# 147 Workflow E6006d03

> Implementation Review Workflow

- Skill: `tools-only/147-workflow-e6006d03` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/147-workflow-e6006d03`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tools-only/147-workflow-e6006d03/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/147-workflow-e6006d03

---

# Implementation Review Workflow

## Philosophy

The reviewer model only sees selected files. RepoPrompt's Builder discovers context you'd miss (rp backend). Codex uses context hints from flowctl (codex backend).

---

## Phase 0: Backend Detection

**Run this first. Do not skip.**

**CRITICAL: flowctl is BUNDLED — NOT installed globally.** `which flowctl` will fail (expected). Always use:

```bash
set -e
FLOWCTL="${DROID_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}}/scripts/flowctl"
REPO_ROOT="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)"

# Priority: --review flag > env > config (flag parsed in SKILL.md)
BACKEND=$($FLOWCTL review-backend)

if [[ "$BACKEND" == "ASK" ]]; then
  echo "Error: No review backend configured."
  echo "Run /flow-next:setup to configure, or pass --review=rp|codex|none"
  exit 1
fi

echo "Review backend: $BACKEND (override: --review=rp|codex|none)"
```

**If backend is "none"**: Skip review, inform user, and exit cleanly (no error).

**Then branch to backend-specific workflow below.**

---

## Codex Backend Workflow

Use when `BACKEND="codex"`.

### Step 1: Identify Task and Diff Base

```bash
BRANCH="$(git branch --show-current)"

# Use BASE_COMMIT from arguments if provided (task-scoped review)
# Otherwise fall back to main/master (full branch review)
if [[ -z "$BASE_COMMIT" ]]; then
  DIFF_BASE="main"
  git rev-parse main >/dev/null 2>&1 || DIFF_BASE="master"
else
  DIFF_BASE="$BASE_COMMIT"
fi

git log ${DIFF_BASE}..HEAD --oneline
```

### Step 2: Execute Review

```bash
RECEIPT_PATH="${REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH:-/tmp/impl-review-receipt.json}"

$FLOWCTL codex impl-review "$TASK_ID" --base "$DIFF_BASE" --receipt "$RECEIPT_PATH"
```

**Output includes `VERDICT=SHIP|NEEDS_WORK|MAJOR_RETHINK`.**

### Step 3: Handle Verdict

If `VERDICT=NEEDS_WORK`:
1. Parse issues from output
2. Fix code and run tests
3. Commit fixes
4. Re-run step 2 (receipt enables session continuity)
5. Repeat until SHIP

### Step 4: Receipt

Receipt is written automatically by `flowctl codex impl-review` when `--receipt` provided.
Format: `{"mode":"codex","task":"<id>","verdict":"<verdict>","session_id":"<thread_id>","timestamp":"..."}`

---

## RepoPrompt Backend Workflow

Use when `BACKEND="rp"`.

### Atomic Setup Block

```bash
# Atomic: pick-window + builder
eval "$($FLOWCTL rp setup-review --repo-root "$REPO_ROOT" --summary "Review implementation of <summary> on current branch")"

# Verify we have W and T
if [[ -z "${W:-}" || -z "${T:-}" ]]; then
  echo "<promise>RETRY</promise>"
  exit 0
fi

echo "Setup complete: W=$W T=$T"
```

If this block fails, output `<promise>RETRY</promise>` and stop. Do not improvise.

---

## Phase 1: Identify Changes (RP)

```bash
BRANCH="$(git branch --show-current)"

# Use BASE_COMMIT from arguments if provided (task-scoped review)
# Otherwise fall back to main/master (full branch review)
if [[ -z "$BASE_COMMIT" ]]; then
  DIFF_BASE="main"
  git rev-parse main >/dev/null 2>&1 || DIFF_BASE="master"
else
  DIFF_BASE="$BASE_COMMIT"
fi

git log ${DIFF_BASE}..HEAD --oneline
CHANGED_FILES="$(git diff ${DIFF_BASE}..HEAD --name-only)"
git diff ${DIFF_BASE}..HEAD --stat
```

Save:
- Branch name
- Changed files list
- Commit summary
- DIFF_BASE (for reference in review prompt)

Compose a 1-2 sentence summary for the setup-review command.

---

## Phase 2: Augment Selection (RP)

Builder selects context automatically. Review and add must-haves:

```bash
# See what builder selected
$FLOWCTL rp select-get --window "$W" --tab "$T"

# Add ALL changed files
for f in $CHANGED_FILES; do
  $FLOWCTL rp select-add --window "$W" --tab "$T" "$f"
done

# Add task spec if known
$FLOWCTL rp select-add --window "$W" --tab "$T" .flow/specs/<task-id>.md
```

**Why this matters:** Chat only sees selected files.

---

## Phase 3: Execute Review (RP)

### Build combined prompt

Get builder's handoff:
```bash
HANDOFF="$($FLOWCTL rp prompt-get --window "$W" --tab "$T")"
```

Write combined prompt:
```bash
cat > /tmp/review-prompt.md << 'EOF'
[PASTE HANDOFF HERE]

---

## IMPORTANT: File Contents
RepoPrompt includes the actual source code of selected files in a `<file_contents>` XML section at the end of this message. You MUST:
1. Locate the `<file_contents>` section
2. Read and analyze the actual source code within it
3. Base your review on the code, not summaries or descriptions

If you cannot find `<file_contents>`, ask for the files to be re-attached before proceeding.

## Changes Under Review
Branch: [BRANCH_NAME]
Files: [LIST CHANGED FILES]
Commits: [COMMIT SUMMARY]

## Original Spec
[PASTE flowctl show OUTPUT if known]

## Review Focus
[USER'S FOCUS AREAS]

## Review Criteria

Conduct a John Carmack-level review:

1. **Correctness** - Matches spec? Logic errors?
2. **Simplicity** - Simplest solution? Over-engineering?
3. **DRY** - Duplicated logic? Existing patterns?
4. **Architecture** - Data flow? Clear boundaries?
5. **Edge Cases** - Failure modes? Race conditions?
6. **Tests** - Adequate coverage? Testing behavior?
7. **Security** - Injection? Auth gaps?

## Scenario Exploration (for changed code only)

Walk through these scenarios mentally for any new/modified code paths:

- [ ] Happy path - Normal operation with valid inputs
- [ ] Invalid inputs - Null, empty, malformed data
- [ ] Boundary conditions - Min/max values, empty collections
- [ ] Concurrent access - Race conditions, deadlocks
- [ ] Network issues - Timeouts, partial failures
- [ ] Resource exhaustion - Memory, disk, connections
- [ ] Security attacks - Injection, overflow, DoS vectors
- [ ] Data corruption - Partial writes, inconsistency
- [ ] Cascading failures - Downstream service issues

Only flag issues that apply to the **changed code** - not pre-existing patterns.

## Output Format

For each issue:
- **Severity**: Critical / Major / Minor / Nitpick
- **File:Line**: Exact location
- **Problem**: What's wrong
- **Suggestion**: How to fix

**REQUIRED**: You MUST end your response with exactly one verdict tag. This is mandatory:
`<verdict>SHIP</verdict>` or `<verdict>NEEDS_WORK</verdict>` or `<verdict>MAJOR_RETHINK</verdict>`

Do NOT skip this tag. The automation depends on it.
EOF
```

### Send to RepoPrompt

```bash
$FLOWCTL rp chat-send --window "$W" --tab "$T" --message-file /tmp/review-prompt.md --new-chat --chat-name "Impl Review: $BRANCH"
```

**WAIT** for response. Takes 1-5+ minutes.

---

## Phase 4: Receipt + Status (RP)

### Write receipt (if REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH set)

```bash
if [[ -n "${REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH:-}" ]]; then
  ts="$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH")"
  cat > "$REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH" <<EOF
{"type":"impl_review","id":"<TASK_ID>","mode":"rp","timestamp":"$ts"}
EOF
  echo "REVIEW_RECEIPT_WRITTEN: $REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH"
fi
```

If no verdict tag in response, output `<promise>RETRY</promise>` and stop.

---

## Fix Loop (RP)

**CRITICAL: Do NOT ask user for confirmation. Automatically fix ALL valid issues and re-review — our goal is production-grade world-class software and architecture. Never use AskUserQuestion in this loop.**

**CRITICAL: You MUST fix the code BEFORE re-reviewing. Never re-review without making changes.**

**MAX ITERATIONS**: Limit fix+re-review cycles to **${MAX_REVIEW_ITERATIONS:-3}** iterations (default 3, configurable in Ralph's config.env). If still NEEDS_WORK after max rounds, output `<promise>RETRY</promise>` and stop — let the next Ralph iteration start fresh.

If verdict is NEEDS_WORK:

1. **Parse issues** - Extract ALL issues by severity (Critical → Major → Minor)
2. **Fix the code** - Address each issue in order
3. **Run tests/lints** - Verify fixes don't break anything
4. **Commit fixes** (MANDATORY before re-review):
   ```bash
   git add -A
   git commit -m "fix: address review feedback"
   ```
   **If you skip this and re-review without committing changes, reviewer will return NEEDS_WORK again.**

5. **Request re-review** (only AFTER step 4):

   **IMPORTANT**: Do NOT re-add files already in the selection. RepoPrompt auto-refreshes
   file contents on every message. Only use `select-add` for NEW files created during fixes:
   ```bash
   # Only if fixes created new files not in original selection
   if [[ -n "$NEW_FILES" ]]; then
     $FLOWCTL rp select-add --window "$W" --tab "$T" $NEW_FILES
   fi
   ```

   Then send re-review request (NO --new-chat, stay in same chat).

   **CRITICAL: Do NOT summarize fixes.** RP auto-refreshes file contents - reviewer sees your changes automatically. Just request re-review. Any summary wastes tokens and duplicates what reviewer already sees.

   ```bash
   cat > /tmp/re-review.md << 'EOF'
   Issues addressed. Please re-review.

   **REQUIRED**: End with `<verdict>SHIP</verdict>` or `<verdict>NEEDS_WORK</verdict>` or `<verdict>MAJOR_RETHINK</verdict>`
   EOF

   $FLOWCTL rp chat-send --window "$W" --tab "$T" --message-file /tmp/re-review.md
   ```
6. **Repeat** until Ship

**Anti-pattern**: Re-adding already-selected files before re-review. RP auto-refreshes; re-adding can cause issues.

---

## Anti-patterns

**All backends:**
- **Reviewing yourself** - You coordinate; the backend reviews
- **No receipt** - If REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH is set, you MUST write receipt
- **Ignoring verdict** - Must extract and act on verdict tag
- **Mixing backends** - Stick to one backend for the entire review session

**RP backend only:**
- **Calling builder directly** - Must use `setup-review` which wraps it
- **Skipping setup-review** - Window selection MUST happen via this command
- **Hard-coding window IDs** - Never write `--window 1`
- **Missing changed files** - Add ALL changed files to selection

**Codex backend only:**
- **Using `--last` flag** - Conflicts with parallel usage; use `--receipt` instead
- **Direct codex calls** - Must use `flowctl codex` wrappers