Add Primitive

Add Primitive

Add or modify AI primitive definitions for agentconfig.org.

Overview

Primitives appear in three places that must stay synchronized:

1. Primitive Cards - site/src/data/primitives.ts
2. File Tree - site/src/data/fileTree.ts
3. Provider Comparison - site/src/data/comparison.ts

Step-by-Step Process

1. Define the Primitive

Edit site/src/data/primitives.ts:

{
  id: 'your-primitive-id',           // lowercase, hyphens
  name: 'Display Name',
  description: 'One-sentence summary.',
  whatItIs: 'Detailed explanation of the concept.',
  useWhen: [
    'First use case',
    'Second use case',
  ],
  prevents: 'What problem/failure this prevents',
  combineWith: ['Other Primitive', 'Another Primitive'],
  implementations: [
    {
      provider: 'copilot',
      implementation: 'How Copilot implements this',
      location: '.github/path/to/file',
      support: 'full',  // 'full' | 'partial' | 'diy'
    },
    {
      provider: 'claude',
      implementation: 'How Claude implements this',
      location: '.claude/path/to/file',
      support: 'full',
    },
  ],
  category: 'instructions',  // 'instructions' | 'execution' | 'safety'
}

2. Add to File Tree (if applicable)

If the primitive has associated files, add nodes to both trees in site/src/data/fileTree.ts:

For Copilot - Add to copilotTree:

{
  id: 'copilot-your-primitive',
  name: 'your-file.md',
  type: 'file',
  details: {
    label: 'Short Label',
    description: 'What this file does.',
    whatGoesHere: ['Content item 1', 'Content item 2'],
    whenLoaded: 'When this file is loaded.',
    loadOrder: 5,  // 1 = first loaded
    example: `Example content here`,
  },
}

For Claude - Add to claudeTree with equivalent structure.

3. Add to Comparison Matrix

Edit site/src/data/comparison.ts:

{
  primitiveId: 'your-primitive-id',  // Must match primitives.ts
  primitiveName: 'Display Name',
  copilot: {
    level: 'full',  // 'full' | 'partial' | 'none'
    implementation: 'How Copilot does it',
    location: '.github/path',
  },
  claude: {
    level: 'full',
    implementation: 'How Claude does it',
    location: '.claude/path',
  },
}

Data Types Reference

Primitive Interface

interface Primitive {
  id: string
  name: string
  description: string
  whatItIs: string
  useWhen: string[]
  prevents: string
  combineWith: string[]
  implementations: ProviderImplementation[]
  category: 'instructions' | 'execution' | 'safety'
}

Provider Implementation

interface ProviderImplementation {
  provider: 'copilot' | 'claude'
  implementation: string
  location: string
  support: 'full' | 'partial' | 'diy'
}

Support Levels

• full - Native, well-documented support
• partial - Works but with limitations
• diy - Achievable with custom configuration

Categories

• execution - Capability primitives (what it can do)
• instructions - Customization primitives (how to shape it)
• safety - Control primitives (guardrails and verification)

Checklist

Before considering the primitive complete:

• Added to primitives.ts with all required fields
• Added to fileTree.ts for both Copilot and Claude (if has files)
• Added to comparison.ts with accurate support levels
• id is unique and matches across all three files
• combineWith references valid primitive names
• Examples in file tree are accurate and helpful
• Run bun run typecheck - No TypeScript errors
• Visually verify in all three site sections

Common Mistakes

1. Mismatched IDs - The id in primitives.ts must match primitiveId in comparison.ts
2. Missing file tree entries - If the primitive has files, both trees need updates
3. Stale combineWith - Referencing primitives that don't exist
4. Incorrect load order - File tree loadOrder should reflect actual precedence
5. Missing support level - Every provider implementation needs a support level

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