# Moai Foundation Core

> MoAI-ADK's foundational principles - TRUST 5, SPEC-First TDD, delegation patterns, token optimization, progressive disclosure, modular architecture, agent catalog, command reference, and execution rules for building AI-powered development workflows

- Skill: `rdmptv/moai-foundation-core` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 25 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add rdmptv/moai-foundation-core`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/rdmptv/moai-foundation-core/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: rdmptv (https://skillmd.com/u/rdmptv)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/rdmptv/moai-foundation-core

---


# MoAI Foundation Core

Foundational principles and architectural patterns that power MoAI-ADK's AI-driven development workflow.

Core Philosophy: Quality-first, test-driven, modular, and efficient AI development through proven patterns and automated workflows.

## Quick Reference (30 seconds)

What is MoAI Foundation Core?
Six essential principles that ensure quality, efficiency, and scalability in AI-powered development:

1. TRUST 5 Framework - Quality gate system (Test-first, Readable, Unified, Secured, Trackable)
2. SPEC-First TDD - Specification-driven test-driven development workflow
3. Delegation Patterns - Task orchestration via specialized agents (never direct execution)
4. Token Optimization - 200K budget management and context efficiency
5. Progressive Disclosure - Three-tier knowledge delivery (Quick → Implementation → Advanced)
6. Modular System - File splitting and reference architecture for scalability

Quick Access:
- Quality standards → [TRUST 5 Module](modules/trust-5-framework.md)
- Development workflow → [SPEC-First TDD Module](modules/spec-first-tdd.md)
- Agent coordination → [Delegation Patterns Module](modules/delegation-patterns.md)
- Budget management → [Token Optimization Module](modules/token-optimization.md)
- Content structure → [Progressive Disclosure Module](modules/progressive-disclosure.md)
- File organization → [Modular System Module](modules/modular-system.md)
- Agent catalog → [Agents Reference Module](modules/agents-reference.md) NEW
- Command reference → [Commands Reference Module](modules/commands-reference.md) NEW
- Security & constraints → [Execution Rules Module](modules/execution-rules.md) NEW

Use Cases:
- New agent creation with quality standards
- New skill development with structural guidelines
- Complex workflow orchestration
- Token budget planning and optimization
- Documentation architecture design
- Quality gate configuration

---

## Implementation Guide (5 minutes)

### 1. TRUST 5 Framework - Quality Assurance System

Purpose: Automated quality gates ensuring code quality, security, and maintainability.

Five Pillars:

| Pillar | Requirement | Validation | Failure Action |
|--------|-------------|------------|----------------|
| Test-first | ≥85% coverage | pytest --cov | Block merge, generate tests |
| Readable | Clear naming | ruff linter | Warning, suggest refactor |
| Unified | Consistent patterns | black, isort | Auto-format or warn |
| Secured | OWASP compliance | security-expert | Block merge, review |
| Trackable | Clear commits | Git regex | Suggest format |

Integration Points:
- Pre-commit hooks → Automated validation
- CI/CD pipelines → Quality gate enforcement
- Agent workflows → core-quality validation
- Documentation → Quality metrics

Detailed Reference: [TRUST 5 Framework Module](modules/trust-5-framework.md)

---

### 2. SPEC-First TDD - Development Workflow

Purpose: Specification-driven development ensuring clear requirements before implementation.

Three-Phase Workflow:

```
Phase 1: SPEC (/moai:1-plan)
 workflow-spec → EARS format
 Output: .moai/specs/SPEC-XXX/spec.md
 Execute /clear (saves 45-50K tokens)

Phase 2: TDD (/moai:2-run)
 RED: Failing tests
 GREEN: Passing code
 REFACTOR: Optimize
 Validate: ≥85% coverage

Phase 3: Docs (/moai:3-sync)
 API documentation
 Architecture diagrams
 Project reports
```

EARS Format:
- Ubiquitous: System-wide (always active)
- Event-driven: Trigger-based (when X, do Y)
- State-driven: Conditional (while X, do Y)
- Unwanted: Prohibited (shall not do X)
- Optional: Nice-to-have (where possible, do X)

Token Budget: SPEC 30K | TDD 180K | Docs 40K | Total 250K

Key Practice: Execute /clear after Phase 1 to initialize context.

Detailed Reference: [SPEC-First TDD Module](modules/spec-first-tdd.md)

---

### 3. Delegation Patterns - Agent Orchestration

Purpose: Task delegation to specialized agents, avoiding direct execution.

Core Principle: Alfred NEVER executes directly. All work via Task().

Delegation Syntax:
```python
result = await Task(
 subagent_type="specialized_agent",
 prompt="Clear, specific task",
 context={"relevant": "data"}
)
```

Three Patterns:

Sequential (dependencies):
```python
design = Task(subagent_type="api-designer", prompt="Design API")
code = Task(subagent_type="backend-expert", prompt="Implement", context={"design": design})
```

Parallel (independent):
```python
results = await Promise.all([
 Task(subagent_type="backend-expert", prompt="Backend"),
 Task(subagent_type="frontend-expert", prompt="Frontend")
])
```

Conditional (analysis-based):
```python
analysis = Task(subagent_type="debug-helper", prompt="Analyze")
if analysis.type == "security":
 Task(subagent_type="security-expert", prompt="Fix")
```

Agent Selection:
- Simple (1 file): 1-2 agents sequential
- Medium (3-5 files): 2-3 agents sequential
- Complex (10+ files): 5+ agents mixed

Detailed Reference: [Delegation Patterns Module](modules/delegation-patterns.md)

---

### 4. Token Optimization - Budget Management

Purpose: Efficient 200K token budget through strategic context management.

Budget Allocation:

| Phase | Budget | Strategy |
|-------|--------|----------|
| SPEC | 30K | Load requirements only, /clear after |
| TDD | 180K | Selective file loading |
| Docs | 40K | Result caching, templates |
| Total | 250K | Phase separation |

Token Saving Strategies:

1. Phase Separation: /clear between phases
 - After /moai:1-plan (saves 45-50K)
 - When context > 150K
 - After 50+ messages

2. Selective Loading: Load only necessary files

3. Context Optimization: 20-30K tokens target

4. Model Selection: Sonnet (quality) | Haiku (speed/cost)

Monitoring: /context command, track budget, suggest /clear

Cost Savings: Haiku 70% cheaper → 60-70% total savings

Detailed Reference: [Token Optimization Module](modules/token-optimization.md)

---

### 5. Progressive Disclosure - Content Architecture

Purpose: Three-tier knowledge delivery balancing value with depth.

Three Levels:

| Level | Time | Content | Tokens |
|-------|------|---------|--------|
| Quick Reference | 30s | Core principles | 1,000 |
| Implementation | 5min | Workflows, examples | 3,000 |
| Advanced | 10+min | Deep dives, edge cases | 5,000 |

SKILL.md Structure (≤500 lines):
```markdown
## Quick Reference (30s)
## Implementation Guide (5min)
## Advanced Patterns (10+min)
## Works Well With
```

Module Architecture:
- SKILL.md: Entry point, cross-references
- modules/: Deep dives, unlimited
- examples.md: Working samples
- reference.md: External links

File Splitting (when >500 lines):
```
SKILL.md (500 lines)
 Quick (80-120)
 Implementation (180-250)
 Advanced (80-140)
 References (10-20)

Overflow → modules/[topic].md
```

Detailed Reference: [Progressive Disclosure Module](modules/progressive-disclosure.md)

---

### 6. Modular System - File Organization

Purpose: Scalable file structure enabling unlimited content.

Standard Structure:
```
.claude/skills/skill-name/
 SKILL.md # Core (≤500 lines)
 modules/ # Extended (unlimited)
 patterns.md
 examples.md # Working samples
 reference.md # External links
 scripts/ # Utilities (optional)
 templates/ # Templates (optional)
```

File Principles:

1. SKILL.md: ≤500 lines, progressive disclosure, cross-references
2. modules/: Topic-focused, no limits, self-contained
3. examples.md: Copy-paste ready, commented
4. reference.md: API docs, resources

Cross-Reference Syntax:
```markdown
Details: [Module](modules/patterns.md)
Examples: [Examples](examples.md#auth)
External: [Reference](reference.md#api)
```

Discovery Flow: SKILL.md → Topic → modules/[topic].md → Deep dive

Detailed Reference: [Modular System Module](modules/modular-system.md)

---

## Advanced Implementation (10+ minutes)

### Cross-Module Integration

TRUST 5 + SPEC-First TDD:
```python
spec = Task(subagent_type="workflow-spec", prompt="SPEC with TRUST 5")
impl = Task(subagent_type="workflow-tdd", prompt="≥85% coverage",
 context={"spec": spec, "quality_gates": ["TRUST5"]})
validation = Task(subagent_type="core-quality", prompt="Validate TRUST 5",
 context={"implementation": impl})
```

Token-Optimized Delegation:
```python
spec = Task(subagent_type="workflow-spec", prompt="Generate SPEC")
execute_clear() # Save 45-50K
results = await Promise.all([
 Task(subagent_type="backend-expert", prompt="Backend", context={"spec_id": spec.id}),
 Task(subagent_type="frontend-expert", prompt="Frontend", context={"spec_id": spec.id})
])
Task(subagent_type="workflow-docs", prompt="Docs", context={"results": results})
```

Progressive Agent Workflows:
```python
quick = Task(subagent_type="debug-helper", prompt="Quick diagnosis")
if quick.complexity == "high":
 detailed = Task(subagent_type="debug-helper", prompt="Detailed analysis")
 if detailed.requires_expert:
 expert = Task(subagent_type="security-expert", prompt="Deep dive")
```

### Quality Validation

Pre-Execution:
```python
def validate_execution_requirements(task, context):
 return all([
 validate_security_clearance(task),
 validate_resource_availability(context),
 validate_quality_standards(task),
 validate_permission_compliance(task)
 ])
```

Post-Execution:
```python
def validate_execution_results(result, task):
 validations = [
 validate_output_quality(result),
 validate_security_compliance(result),
 validate_test_coverage(result),
 validate_documentation_completeness(result)
 ]
 if not all(validations):
 raise QualityGateError("Quality gate failures")
 return True
```

### Error Handling

Delegation Failure:
```python
try:
 result = Task(subagent_type="backend-expert", prompt="Complex task")
except AgentExecutionError as e:
 analysis = Task(subagent_type="debug-helper", prompt=f"Analyze: {e}")
 if analysis.issue == "complexity":
 results = await Promise.all([
 Task(subagent_type="backend-expert", prompt="Subtask 1"),
 Task(subagent_type="backend-expert", prompt="Subtask 2")
 ])
```

Token Budget Exceeded:
```python
if token_usage > 150_000:
 execute_clear()
 context = {"spec_id": current_spec.id, "phase_results": summarize(previous_results)}
 Task(subagent_type="next-agent", prompt="Continue", context=context)
```

---

## Works Well With

Agents:
- agent-factory - Create agents with foundation principles
- skill-factory - Generate skills with modular architecture
- core-quality - Automated TRUST 5 validation
- workflow-spec - EARS format specification
- workflow-tdd - RED-GREEN-REFACTOR execution
- workflow-docs - Documentation with progressive disclosure

Skills:
- moai-cc-claude-md - CLAUDE.md with foundation patterns
- moai-cc-configuration - Config with TRUST 5
- moai-cc-memory - Token optimization
- moai-core-ask-user-questions - User clarification
- moai-context7-integration - MCP integration

Commands:
- /moai:1-plan - SPEC-First Phase 1
- /moai:2-run - TDD Phase 2
- /moai:3-sync - Documentation Phase 3
- /moai:9-feedback - Continuous improvement
- /clear - Token management

Foundation Modules (Extended Documentation):
- [Agents Reference](modules/agents-reference.md) - 26-agent catalog with 7-tier hierarchy
- [Commands Reference](modules/commands-reference.md) - 6 core commands workflow
- [Execution Rules](modules/execution-rules.md) - Security, Git strategy, compliance

---

## Quick Decision Matrix

| Scenario | Primary Principle | Supporting |
|----------|------------------|------------|
| New agent | TRUST 5 + Delegation | Token, modular |
| New skill | Progressive + Modular | TRUST 5, token |
| Workflow | Delegation | SPEC-First, token |
| Quality | TRUST 5 | SPEC-First |
| Budget | Token Optimization | Progressive, modular |
| Docs | Progressive + Modular | Token |

Module Deep Dives:
- [TRUST 5 Framework](modules/trust-5-framework.md)
- [SPEC-First TDD](modules/spec-first-tdd.md)
- [Delegation Patterns](modules/delegation-patterns.md)
- [Token Optimization](modules/token-optimization.md)
- [Progressive Disclosure](modules/progressive-disclosure.md)
- [Modular System](modules/modular-system.md)
- [Agents Reference](modules/agents-reference.md) NEW
- [Commands Reference](modules/commands-reference.md) NEW
- [Execution Rules](modules/execution-rules.md) NEW

Full Examples: [examples.md](examples.md)
External Resources: [reference.md](reference.md)

---

Version: 2.2.0
Last Updated: 2025-11-26
Status: Active (496 lines, within 500-line limit)