Reflection

Reflection

Audit the observable execution of completed tasks. Optimize for lower latency and fewer tool calls without removing work required for correctness, safety, or applicable instructions.

Resolve the task

• With no explicit scope, audit the substantive user request immediately before the reflection request and the complete Codex execution that answered it.
• Treat clarifications and corrections made before that answer as part of the same task.
• If the user names tasks or asks for the last N tasks, audit exactly that scope.
• Do not count the reflection request itself as part of the task.
• If no completed task is available, say so. Do not invent a trace.

Gather evidence

Use the inherited conversation and tool trace first. Review only observable evidence: requests, commentary, tool calls and outputs, file changes, checks, errors, retries, and the final answer. Never request or reconstruct hidden chain-of-thought.

Do not open the raw session trace by default. Inspect it only when the user requests exact timing or tool counts, or when a material claim cannot be resolved from the inherited trace. Resolve the current session unambiguously; never assume the newest session file is the right one. If it cannot be resolved, mark the exact measurement as unknown.

Delegate the audit

Spawn exactly one independent subagent with:

• model: gpt-5.6-sol
• reasoning effort: medium
• the smallest inherited turn range that contains the full task trace
• a prompt containing the scope, raw observable evidence, and the report contract below

Do not give the subagent the main agent's diagnosis or suggested findings.

Tell the subagent to:

• remain read-only and make no external changes;
• spawn no further agents;
• avoid tools unless one targeted read is essential to interpret evidence already in the trace;
• compare effort with task complexity;
• distinguish avoidable work from checks required by safety, correctness, user instructions, AGENTS.md, or an active skill;
• identify root causes rather than isolated symptoms;
• answer in the user's language.

If an independent subagent is unavailable, fail closed and explain that an independent reflection could not be produced. Do not substitute the main agent's self-review.

Return the report

Return the subagent's findings after checking only for unsupported claims, secrets, and scope violations. Do not run a second audit.

Keep the report to roughly 300 to 500 Chinese characters, or comparable length in another language, using this structure:

## 结论

合理 | 轻度过度 | 严重过度。One sentence relating task complexity to execution cost.

## 核心浪费

- Observable evidence -> root cause -> shortest better path.

Include at most three waste findings. Then add:

## 不可削减项

- Work that was justified by correctness, safety, or binding instructions.

## 可固化规则

- 当 <trigger> 时，应 <minimal action>；除非 <exception>。

Include at most three persistence candidates. Do not use numeric scores. If the trace contains no material inefficiency:

• write 未发现核心浪费 under 核心浪费;
• write 未发现值得固化的问题 under 可固化规则;
• do not turn successful behavior into generic persistence candidates.

Persist only on explicit request

$reflection is read-only. Do not change memory, skills, AGENTS.md, configuration, or project files unless the user explicitly asks to persist or promote a selected finding.

Project memory

When the user explicitly asks to persist a finding:

1. Resolve the exact project root with git rev-parse --show-toplevel. If there is no project root, ask for the intended scope before writing.
2. Search the current ARC Rule/Learning state, memory registry, and pending ad-hoc notes once for an equivalent rule. If one already covers it, report that and do not duplicate it.
3. If the project has a versioned .research/VERSION and one committed Project, call the installed research-op/scripts/record_project_learning.py helper with the selected observation, candidate rule, applicable ARC actions, owning skills, and package scope. This writes a non-binding ARC Learning with a content-addressed NOTE EvidenceRef. Do not also write an ad-hoc memory note.
4. Otherwise, write one small update note named <timestamp>-<short-slug>.md through the supported memory-update mechanism. On the local Codex filesystem, use ${CODEX_HOME:-$HOME/.codex}/memories/extensions/ad_hoc/notes/.
5. Bind an ad-hoc fallback rule to the exact project root:

# Project reflection rule: <short name>

scope: <project and task class>
applies_to: cwd=<absolute git root>
observed_pattern: <one sentence>
rule: When <trigger>, <minimal action>; unless <exception>.
evidence: <date and short task description>

Persist only the selected reusable rule. Do not store the full report, raw transcript, secrets, volatile metrics, or one-off frustration. Never hand-edit generated memory summaries, registries, ARC state, or projections. Report the ARC Learning id and note reference, or the ad-hoc note path. Do not claim that background consolidation has completed unless it was verified.

Stronger enforcement

Project memory is a recall layer. If the same problem recurs or the user explicitly asks to enforce it, recommend the narrowest durable owner:

• nearest applicable AGENTS.md for mandatory project behavior;
• the owning skill for a reusable workflow rule;
• an explicitly admitted ARC Project Rule for governed cross-session context;
• a test or hook for deterministic enforcement.

Do not modify any of these surfaces without an explicit user request.