# Harness Conditions Skill

> Procedure for language, compression, structure, degradation, and routing conditions applied to visible agent messages.

- Skill: `kevin-liu-01/harness-conditions-skill` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 11 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add kevin-liu-01/harness-conditions-skill`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/kevin-liu-01/harness-conditions-skill/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: kevin-liu-01 (https://skillmd.com/u/kevin-liu-01)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/kevin-liu-01/harness-conditions-skill

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# cotcodec / harness/conditions

## Purpose
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Conditions implement the controlled orchestration intervention for a message
while leaving benchmark semantics and fixed protocol surfaces unchanged.

## Mental model & key files
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- `base.py` defines the transformation interface.
- Language conditions (`english.py`, `chinese.py`, `polish.py`) are Paper 1 arms.
- `controlled.py`, `compressed.py`, and `structured.py` alter constrained format.
- `router.py` selects a condition from message features; `degraded.py` is a
  deliberate regression control.

## Patterns to follow / invariants
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- Transform only message types declared variable by the experiment.
- Keep tool names, JSON schemas, raw tool outputs, and final responses fixed in
  English unless the experiment explicitly varies that surface.
- A condition must be deterministic under its declared seed/config and expose
  enough metadata to reproduce the transformation.
- Register conditions in config and test representative terminology-heavy inputs.

## Common tasks → first action
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- New condition: subclass the base interface, add config registration and tests,
  then run a small message-only smoke before a benchmark pilot.
- Router change: read `harness/routing/SKILL.md` and verify features are past-only.

## Gotchas
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- Do not claim hidden chain-of-thought manipulation; this project varies only
  framework-visible intermediate communication.
- Compression and reasoning format are distinct variables even when one
  implementation affects both; label the intervention honestly.