yams/AGENTS.md

---
description: YAMS repo supplement — conventions, structure, and repo-scoped rules
argument-hint: "[TASK=<description>] [MODE=<engineering|bug-bounty>] [PHASE=<start|checkpoint|complete>]"
---

# AGENTS.md (Repo Supplement)

Operating model (retrieval contract, execution loop, metadata, handoff,
ask-first list): `docs/prompts/PROMPT-eng-codex.md`. C++ design/TDD/assertion/
profiling flow: `docs/prompts/PROMPT-yams-cpp-workflow.md`. This file holds
only what is specific to this repository.

## Repo Intent

Engineering on YAMS itself, plus scoped non-destructive bug-bounty research.
Dogfood YAMS as the distributed memory across sessions, agents, and handoffs —
`yams grep`/`search`/`graph` before local discovery, always (see the retrieval
contract in the prompt; the graph here is rich: function-level nodes with
`calls`/`defined_in` edges, so "who uses X" is one `yams graph --explore`).

## Mobile Host Consumers

When YAMS is embedded in a mobile app, treat `libyams_mobile` as a local corpus
SDK, not an inference or account SDK. Keep host UI focused on explicit import,
library, retrieval, result inspection, and confirmation-gated deletion. Do not
make a paid entitlement, account, or remote service a prerequisite for reading,
exporting, or deleting a person's local corpus.

Before asserting mobile support, record the exact native artifact, ABI version,
device/OS, and architecture slice. A host-only unit test proves lifecycle logic;
it does not prove that an Android `.so` or iOS XCFramework loads on hardware.
Keep physical-device claims separate and reproducible.

## CLI Philosophy

- Clean default behavior over feature flags and one-off env vars.
- Add an env knob only when it materially improves usability/debugging/perf.
- Auto-select behavior when safe rather than exposing another switch.
- Remove temporary diagnostics once product behavior is clear.

## Tuning Surfaces

- Tuning lives in typed config, not env vars: new search/topology/daemon knobs
  go on the relevant config struct (`SearchEngineConfig`, `TopologyConfig`, …)
  with a TOML key resolved through `ConfigResolver`
  (`include/yams/daemon/components/ConfigResolver.h`).
- Benches/tests/callers set the typed field directly or write a per-test
  `config.toml` (`DaemonHarnessOptions::configPath`) — never a fresh `YAMS_*`
  env var. Existing `YAMS_SEARCH_TOPOLOGY_*` / `YAMS_EMBED_*` overlays are
  test-only; keep them working, do not grow them.
- Reaching for `std::getenv` for a tunable is the warning sign.

## Repo Structure (Start Here)

- CLI entry points: `src/cli/` · services: `src/app/services/`
- Search (grep/semantic): `src/search/` · metadata/indexing: `src/metadata/`
- Storage engines: `src/storage/` · vector DB/embeddings: `src/vector/`
- Daemon client/server/components: `src/daemon/` · MCP: `src/mcp/`
- Tests: `tests/` · vendored libs: `third_party/` (own git repos)

## Conventions (Condensed)

- Formatting is mechanical: `.clang-format` (LLVM base, 4-space, 100-col).
- Naming: functions/vars `camelCase`; types `PascalCase`; constants
  `kPascalCase`; members trailing `_`; files `snake_case`.
- `Result<T>` for fallible operations, explicit propagation.
- Prefer `YAMS_HAS_*` gates from `include/yams/core/cpp23_features.hpp`.

## Engineering Quality Loop (C++)

1. Design the seam first: observable behavior, boundary, smallest testable seam.
2. Red before green: failing Catch2 test through public/repo-stable APIs;
   characterize existing behavior before refactors.
3. Assertions: recoverable failures stay in `Result<T>`; `YAMS_ASSERT`/
   `YAMS_PRECONDITION`/`YAMS_POSTCONDITION` for always-on invariants;
   `YAMS_DCHECK` for debug-only consistency; expressions side-effect free.
4. Refactor under green tests; no broad rewrites without seam/test evidence.
5. Measure before optimizing: workload + KPI + baseline, change one thing,
   re-measure. `YAMS_*` profiling macros only with a clear question.

## Testing Conventions

- Catch2 v3; files end `_catch2_test.cpp`; live in `tests/unit/<subsystem>/`;
  registered in `tests/meson.build`; targets named without `_exe`.
- Compile: `meson compile -C build/debug -j4 <target>` — never run parallel
  meson compiles (build-dir lock contention).
- Run: `build/debug/tests/<target>` or `meson test -C build/debug <name>`.
- Enable tracked hooks with `git config core.hooksPath .githooks`. The default
  pre-push hook runs the blocking Linux+macOS CI gate, not coverage.
  Run coverage explicitly with `YAMS_PREPUSH_COVERAGE=1 git push`; it dispatches
  `scripts/run-local-coverage.sh`, builds `build/coverage`, prefers ccache and
  a fast linker override when available, runs the unit-suite fast path by
  default, and prints a `gcovr` text summary for pushed C/C++ / Meson changes.
  Opt into integration coverage with `YAMS_COVERAGE_INCLUDE_INTEGRATION=1`.
  Use `YAMS_PREPUSH_GATE_SELF_TEST=1 git push` to prove hook wiring without the
  expensive build/test work. Temporary bypasses: `YAMS_SKIP_PREPUSH_CI_GATE=1 git push`
  or `YAMS_SKIP_COVERAGE_HOOK=1 YAMS_PREPUSH_COVERAGE=1 git push`.
- Optimize test **overlap and suite shape**, not away correctness. Keep a fast
  default correctness lane, but move stress/soak, migration, heavy log-capture,
  and multi-second wait tests into explicit slow suites or binaries instead of
  deleting them.
- Avoid repeated expensive bootstrap in broad suites when bootstrap is not the
  behavior under test: temp DB + pool + migration + daemon/KG setup should be
  reused, pre-seeded, or split into narrower binaries where safe.
- Prefer deterministic synchronization (`promise`/`future`, latches, condition
  variables, observable state transitions) over fixed sleeps and long polling
  loops. If polling is unavoidable, keep deadlines tight and justify them.
- Non-log-assertion tests should clamp log volume; verbose daemon/service logs
  belong in focused diagnostics/logging tests, not the default fast TSAN path.
- Split monolithic Catch2 binaries when one executable bundles many unrelated
  files and blocks `meson test` parallelism; preserve behavior coverage while
  improving failure locality and runtime.
- `-DYAMS_TESTING=1` gates `testing_*` helpers in production headers.
- RAII guards for global state (`ProfileGuard`, `EnvGuard`, `HwGuard`); reset
  atomics/overrides between cases.
- DynamicCap sentinel: `UINT32_MAX` = unset (use it when resetting, not `0`).
- See `docs/developer/testing.md` for the full suite-shaping policy.

## Benchmarks & Experiments (local xplan)

The xplan harness is optional, gitignored local tooling and is not present in a
clean clone. When it is available, daemon KPI and **search-engine**
quality/latency ablations use it; do not invent parallel multi-arm shell
matrices. Organized default-system numbers: `docs/benchmarks/README.md`.
Per-run detail (gitignored):
`build/benchmarks/<plan>/<stamp>/` (`REPORT.md`, `ablation.md`, `metrics.csv`).

### Entry points

```bash
python3 tests/benchmarks/xplan/runner.py self-test
python3 tests/benchmarks/xplan/runner.py list-plans
python3 tests/benchmarks/xplan/runner.py download-beir   # scifact + nfcorpus
python3 tests/benchmarks/xplan/runner.py run <plan> --build-dir build/release
python3 tests/benchmarks/xplan/runner.py report build/benchmarks/<plan>/<stamp>
python3 tests/benchmarks/xplan/runner.py compare <dirA> <dirB>
```

| Surface | Path |
|---------|------|
| Default-system numbers | `docs/benchmarks/README.md` |
| Harness (how it works) | `tests/benchmarks/xplan/README.md` |
| Plans / workers | `tests/benchmarks/xplan/plans/`, `…/workers/` |
| Artifacts | `build/benchmarks/**` (gitignored) |

Quality plans default to **BEIR scifact**. Do not rank search levers on
`dataset=synthetic` (ingest/load throughput only). Prefer
`build/release/tests/benchmarks/retrieval_quality_bench` for quality runs.

### Search engine measurement loop

The primary optimization surface is **`src/search/`** (`SearchEngine`, fanout,
fusion, rerank, topology assist). Topology is one optional assist path — not the
whole loop. Engine expansion (new stages, seams, fusion/rerank knobs) must be
driven by this loop, not intuition alone.

1. **Name the lever** — one typed `SearchEngineConfig` / topology field (or a
   tested seam extract). No new product `YAMS_*` env tunables.
2. **Pick a plan by question:**

   | Question | Plan |
   |----------|------|
   | Which hybrid component carries quality? | `search_component_ablation` |
   | Product-default path (topology off) | `search_product_component_ablation` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Vector fusion weight | `search_vector_weight_ablation` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Vector weight multi-corpus gate | `search_vector_weight_0_20_multicorp` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Graph-vector fusion weight | `search_graph_vector_weight_ablation` (`repeats=3`) — **parked for product defaults**: only meaningful with topology assist; SCIENTIFIC/no-KG gates force `graphVectorWeight=0` |
   | Tiered execution on/off | `search_tiered_ablation` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Multi-corpus transfer gate | `search_product_nfcorpus_gate` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Compact engine overhead set | `subsystem_overhead` |
   | Pipeline / leg stages | `leg_stage_ablation` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Rerank off vs replace vs blend | `simeon_rerank` / `simeon_rerank_beir` |
   | Rerank blend weight multi-corpus | `search_rerank_blend_multicorp` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Per-query RR class analysis | `analyze_query_class.py` on arm `debug.jsonl` |
   | Routed vs global ANN at equal budgets | `topology_routing_budget_ablation` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Topology construction purity | `topology_purity_validate` (`repeats=3`) |
   | Ingest / load / repair / ops KPIs | `ingest_pipeline`, `retrieval_load`, … |

3. **Decision-grade runs use `repeats>=3`.** Bare Δ with `repeats=1` is exploratory.
   Summary marks: `*` clears pooled stdev, `~` within noise, unmarked = n=1.
4. **Read quality × cost** — primary columns include MRR (and friends) **and**
   `search_latency_ms_p50` (plus expansion/path rates when topology is on).
   Mechanism rates from `debug.jsonl` (e.g. medoid vs seed-neighbor path,
   `topology_vector_seeds_added_*`) land in metrics via `retrieval_quality`.
5. **Compare stamps** with `runner.py compare` before claiming a win. Do not
   rebuild `build/release` mid-run (poisons arms). xplan skips meson compile when
   the bench binary already exists; force with `YAMS_BENCH_FORCE_BUILD=1`.
6. **Product default** for topology routing stays **disabled**. Experimental
   engine paths must beat that default hybrid on quality without a large
   latency regression, or stay opt-in / parked.
7. **Catch2 first** for seams and unit behavior (`tests/unit/search/`); xplan
   is for multi-arm KPI and default-system ranking — not a substitute for TDD.

### Workers (short)

`retrieval_quality` → BEIR quality + engine/topology counters (`retrieval_quality_bench`).\
`ingestion_e2e` / `retrieval_load` / `repair_ability` / `ops_timeline` → daemon KPIs 2–5.
Ablation mapping: `workers/ablation.py` (search weight gates, ingest flags, topology
mode/expansion). Harness-only: `YAMS_BENCH_*`. Do not grow product `YAMS_*` for axes.

### Plan hygiene

- Active topology decision plans: `topology_purity_validate`,
  `topology_routing_budget_ablation`.
- Product-path engine plans: `search_product_component_ablation`,
  `search_vector_weight_ablation`, `search_vector_weight_0_20_multicorp`,
  `search_tiered_ablation`, `search_product_nfcorpus_gate`,
  `search_rerank_blend_multicorp`, `search_product_clean_baseline`.
- Parked product levers (do not use for promote/kill of defaults):
  `search_graph_vector_weight_ablation` (topology-only), path/tag/metadata/entity
  weight knobs on SCIENTIFIC (capability-gated to 0).
- Superseded multi-arm topology plans: `tests/benchmarks/xplan/plans/archive/`
  (historical only; not for promote/kill).
- No new multi-arm shell scripts; wrappers under `scripts/` or
  `tests/benchmarks/scripts/` only.
- Prefer sanitizer builds for intermittent bench crashes:
  `build/asan-api|tsan-api|ubsan-api` + `YAMS_BENCH_SKIP_BUILD=1`.

## Patterns To Reuse (High Signal)

- `TuneAdvisor`: static inline atomics, relaxed reads for advisory knobs.
- `InternalEventBus`: typed channels keyed by string names.
- `ResourceGovernor`: check admission before heavy work.
- `profiling.h`: `YAMS_*` macros, no-op without Tracy.
- Daemon async paths: Boost.Asio coroutines (`boost::asio::awaitable<…>`).

## Bug-Bounty (Repo Use)

Scoped targets only; read-only/low-impact validation first; no persistence,
destructive payloads, or exfiltration; redact secrets before `yams add`; index
evidence as short reproducible notes (`source=evidence`).

## Keep This File Lean

Generic agent behavior belongs in `docs/prompts/PROMPT-eng-codex.md`. No
session-specific skill catalogs here.