Harness Engineering

Harness Engineering Framework

One-click initialization of a complete Harness Engineering framework in any project directory.

Based on insights from OpenAI (Codex), Anthropic (3-agent GAN architecture), and LangChain (self-verify loops), this skill sets up:

• 3-agent architecture: Planner (spec), Generator (build), Evaluator (test)
• Sprint contracts: Machine-verifiable "done" criteria before coding
• Quality hooks: Loop detection, pre-completion checklist, context injection
• Slash commands: /plan, /build, /qa, /sprint
• Golden principles: 10 non-negotiable rules enforced across all agents

When to Use

• Starting a new project and want structured AI-assisted development
• Want to set up Plan-Build-Verify-Fix workflow in current project
• User says "harness", "init harness", "setup framework", or similar

Initialization Process

Step 1: Gather Project Info

Before generating files, ask the user:

1. Project name (or detect from current directory name)
2. Tech stack (optional, e.g. "React + Node.js", "Python FastAPI", "Go microservice")
3. Project type (web app, API service, CLI tool, library, etc.)

If the user provides a description with /harness <description>, extract the info from context.

Step 2: Generate Framework Files

Execute the scaffold script:

python3 {{SKILL_PATH}}/scripts/scaffold.py --project-name "<PROJECT_NAME>" --tech-stack "<TECH_STACK>" --project-type "<PROJECT_TYPE>" --target-dir "<CURRENT_PROJECT_DIR>"

This generates the following structure in the current project:

<project>/
  CLAUDE.md                        # Project map (<80 lines)
  .claude/
    agents/
      planner.md                   # Spec creation agent
      generator.md                 # Implementation agent
      evaluator.md                 # Testing/grading agent
      doc-gardener.md              # Doc freshness agent
    commands/
      plan.md                      # /plan command
      build.md                     # /build command
      qa.md                        # /qa command
      sprint.md                    # /sprint command
    hooks/
      loop-detector.py             # File edit loop detection
      pre-completion-check.py      # Task completion checklist
      context-injector.py          # Session context middleware
  docs/
    architecture.md                # System design
    golden-principles.md           # Non-negotiable rules
    sprint-workflow.md             # Sprint process
    contracts/
      TEMPLATE.md                  # Sprint contract template
    specs/                         # (populated by planner)
    plans/                         # (populated by planner)

Step 3: Configure Hooks

After generating files, merge hook configuration into the project's .claude/settings.json (or create it):

python3 {{SKILL_PATH}}/scripts/merge_settings.py --target-dir "<CURRENT_PROJECT_DIR>"

This adds hook definitions without overwriting existing settings.

Step 4: Verify Installation

Confirm all files were created:

ls -la CLAUDE.md .claude/agents/ .claude/commands/ .claude/hooks/ docs/

Report to the user what was created and how to start using it.

Usage After Initialization

Key Principles

The framework enforces these rules (see docs/golden-principles.md after install):

1. Spec before code - No implementation without a written spec
2. Testable criteria - Every feature has machine-verifiable acceptance criteria
3. Self-verify first - Generator must self-check before evaluator runs
4. Loop awareness - Editing same file 5+ times triggers a stop-and-reassess
5. Contract-driven - Sprint contracts define "done" before coding begins

Architecture

For full details, read the generated docs/architecture.md after installation. Key flow:

User Prompt → Planner (spec) → Generator + Evaluator negotiate contract
→ Generator builds → Evaluator tests → Fix loop (max 3x) → Complete