Dev Iterative Retrieval

Iterative Retrieval — Progressive Context Refinement

Solve the "context problem" in multi-agent workflows where sub-agents don't know what context they need until they start working.

The Problem

Sub-agents are spawned with limited context. Standard approaches fail:

• Send everything: Exceeds context limits
• Send nothing: Agent lacks critical information
• Guess what's needed: Often wrong

The Solution: 4-Phase Loop

┌──────────┐      ┌──────────┐
│ DISPATCH │─────▶│ EVALUATE │
└──────────┘      └──────────┘
     ▲                  │
     │                  ▼
┌──────────┐      ┌──────────┐
│   LOOP   │◀─────│  REFINE  │
└──────────┘      └──────────┘

    Max 3 cycles, then proceed

Phase 1: DISPATCH

Start with a broad query based on the task description:

Search for: keywords from task description
Patterns: src/**/*.cs, src/**/*.ts (relevant to task)
Exclude: *.spec.ts, *Tests.cs, bin/, obj/, node_modules/

Phase 2: EVALUATE

Score each result for relevance:

For each file, also identify: what context is still missing?

Phase 3: REFINE

Update search criteria based on what you learned:

• Add terminology the codebase actually uses (not what you assumed)
• Add patterns discovered in high-relevance files (e.g., IOrderRepository → search for all IRepository implementations)
• Exclude confirmed irrelevant paths
• Target specific gaps identified in evaluation

Phase 4: LOOP

Repeat with refined criteria. Stop when:

• 3+ high-relevance files found AND no critical gaps remain
• Max 3 cycles reached (proceed with best available context)

Practical Examples

Example: Bug Fix

Task: "Fix the order total calculation rounding issue"

Cycle 1:
  DISPATCH: Search for "order", "total", "calculation" in src/**/*.cs
  EVALUATE: Found OrderService.cs (0.9), Order.cs (0.8), CartController.cs (0.3)
  REFINE: Spotted "Money" value object in Order.cs → search for Money type

Cycle 2:
  DISPATCH: Search "Money", "decimal", "rounding"
  EVALUATE: Found Money.cs (0.95), MoneyExtensions.cs (0.85)
  RESULT: Sufficient — 4 high-relevance files found

Context: OrderService.cs, Order.cs, Money.cs, MoneyExtensions.cs

Example: Feature Implementation

Task: "Add email notifications when order status changes"

Cycle 1:
  DISPATCH: Search "notification", "email" in src/**
  EVALUATE: No matches — codebase uses "alert" and "message" instead
  REFINE: Add "alert", "message", "INotification" keywords

Cycle 2:
  DISPATCH: Search refined terms
  EVALUATE: Found AlertService.cs (0.9), IMessageSender.cs (0.7)
  REFINE: Need order status change events

Cycle 3:
  DISPATCH: Search "OrderStatus", "event", "handler"
  EVALUATE: Found OrderStatusChangedEvent.cs (0.95), EventHandlers/ (0.8)
  RESULT: Sufficient

Context: AlertService.cs, IMessageSender.cs, OrderStatusChangedEvent.cs, EventHandlers/

How to Apply in Agent Prompts

When dispatching a sub-agent, include both the query AND the objective:

Task: {specific query}
Objective: {broader context — WHY this information is needed}

When retrieving context:
1. Start with broad keyword search
2. Evaluate each file's relevance (0-1 scale)
3. Identify what context is still missing
4. Refine search criteria and repeat (max 3 cycles)
5. Return files with relevance >= 0.7

Best Practices

1. Start broad, narrow progressively — don't over-specify initial queries
2. Learn codebase terminology — first cycle often reveals naming conventions
3. Track what's missing — explicit gap identification drives refinement
4. Stop at "good enough" — 3 high-relevance files beats 10 mediocre ones
5. Pass objective context — sub-agents with the "why" make better decisions about what to include