Powershell Change Budget Router

PowerShell Change Budget Router

Canonical guidance for deciding whether work should execute directly in powershell-typed-engineer or be escalated to powershell-orchestrator.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Intake starts from a natural-language PowerShell request.
• An agent must decide execution path before planning or implementation.
• A direct implementation agent must reject over-budget requests and route to orchestrator.

Canonical Routing Rules

1. Estimate rough change budget first based on likely production PowerShell files touched.
2. Route:

• 1-2 production files (+ corresponding tests) → small path (powershell-typed-engineer direct mode).
• >2 production files → large path (powershell-orchestrator).

Orchestrated Small-Path Requirements

When routed through powershell-orchestrator, small path still requires lifecycle scaffolding before implementation:

• invoke promotion/folder lifecycle steps through vscode/runCommand + extension access per feature-promotion-lifecycle when available; use script/CLI fallback only when direct extension command execution is unavailable,
• promote potential item to GitHub issue with --work-mode minor-audit,
• create active feature folder with --work-mode minor-audit,
• delegate minimal-audit plan creation to atomic_planner with DIRECTIVE: MINIMAL-AUDIT PLAN REQUIRED,
• require atomic_executor preflight until PREFLIGHT: ALL CLEAR,
• execute Phase 0 only via atomic_executor before branching,
• run reduced small-audit after implementation and QC.

Direct invocation of powershell-typed-engineer remains implementation-focused and does not replace orchestrator lifecycle steps.

Direct-Mode Rejection Rule

If powershell-typed-engineer is invoked directly and estimated scope is >2 production files:

• Stop before implementation.
• Return explicit routing instruction to invoke powershell-orchestrator (or .github/prompts/orchestrate-powershell-work.prompt.md).

Documentation Expectations

Record in response/logs:

• estimated production file count,
• chosen path (small/large),
• rationale summary (1-3 bullets).