# AGENTS.md — rich_rust
> Guidelines for AI coding agents working in this Rust codebase.
---
## RULE 0 - THE FUNDAMENTAL OVERRIDE PEROGATIVE
If I tell you to do something, even if it goes against what follows below, YOU MUST LISTEN TO ME. I AM IN CHARGE, NOT YOU.
---
## RULE NUMBER 1: NO FILE DELETION
**YOU ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO DELETE A FILE WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION.** Even a new file that you yourself created, such as a test code file. You have a horrible track record of deleting critically important files or otherwise throwing away tons of expensive work. As a result, you have permanently lost any and all rights to determine that a file or folder should be deleted.
**YOU MUST ALWAYS ASK AND RECEIVE CLEAR, WRITTEN PERMISSION BEFORE EVER DELETING A FILE OR FOLDER OF ANY KIND.**
---
## Irreversible Git & Filesystem Actions — DO NOT EVER BREAK GLASS
> **Note:** This project exists specifically to block these dangerous commands for AI agents. Practice what we preach.
1. **Absolutely forbidden commands:** `git reset --hard`, `git clean -fd`, `rm -rf`, or any command that can delete or overwrite code/data must never be run unless the user explicitly provides the exact command and states, in the same message, that they understand and want the irreversible consequences.
2. **No guessing:** If there is any uncertainty about what a command might delete or overwrite, stop immediately and ask the user for specific approval. "I think it's safe" is never acceptable.
3. **Safer alternatives first:** When cleanup or rollbacks are needed, request permission to use non-destructive options (`git status`, `git diff`, `git stash`, copying to backups) before ever considering a destructive command.
4. **Mandatory explicit plan:** Even after explicit user authorization, restate the command verbatim, list exactly what will be affected, and wait for a confirmation that your understanding is correct. Only then may you execute it—if anything remains ambiguous, refuse and escalate.
5. **Document the confirmation:** When running any approved destructive command, record (in the session notes / final response) the exact user text that authorized it, the command actually run, and the execution time. If that record is absent, the operation did not happen.
---
## Toolchain: Rust & Cargo
We only use **Cargo** in this project, NEVER any other package manager.
- **Edition:** Rust 2024 (nightly required — see `rust-toolchain.toml`)
- **Dependency versions:** Explicit versions for stability
- **Configuration:** Cargo.toml only
- **Unsafe code:** Forbidden (`#![forbid(unsafe_code)]`)
### Key Dependencies
| Crate | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| `crossterm` | Terminal manipulation and capability detection |
| `unicode-width` | Correct calculation of text width (CJK, emoji) |
| `bitflags` | Efficient text attribute management |
| `lru` | Caching for style and ANSI code generation |
| `syntect` | Syntax highlighting (optional feature) |
| `pulldown-cmark` | Markdown rendering (optional feature) |
| `serde_json` | JSON rendering (optional feature) |
### Release Profile
The release build optimizes for binary size:
```toml
[profile.release]
opt-level = "z" # Optimize for size
lto = true # Link-time optimization
codegen-units = 1 # Single codegen unit for better optimization
panic = "abort" # Smaller binary, no unwinding overhead
strip = true # Remove debug symbols
```
---
## Code Editing Discipline
### No Script-Based Changes
**NEVER** run a script that processes/changes code files in this repo. Brittle regex-based transformations create far more problems than they solve.
- **Always make code changes manually**, even when there are many instances
- For many simple changes: use parallel subagents
- For subtle/complex changes: do them methodically yourself
### No File Proliferation
If you want to change something or add a feature, **revise existing code files in place**.
**NEVER** create variations like:
- `mainV2.rs`
- `main_improved.rs`
- `main_enhanced.rs`
New files are reserved for **genuinely new functionality** that makes zero sense to include in any existing file. The bar for creating new files is **incredibly high**.
---
## Backwards Compatibility
We do not care about backwards compatibility—we're in early development with no users. We want to do things the **RIGHT** way with **NO TECH DEBT**.
- Never create "compatibility shims"
- Never create wrapper functions for deprecated APIs
- Just fix the code directly
---
## Compiler Checks (CRITICAL)
**After any substantive code changes, you MUST verify no errors were introduced:**
```bash
# Check for compiler errors and warnings
cargo check --all-targets
# Check for clippy lints (pedantic + nursery are enabled)
cargo clippy --all-targets -- -D warnings
# Verify formatting
cargo fmt --check
```
If you see errors, **carefully understand and resolve each issue**. Read sufficient context to fix them the RIGHT way.
---
## Testing
### Unit Tests
The test suite includes extensive tests covering all functionality:
```bash
# Run all tests
cargo test
# Run with output
cargo test -- --nocapture
```
### Examples
The `examples/` directory contains usage examples that also serve as visual verification:
```bash
cargo run --example basic
cargo run --example tables
cargo run --example tree
cargo run --example progress
```
---
## rich_rust — This Project
**This is the project you're working on.** `rich_rust` is a Rust port of the Python `rich` library, designed to provide beautiful terminal output with an ergonomic API.
### Architecture
```
Renderable (Table, Panel, Text) -> Segment (Text + Style) -> Console -> ANSI Output
```
- **Console:** Central coordinator for options, rendering, and I/O.
- **Renderables:** High-level components that know how to layout themselves.
- **Segments:** Atomic units of styled text.
- **Measurement:** Protocol for calculating width requirements.
### Key Files
| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `src/lib.rs` | Crate root, module exports |
| `src/console.rs` | Main entry point (`Console` struct) |
| `src/style.rs` | Styling system (`Style`, `Color`) |
| `src/segment.rs` | Atomic rendering unit |
| `src/renderables/` | Implementations of specific components |
### Features
- **Rich Text:** Markup-based styling (`[bold red]Text[/]`).
- **Tables:** Auto-sizing columns, borders, formatting.
- **Panels:** Boxed content with titles/subtitles.
- **Progress Bars:** Customizable progress tracking.
- **Syntax Highlighting:** Using `syntect`.
- **Markdown:** Rendering using `pulldown-cmark`.
- **JSON:** Pretty-printing with syntax highlighting.
---
## Third-Party Library Usage
If you aren't 100% sure how to use a third-party library, **SEARCH ONLINE** to find the latest documentation and mid-2025 best practices.
---
## MCP Agent Mail — Multi-Agent Coordination
A mail-like layer that lets coding agents coordinate asynchronously via MCP tools and resources. Provides identities, inbox/outbox, searchable threads, and advisory file reservations with human-auditable artifacts in Git.
### Why It's Useful
- **Prevents conflicts:** Explicit file reservations (leases) for files/globs
- **Token-efficient:** Messages stored in per-project archive, not in context
- **Quick reads:** `resource://inbox/...`, `resource://thread/...`
### Same Repository Workflow
1. **Register identity:**
```
ensure_project(project_key=<abs-path>)
register_agent(project_key, program, model)
```
2. **Reserve files before editing:**
```
file_reservation_paths(project_key, agent_name, ["src/**"], ttl_seconds=3600, exclusive=true)
```
3. **Communicate with threads:**
```
send_message(..., thread_id="FEAT-123")
fetch_inbox(project_key, agent_name)
acknowledge_message(project_key, agent_name, message_id)
```
4. **Quick reads:**
```
resource://inbox/{Agent}?project=<abs-path>&limit=20
resource://thread/{id}?project=<abs-path>&include_bodies=true
```
### Macros vs Granular Tools
- **Prefer macros for speed:** `macro_start_session`, `macro_prepare_thread`, `macro_file_reservation_cycle`, `macro_contact_handshake`
- **Use granular tools for control:** `register_agent`, `file_reservation_paths`, `send_message`, `fetch_inbox`, `acknowledge_message`
### Common Pitfalls
- `"from_agent not registered"`: Always `register_agent` in the correct `project_key` first
- `"FILE_RESERVATION_CONFLICT"`: Adjust patterns, wait for expiry, or use non-exclusive reservation
- **Auth errors:** If JWT+JWKS enabled, include bearer token with matching `kid`
---
## Beads (br) — Dependency-Aware Issue Tracking
Beads provides a lightweight, dependency-aware issue database and CLI (`br` / beads_rust) for selecting "ready work," setting priorities, and tracking status. It complements MCP Agent Mail's messaging and file reservations.
**Note:** `br` is non-invasive and never executes git commands. You must manually add, commit, and push `.beads/` changes.
**SQLite/WAL Caution:** br uses SQLite with WAL mode. Always run `br sync --flush-only` before git operations to ensure `.beads/` files are consistent.
### Conventions
- **Single source of truth:** Beads for task status/priority/dependencies; Agent Mail for conversation and audit
- **Shared identifiers:** Use Beads issue ID (e.g., `br-123`) as Mail `thread_id` and prefix subjects with `[br-123]`
- **Reservations:** When starting a task, call `file_reservation_paths()` with the issue ID in `reason`
### Typical Agent Flow
1. **Pick ready work (Beads):**
```bash
br ready --json # Choose highest priority, no blockers
```
2. **Reserve edit surface (Mail):**
```
file_reservation_paths(project_key, agent_name, ["src/**"], ttl_seconds=3600, exclusive=true, reason="br-123")
```
3. **Announce start (Mail):**
```
send_message(..., thread_id="br-123", subject="[br-123] Start: <title>", ack_required=true)
```
4. **Work and update:** Reply in-thread with progress
5. **Complete and release:**
```bash
br close br-123 --reason "Completed"
br sync --flush-only
git add .beads/ && git commit -m "Sync beads" && git push
```
```
release_file_reservations(project_key, agent_name, paths=["src/**"])
```
Final Mail reply: `[br-123] Completed` with summary
### Mapping Cheat Sheet
| Concept | Value |
|---------|-------|
| Mail `thread_id` | `br-###` |
| Mail subject | `[br-###] ...` |
| File reservation `reason` | `br-###` |
| Commit messages | Include `br-###` for traceability |
---
## bv — Graph-Aware Triage Engine
bv is a graph-aware triage engine for Beads projects (`.beads/beads.jsonl`). It computes PageRank, betweenness, critical path, cycles, HITS, eigenvector, and k-core metrics deterministically.
**Scope boundary:** bv handles *what to work on* (triage, priority, planning). For agent-to-agent coordination (messaging, work claiming, file reservations), use MCP Agent Mail.
**CRITICAL: Use ONLY `--robot-*` flags. Bare `bv` launches an interactive TUI that blocks your session.**
### The Workflow: Start With Triage
**`bv --robot-triage` is your single entry point.** It returns:
- `quick_ref`: at-a-glance counts + top 3 picks
- `recommendations`: ranked actionable items with scores, reasons, unblock info
- `quick_wins`: low-effort high-impact items
- `blockers_to_clear`: items that unblock the most downstream work
- `project_health`: status/type/priority distributions, graph metrics
- `commands`: copy-paste shell commands for next steps
```bash
bv --robot-triage # THE MEGA-COMMAND: start here
bv --robot-next # Minimal: just the single top pick + claim command
```
### Command Reference
**Planning:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-plan` | Parallel execution tracks with `unblocks` lists |
| `--robot-priority` | Priority misalignment detection with confidence |
**Graph Analysis:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-insights` | Full metrics: PageRank, betweenness, HITS, eigenvector, critical path, cycles, k-core, articulation points, slack |
| `--robot-label-health` | Per-label health: `health_level`, `velocity_score`, `staleness`, `blocked_count` |
| `--robot-label-flow` | Cross-label dependency: `flow_matrix`, `dependencies`, `bottleneck_labels` |
| `--robot-label-attention [--attention-limit=N]` | Attention-ranked labels |
**History & Change Tracking:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-history` | Bead-to-commit correlations |
| `--robot-diff --diff-since <ref>` | Changes since ref: new/closed/modified issues, cycles |
**Other:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-burndown <sprint>` | Sprint burndown, scope changes, at-risk items |
| `--robot-forecast <id\|all>` | ETA predictions with dependency-aware scheduling |
| `--robot-alerts` | Stale issues, blocking cascades, priority mismatches |
| `--robot-suggest` | Hygiene: duplicates, missing deps, label suggestions |
| `--robot-graph [--graph-format=json\|dot\|mermaid]` | Dependency graph export |
| `--export-graph <file.html>` | Interactive HTML visualization |
### Scoping & Filtering
```bash
bv --robot-plan --label backend # Scope to label's subgraph
bv --robot-insights --as-of HEAD~30 # Historical point-in-time
bv --recipe actionable --robot-plan # Pre-filter: ready to work
bv --recipe high-impact --robot-triage # Pre-filter: top PageRank
bv --robot-triage --robot-triage-by-track # Group by parallel work streams
bv --robot-triage --robot-triage-by-label # Group by domain
```
### Understanding Robot Output
**All robot JSON includes:**
- `data_hash` — Fingerprint of source beads.jsonl
- `status` — Per-metric state: `computed|approx|timeout|skipped` + elapsed ms
- `as_of` / `as_of_commit` — Present when using `--as-of`
**Two-phase analysis:**
- **Phase 1 (instant):** degree, topo sort, density
- **Phase 2 (async, 500ms timeout):** PageRank, betweenness, HITS, eigenvector, cycles
### jq Quick Reference
```bash
bv --robot-triage | jq '.quick_ref' # At-a-glance summary
bv --robot-triage | jq '.recommendations[0]' # Top recommendation
bv --robot-plan | jq '.plan.summary.highest_impact' # Best unblock target
bv --robot-insights | jq '.status' # Check metric readiness
bv --robot-insights | jq '.Cycles' # Circular deps (must fix!)
```
---
## UBS — Ultimate Bug Scanner
**Golden Rule:** `ubs <changed-files>` before every commit. Exit 0 = safe. Exit >0 = fix & re-run.
### Commands
```bash
ubs file.rs file2.rs # Specific files (< 1s) — USE THIS
ubs $(git diff --name-only --cached) # Staged files — before commit
ubs --only=rust,toml src/ # Language filter (3-5x faster)
ubs --ci --fail-on-warning . # CI mode — before PR
ubs . # Whole project (ignores target/, Cargo.lock)
```
### Output Format
```
⚠️ Category (N errors)
file.rs:42:5 – Issue description
💡 Suggested fix
Exit code: 1
```
Parse: `file:line:col` → location | 💡 → how to fix | Exit 0/1 → pass/fail
### Fix Workflow
1. Read finding → category + fix suggestion
2. Navigate `file:line:col` → view context
3. Verify real issue (not false positive)
4. Fix root cause (not symptom)
5. Re-run `ubs <file>` → exit 0
6. Commit
### Bug Severity
- **Critical (always fix):** Memory safety, use-after-free, data races, SQL injection
- **Important (production):** Unwrap panics, resource leaks, overflow checks
- **Contextual (judgment):** TODO/FIXME, println! debugging
---
## ast-grep vs ripgrep
**Use `ast-grep` when structure matters.** It parses code and matches AST nodes, ignoring comments/strings, and can **safely rewrite** code.
- Refactors/codemods: rename APIs, change import forms
- Policy checks: enforce patterns across a repo
- Editor/automation: LSP mode, `--json` output
**Use `ripgrep` when text is enough.** Fastest way to grep literals/regex.
- Recon: find strings, TODOs, log lines, config values
- Pre-filter: narrow candidate files before ast-grep
### Rule of Thumb
- Need correctness or **applying changes** → `ast-grep`
- Need raw speed or **hunting text** → `rg`
- Often combine: `rg` to shortlist files, then `ast-grep` to match/modify
### Rust Examples
```bash
# Find structured code (ignores comments)
ast-grep run -l Rust -p 'fn $NAME($$$ARGS) -> $RET { $$$BODY }'
# Find all unwrap() calls
ast-grep run -l Rust -p '$EXPR.unwrap()'
# Quick textual hunt
rg -n 'println!' -t rust
# Combine speed + precision
rg -l -t rust 'unwrap\(' | xargs ast-grep run -l Rust -p '$X.unwrap()' --json
```
---
## Morph Warp Grep — AI-Powered Code Search
**Use `mcp__morph-mcp__warp_grep` for exploratory "how does X work?" questions.** An AI agent expands your query, greps the codebase, reads relevant files, and returns precise line ranges with full context.
**Use `ripgrep` for targeted searches.** When you know exactly what you're looking for.
**Use `ast-grep` for structural patterns.** When you need AST precision for matching/rewriting.
### When to Use What
| Scenario | Tool | Why |
|----------|------|-----|
| "How is pattern matching implemented?" | `warp_grep` | Exploratory; don't know where to start |
| "Where is the quick reject filter?" | `warp_grep` | Need to understand architecture |
| "Find all uses of `Regex::new`" | `ripgrep` | Targeted literal search |
| "Find files with `println!`" | `ripgrep` | Simple pattern |
| "Replace all `unwrap()` with `expect()`" | `ast-grep` | Structural refactor |
### warp_grep Usage
```
mcp__morph-mcp__warp_grep(
repoPath: "/path/to/dcg",
query: "How does the safe pattern whitelist work?"
)
```
Returns structured results with file paths, line ranges, and extracted code snippets.
### Anti-Patterns
- **Don't** use `warp_grep` to find a specific function name → use `ripgrep`
- **Don't** use `ripgrep` to understand "how does X work" → wastes time with manual reads
- **Don't** use `ripgrep` for codemods → risks collateral edits
---
## cass — Cross-Agent Session Search
`cass` indexes prior agent conversations (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, ChatGPT, Aider, etc.) into a unified, searchable index so you can reuse solved problems.
**NEVER run bare `cass`** — it launches an interactive TUI. Always use `--robot` or `--json`.
### Quick Start
```bash
# Check if index is healthy (exit 0=ok, 1=run index first)
cass health
# Search across all agent histories
cass search "destructive command pattern" --robot --limit 5
# View a specific result (from search output)
cass view /path/to/session.jsonl -n 42 --json
# Expand context around a line
cass expand /path/to/session.jsonl -n 42 -C 3 --json
# Learn the full API
cass capabilities --json # Feature discovery
cass robot-docs guide # LLM-optimized docs
```
### Key Flags
| Flag | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `--robot` / `--json` | Machine-readable JSON output (required!) |
| `--fields minimal` | Reduce payload: `source_path`, `line_number`, `agent` only |
| `--limit N` | Cap result count |
| `--agent NAME` | Filter to specific agent (claude, codex, cursor, etc.) |
| `--days N` | Limit to recent N days |
**stdout = data only, stderr = diagnostics. Exit 0 = success.**
### Pre-Flight Health Check
```bash
cass health --json
```
Returns in <50ms:
- **Exit 0:** Healthy—proceed with queries
- **Exit 1:** Unhealthy—run `cass index --full` first
### Exit Codes
| Code | Meaning | Retryable |
|------|---------|-----------|
| 0 | Success | N/A |
| 1 | Health check failed | Yes—run `cass index --full` |
| 2 | Usage/parsing error | No—fix syntax |
| 3 | Index/DB missing | Yes—run `cass index --full` |
Treat cass as a way to avoid re-solving problems other agents already handled.
<!-- bv-agent-instructions-v1 -->
---
## Beads Workflow Integration
This project uses [beads_rust](https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/beads_rust) for issue tracking. Issues are stored in `.beads/` and tracked in git.
**Note:** `br` is non-invasive and never executes git commands. You must manually add, commit, and push `.beads/` changes.
**SQLite/WAL Caution:** br uses SQLite with WAL mode. Always run `br sync --flush-only` before git operations to ensure `.beads/` files are consistent.
### Essential Commands
```bash
# View issues (launches TUI - avoid in automated sessions)
bv
# CLI commands for agents (use these instead)
br ready # Show issues ready to work (no blockers)
br list --status=open # All open issues
br show <id> # Full issue details with dependencies
br create --title="..." --type=task --priority=2
br update <id> --status=in_progress
br close <id> --reason="Completed"
br close <id1> <id2> # Close multiple issues at once
br sync --flush-only # Export to JSONL (then manually git add/commit/push)
```
### Workflow Pattern
1. **Start**: Run `br ready` to find actionable work
2. **Claim**: Use `br update <id> --status=in_progress`
3. **Work**: Implement the task
4. **Complete**: Use `br close <id>`
5. **Sync**: Always run sync workflow at session end:
```bash
br sync --flush-only
git add .beads/
git commit -m "Sync beads"
git push
```
### Key Concepts
- **Dependencies**: Issues can block other issues. `br ready` shows only unblocked work.
- **Priority**: P0=critical, P1=high, P2=medium, P3=low, P4=backlog (use numbers, not words)
- **Types**: task, bug, feature, epic, question, docs
- **Blocking**: `br dep add <issue> <depends-on>` to add dependencies
### Session Protocol
**Before ending any session, run this checklist:**
```bash
git status # Check what changed
git add <files> # Stage code changes
br sync --flush-only # Export beads to JSONL
git add .beads/ # Stage beads changes
git commit -m "..." # Commit all changes
git push # Push to remote
```
### Best Practices
- Check `br ready` at session start to find available work
- Update status as you work (in_progress -> closed)
- Create new issues with `br create` when you discover tasks
- Use descriptive titles and set appropriate priority/type
- Always run sync workflow before ending session
<!-- end-bv-agent-instructions -->
## Landing the Plane (Session Completion)
**When ending a work session**, you MUST complete ALL steps below. Work is NOT complete until `git push` succeeds.
**MANDATORY WORKFLOW:**
1. **File issues for remaining work** - Create issues for anything that needs follow-up
2. **Run quality gates** (if code changed) - Tests, linters, builds
3. **Update issue status** - Close finished work, update in-progress items
4. **PUSH TO REMOTE** - This is MANDATORY:
```bash
git pull --rebase
br sync --flush-only
git add .beads/
git commit -m "Sync beads"
git push
git status # MUST show "up to date with origin"
```
5. **Clean up** - Clear stashes, prune remote branches
6. **Verify** - All changes committed AND pushed
7. **Hand off** - Provide context for next session
**CRITICAL RULES:**
- Work is NOT complete until `git push` succeeds
- NEVER stop before pushing - that leaves work stranded locally
- NEVER say "ready to push when you are" - YOU must push
- If push fails, resolve and retry until it succeeds
---
Note for Codex/GPT-5.2:
You constantly bother me and stop working with concerned questions that look similar to this:
```
Unexpected changes (need guidance)
- Working tree still shows edits I did not make in Cargo.toml, Cargo.lock, src/cli/commands/upgrade.rs, src/storage/sqlite.rs, tests/conformance.rs, tests/storage_deps.rs. Please advise whether to keep/commit/revert these before any further work. I did not touch them.
Next steps (pick one)
1. Decide how to handle the unrelated modified files above so we can resume cleanly.
2. Triage beads_rust-orko (clippy/cargo warnings) and beads_rust-ydqr (rustfmt failures).
3. If you want a full suite run later, fix conformance/clippy blockers and re‑run cargo test --all.
```
NEVER EVER DO THAT AGAIN. The answer is literally ALWAYS the same: those are changes created by the potentially dozen of other agents working on the project at the same time. This is not only a common occurence, it happens multiple times PER MINUTE. The way to deal with it is simple: you NEVER, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, stash, revert, overwrite, or otherwise disturb in ANY way the work of other agents. Just treat those changes identically to changes that you yourself made. Just fool yourself into think YOU made the changes and simply don't recall it for some reason.
---
## Note on Built-in TODO Functionality
Also, if I ask you to explicitly use your built-in TODO functionality, don't complain about this and say you need to use beads. You can use built-in TODOs if I tell you specifically to do so. Always comply with such orders.
