• Work products, source materials, instructions, records, assets, and durable docs must stay understandable from the nearest applicable AGENTS.md plus every parent AGENTS.md above it

Read Before Editing

1. Read the root AGENTS.md
2. Identify every file or folder you expect to touch
3. Walk from the repository root to each target path
4. Read every AGENTS.md found along each route
5. If a parent AGENTS.md lists a child AGENTS.md whose scope contains the path, read that child and continue from there
6. Use the nearest AGENTS.md as the local contract and parent docs for repo-wide rules
7. If docs conflict, the closer doc controls local work details, but no child doc may weaken DOX

Do not rely on memory. Re-read the applicable DOX chain in the current session before editing.

Update After Editing

Every meaningful change requires a DOX pass before the task is done.

Update the closest owning AGENTS.md when a change affects:

• purpose, scope, ownership, or responsibilities
• durable structure, contracts, workflows, or operating rules
• required inputs, outputs, permissions, constraints, side effects, or artifacts
• user preferences about behavior, communication, process, organization, or quality
• AGENTS.md creation, deletion, move, rename, or index contents

Update parent docs when parent-level structure, ownership, workflow, or child index changes. Update child docs when parent changes alter local rules. Remove stale or contradictory text immediately. Small edits that do not change behavior or contracts may leave docs unchanged, but the DOX pass still must happen.

Hierarchy

• Root AGENTS.md is the DOX rail: project-wide instructions, global preferences, durable workflow rules, and the top-level Child DOX Index
• Child AGENTS.md files own domain-specific instructions and their own Child DOX Index
• Each parent explains what its direct children cover and what stays owned by the parent
• The closer a doc is to the work, the more specific and practical it must be

Child Doc Shape

• Create a child AGENTS.md when a folder becomes a durable boundary with its own purpose, rules, responsibilities, workflow, materials, or quality standards
• Work Guidance must reflect the current standards of the project or user instructions; if there are no specific standards or instructions yet, leave it empty
• Verification must reflect an existing check; if no verification framework exists yet, leave it empty and update it when one exists

Default section order:

• Purpose
• Ownership
• Local Contracts
• Work Guidance
• Verification
• Child DOX Index

Style

• Keep docs concise, current, and operational
• Document stable contracts, not diary entries
• Put broad rules in parent docs and concrete details in child docs
• Prefer direct bullets with explicit names
• Do not duplicate rules across many files unless each scope needs a local version
• Delete stale notes instead of explaining history
• Trim obvious statements, repeated rules, misplaced detail, and warnings for risks that no longer exist

Closeout

1. Re-check changed paths against the DOX chain
2. Update nearest owning docs and any affected parents or children
3. Refresh every affected Child DOX Index
4. Remove stale or contradictory text
5. Run existing verification when relevant
6. Report any docs intentionally left unchanged and why

User Preferences

When the user requests a durable behavior change, record it here or in the relevant child AGENTS.md

Child DOX Index

• src/ — Source tree root; editable source code, build scripts, tests, VFS payloads, vendor deps, docs (see src/AGENTS.md)
  • src/modules/ — Main editable module source (see src/modules/AGENTS.md)
    • src/modules/punk/ — Core punk namespace modules (see src/modules/punk/AGENTS.md)
    • src/modules/test/ — Installed-module test packages (see src/modules/test/AGENTS.md)
    • src/modules/opunk/ — Alternative punk namespace
    • src/modules/punkcheck/ — Build/check system
  • src/modules_tcl8/ — Tcl 8 specific modules (see src/modules_tcl8/AGENTS.md)
  • src/modules_tcl9/ — Tcl 9 specific modules (see src/modules_tcl9/AGENTS.md)
  • src/lib/ — Editable library source (see src/lib/AGENTS.md)
  • src/lib_tcl8/ — Tcl 8 specific libraries
  • src/lib_tcl9/ — Tcl 9 specific libraries
  • src/bootsupport/ — Early-load bootstrap modules (see src/bootsupport/AGENTS.md)
  • src/tests/ — Unit tests for src-hierarchy modules (see src/tests/AGENTS.md)
  • src/vfs/ — Virtual file system images for builds (see src/vfs/AGENTS.md)
  • src/scriptapps/ — Entry-point scripts for Punk apps (see src/scriptapps/AGENTS.md)
  • src/vendormodules/ — Third-party bundled modules (see src/vendormodules/AGENTS.md)
  • src/vendorlib/ — Third-party bundled libraries (see src/vendorlib/AGENTS.md)
  • src/vendorlib_tcl8/ — Tcl 8 specific vendor libraries
  • src/vendorlib_tcl9/ — Tcl 9 specific vendor libraries
  • src/runtime/ — Build runtimes and VFS config (see src/runtime/AGENTS.md)
  • src/doc/ — Generated documentation (see src/doc/AGENTS.md)
  • src/testansi/ — Sample ANSI art files (do not modify)
• Directories agents should not directly modify (no child DOX needed):
  • callbacks/ — Experimental shellspy features, user-only
  • scriptlib/ — Shared utilities + manual tests, user-only
  • bin/ — Built binaries and helpers, build output target
  • modules/ (root) — Build output target for tclsh src/make.tcl modules
  • lib/ (root) — Build output target for tclsh src/make.tcl libs
  • modules_tcl8/, modules_tcl9/ — Tcl version-specific build output targets
  • lib_tcl8/, lib_tcl9/ — Tcl version-specific build output targets

Repo-wide Notes

• ShellSpy (Punk Shell) is an experimental, alpha-level alternative Tcl shell under the BSD license; its primary language is Tcl.
• The project extends Tcl with ANSI terminal capabilities, functional and pattern-matching language features, and a comprehensive module ecosystem.
• This root file is intentionally limited to DOX governance, global ownership boundaries, and the top-level Child DOX Index.
• Source-tree build, testing, linting, and file-resolution workflow lives in src/AGENTS.md.
• Tcl module authoring conventions live in src/modules/AGENTS.md and closer module child docs.
• If AGENTS.md conflicts with CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md wins.