---
date: 2026-03-24
topic: "mindmodel-generation"
status: draft
---

# Mindmodel generation - Implementation Plan

Goal: Integrate a generated .mindmodel/ snapshot safely via an audit-first, incremental approach. Add a report-only validator, CI validation job, and a small set of conservative remediation changes (dev-deps, formatter configs) in separate low-risk PRs.

Design: thoughts/shared/designs/2026-03-24-mindmodel-generation-design.md

Important constraints taken from the design doc:
- Keep the generated .mindmodel/ files read-only until validated.
- Do not make behavioral changes to production code in the same change as model metadata updates.
- Avoid committing secrets or lockfiles without explicit review.
- Validator must be report-only by default (non-blocking), CI job should surface issues but not fail merges at first.

---

## Dependency Graph

```
Batch 1 (parallel): 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
Batch 2 (parallel): 2.1, 2.2, 2.3  [depends on Batch 1]
Batch 3 (parallel): 3.1, 3.2        [depends on Batch 1]
Batch 4 (parallel): 4.1, 4.2        [depends on Batches 1-3]
```

Notes: each microtask is one file + its test when applicable. Config/docs-only files may be standalone (no test) per project conventions.

---

## Batch 1: Foundation (parallel - 4 implementers)
All tasks in this batch have NO dependencies and can run simultaneously.

### Task 1.1: Validator module (skeleton)
**File:** `src/validators/mindmodel_validator.py`
**Test:** `tests/validators/test_mindmodel_validator.py`
**Depends:** none
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Provide a conservative, report-only validator API that consumes a .mindmodel/ manifest and emits a structured report (missing files, truncated evidence, potential secrets). Implementation will be a safe skeleton (no auto-fixes). The module will expose a function validate_manifest(manifest_path: str, report_only: bool = True) -> dict.

Verify locally:
- python -m pytest tests/validators/test_mindmodel_validator.py::test_validator_reports_missing_file

Commit message suggestion: `feat(mindmodel): add report-only validator skeleton`

### Task 1.2: Manifest types and helpers
**File:** `src/validators/types.py`
**Test:** `tests/validators/test_types.py`
**Depends:** none
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Define small dataclasses / pydantic models (or simple typed dicts) used by the validator: Manifest, Constraint, EvidencePointer. Keep minimal: fields required by validator (file_path, evidence_excerpt, flags).

Verify locally:
- python -m pytest tests/validators/test_types.py::test_manifest_model_parses_sample

Commit message suggestion: `feat(mindmodel): add manifest types and helpers`

### Task 1.3: Add a read-only sample manifest (orchestrator output)
**File:** `.mindmodel/manifest.yaml`
**Test:** `tests/mindmodel/test_manifest_parse.py`
**Depends:** none
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Add the generated snapshot (or a sanitized copy) under .mindmodel/ in the repo as read-only content. The manifest should be explicitly marked in-file as "DO NOT EDIT - read-only until validated" and include a small sample of constraints (3-5) for validator development. Do NOT include secrets or lockfiles.

Verify locally:
- python -m pytest tests/mindmodel/test_manifest_parse.py::test_manifest_loads

Commit message suggestion: `chore(mindmodel): add read-only orchestrator manifest (sanitized)`

Notes: This PR must explicitly state the read-only policy in the description and request human review.

### Task 1.4: Design & integration doc (developer-facing)
**File:** `thoughts/shared/mindmodel/README.md`
**Test:** none
**Depends:** none
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Explain how the validator works, where the manifest lives, and reviewer checklist (check for secrets, truncated evidence). This is developer documentation to speed review.

Verify: manual review of the file in the PR.

Commit message suggestion: `docs(mindmodel): add README and reviewer checklist`

---

## Batch 2: Core modules (parallel - 3 implementers)
These tasks depend on Batch 1 (validator types + sample manifest present).

### Task 2.1: CLI wrapper to run validator
**File:** `scripts/validate_mindmodel.py`
**Test:** `tests/scripts/test_validate_cli.py`
**Depends:** 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Provide a tiny CLI that calls the validator and writes a structured JSON report to stdout and to `reports/mindmodel-report-YYYYMMDD.json`. Defaults: report-only = True. This lets local and CI runs use a single entrypoint.

Verify locally:
- python scripts/validate_mindmodel.py --manifest .mindmodel/manifest.yaml --report reports/tmp.json
- python -m pytest tests/scripts/test_validate_cli.py::test_cli_runs

Commit message suggestion: `chore(mindmodel): add CLI wrapper for validator`

### Task 2.2: Unit tests for validator edge cases
**File:** `tests/validators/test_validator_edgecases.py`
**Test:** (itself)
**Depends:** 1.1, 1.2
**Effort:** M

Purpose: Add unit tests that exercise key failure modes: missing files referenced by constraints, truncated evidence excerpts, evidence pointers that look like secrets (simple heuristics), and constraint marked needs-review. These tests will assert the validator reports issues (report-only) but do not raise exceptions.

Verify locally:
- python -m pytest tests/validators/test_validator_edgecases.py

Commit message suggestion: `test(mindmodel): add validator edge case tests`

### Task 2.3: Test harness to parse and assert manifest schema
**File:** `tests/mindmodel/test_manifest_schema.py`
**Test:** (itself)
**Depends:** 1.2, 1.3
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Ensure the manifest YAML loads into the types defined in 1.2; catches basic YAML formatting issues early in PRs.

Verify locally:
- python -m pytest tests/mindmodel/test_manifest_schema.py

Commit message suggestion: `test(mindmodel): manifest schema parse test`

---

## Batch 3: Conservative remediation (parallel - 2-3 implementers)
These are the small, non-invasive repo edits recommended in the design. They depend on Batch 1 tests/tools being present to validate effects.

### Task 3.1: Move test runner to dev dependency (pyproject change)
**File:** `pyproject.toml` (UPDATE)
**Test:** `tests/config/test_pyproject_deps.py`
**Depends:** 1.2
**Effort:** M

Purpose: Remove testing tools (pytest) from top-level production dependencies and document them as dev-dependencies. If the project uses Poetry or PEP 621 style, follow project's existing pattern; if unclear, add a `[tool.dev-deps]` section or a `requirements-dev.txt` and reference it. This change must be small and isolated.

Verification locally:
- python -m pytest tests/config/test_pyproject_deps.py::test_pytest_not_in_prod_deps

Risk mitigation: Keep the change to a single commit; include CI job that still installs test deps for CI runs.

Commit message suggestion: `chore(deps): move pytest to dev-dependencies`

### Task 3.2: Add formatter / linter config files
**File:** `.pre-commit-config.yaml`
**Test:** `tests/config/test_formatters_present.py`
**Depends:** none (safe to add anytime, but keep in this batch)
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Add pre-commit and formatter config stubs (black, ruff, isort) to make future automation deterministic. This does not change code behavior and can be staged in a separate PR.

Verify locally:
- python -m pytest tests/config/test_formatters_present.py::test_precommit_exists

Commit message suggestion: `chore(format): add pre-commit and formatter configs`

---

## Batch 4: CI and automation (parallel - 2 implementers)
Final integration pieces. Depend on earlier batches so validator and CLI exist.

### Task 4.1: Add GitHub Actions CI job (report-only first)
**File:** `.github/workflows/mindmodel-validation.yml`
**Test:** `tests/ci/test_workflow_exists.py`
**Depends:** 1.1, 2.1, 3.1
**Effort:** M

Purpose: Add a CI workflow that runs the CLI against `.mindmodel/manifest.yaml` and uploads `reports/mindmodel-report-*.json` as an artifact. Important: the job should be non-blocking for merges initially (report-only). Job steps:
- checkout
- setup python
- pip install -r requirements-dev.txt (or install test/dev deps)
- run scripts/validate_mindmodel.py --manifest .mindmodel/manifest.yaml --report reports/out.json
- upload artifact

Verify locally by running the validator CLI (see Task 2.1) and by checking workflow YAML syntax with `act` or GitHub's validator in UI.

Commit message suggestion: `ci(mindmodel): add report-only mindmodel validation workflow`

### Task 4.2: Add scheduled CI check (optional, experimental)
**File:** `.github/workflows/mindmodel-schedule.yml`
**Test:** `tests/ci/test_schedule_exists.py`
**Depends:** 4.1
**Effort:** S

Purpose: Add a cron-scheduled workflow to run the validator daily/weekly and produce artifacts, helping detect drift over time. Keep the schedule job report-only at first.

Verify: manual check in GitHub Actions UI after merge; run local syntax checks.

Commit message suggestion: `ci(mindmodel): add scheduled validation workflow`

---

## CI changes summary
- Add `.github/workflows/mindmodel-validation.yml` (report-only initial behavior).
- CI will install test/dev deps (do not switch prod installs) to ensure validator and tests run.
- CI job uploads a JSON report artifact and prints a short human-readable summary to logs.
- After an observation period (e.g., 1-2 weeks), change the workflow to fail on high-severity validator issues (manual gate required).

---

## Tests / verification commands (developer guide)
- Run all new unit tests: python -m pytest tests/validators tests/mindmodel tests/scripts tests/config tests/ci
- Run a single validator: python scripts/validate_mindmodel.py --manifest .mindmodel/manifest.yaml --report reports/tmp.json
- Validate workflow YAML syntax: yamllint .github/workflows/mindmodel-validation.yml (optional)

CI command (workflow): uses the CLI script; job is non-blocking and uploads artifacts.

---

## Low-risk incremental PR order (recommended)
1) PR A (Batch 1 - Validator skeleton + types + tests, no .mindmodel/ content) — Adds validator API and types. (Small, S)
2) PR B (Batch 1 - Add sanitized read-only `.mindmodel/manifest.yaml` + docs) — Separate PR so reviewers can inspect the raw manifest without behavioral changes. (S)
3) PR C (Batch 2 - Add CLI wrapper + validator edge-case tests) — Enables local/CI execution. (S)
4) PR D (Batch 4 - Add CI workflow as report-only) — Hook CI to run the validator and upload reports; do not fail CI yet. (M)
5) PR E (Batch 3 - Move pytest to dev-deps) — Small config change in pyproject; CI continues to install test deps. (M)
6) PR F (Batch 3 - Add pre-commit/formatters) — Non-invasive tooling. (S)
7) PR G (Batch 4 - Add scheduled validation job) — Optional, report-only. (S)

Rationale: each PR is kept small and focused. PR A/B/C/D are prioritized so we have validator + CI reporting quickly without touching production behavior. Remediation changes (E/F) are separate, so reviewers can focus on policy vs. code changes.

---

## Risk mitigation and decisions made
- Validator is report-only by default. Decision: safer to surface issues and build trust before enforcing failures.
- .mindmodel/ files will be added read-only and explicitly labeled in-file and in PR description.
- Move pytest to dev-deps rather than removing from pyproject entirely if project conventions are unclear. Decision: add a `[tool.dev-deps]` or `requirements-dev.txt` depending on project tools; the implementer will choose the minimally invasive approach.
- No automated fixes in validator; only reporting. If trivial YAML path reformatting is desired later, add an opt-in flag after human review.

---

## CI policy / timeline suggestion
- Week 0: Merge PRs A-C (validator, manifest, CLI). CI runs report-only jobs and uploads reports.
- Week 1: Merge PR D (CI workflow) so reports appear in PR runs. Collect feedback and sample manual reviews on 3-5 constraints.
- Week 2: Merge remediation PRs (E/F) as separate changes. Keep CI non-blocking.
- Week 3-4: After confidence is built, update CI job to fail on a small set of clear, high-confidence checks (missing files, secrets) behind a feature flag or branch protection rule.

---

## Files to be added/modified (summary)
- src/validators/mindmodel_validator.py — validator API (S)
- src/validators/types.py — manifest dataclasses/types (S)
- .mindmodel/manifest.yaml — sanitized manifest (S) (read-only)
- thoughts/shared/mindmodel/README.md — developer docs (S)
- scripts/validate_mindmodel.py — CLI wrapper (S)
- .github/workflows/mindmodel-validation.yml — CI workflow (M)
- pyproject.toml — small update to move pytest to dev-deps (M)
- .pre-commit-config.yaml — formatter config (S)
- tests/... corresponding tests for each file (S/M as noted)

---

## Short summary for each microtask (one-line)
- 1.1: validator skeleton exposing validate_manifest(...). (S)
- 1.2: typed manifest models (dataclasses / pydantic). (S)
- 1.3: add sanitized .mindmodel/manifest.yaml read-only snapshot. (S)
- 1.4: developer README with reviewer checklist. (S)
- 2.1: CLI wrapper script to run validator and emit JSON reports. (S)
- 2.2: tests covering validator edge cases (missing files, truncated evidence). (M)
- 2.3: manifest schema parse test. (S)
- 3.1: move pytest to dev-deps in pyproject or add requirements-dev.txt. (M)
- 3.2: add pre-commit and formatter configs (black/ruff/isort). (S)
- 4.1: add GitHub Actions workflow to run validator (report-only). (M)
- 4.2: add scheduled workflow to run validation on a cadence (S)

---

Path where this plan is written:
`thoughts/shared/plans/2026-03-24-mindmodel-generation.md`

If you'd like, I can now split these microtasks into individual ticket-sized action items (one file + test per task) with ready-to-apply patch templates for each; tell me how many parallel implementers you expect and I will group them into batches accordingly.
