Navigator v5.1.0 Release Notes

Navigator v5.1.0 Release Notes

Release Date: 2025-01-13 Type: Minor Release (New Feature)

Summary

Navigator v5.1.0 introduces Loop Mode - structured completion signals with "run until done" capability. Inspired by Ralph's autonomous loop framework, this feature brings:

• NAVIGATOR_STATUS block: Structured completion signals each iteration
• Dual-condition exit gate: Requires both heuristics (2+ indicators) AND explicit EXIT_SIGNAL
• Stagnation detection: Circuit breaker pauses after 3 same-state iterations
• Progress phases: INIT → RESEARCH → IMPL → VERIFY → COMPLETE

The Problem Loop Mode Solves

Traditional AI coding requires constant "keep going" prompts. Even with Navigator's autonomous completion protocol, users had to mentally track progress and provide explicit continuation signals.

Ralph's insight: A structured completion loop with explicit exit conditions prevents premature termination while ensuring tasks actually complete.

Navigator's adaptation: Loop Mode integrates Ralph's innovations while maintaining Navigator's context efficiency and Theory of Mind features.

New Skill: nav-loop

Enabling Loop Mode

Natural language triggers:

"Run until done: add user authentication"
"Keep going until complete"
"Iterate until finished"
"Loop mode for this task"

NAVIGATOR_STATUS Block

Each iteration displays:

NAVIGATOR_STATUS
==================================================
Phase: VERIFY
Iteration: 3/5
Progress: 75%

Completion Indicators:
  [x] Code committed
  [x] Tests passing
  [ ] Documentation updated
  [ ] Ticket closed

Exit Conditions:
  Heuristics: 2/4 (need 2+)
  EXIT_SIGNAL: false

State Hash: a7b3c9
Stagnation: 1/3
==================================================

Dual-Condition Exit Gate

Loop mode requires BOTH conditions to exit:

1. Heuristics: At least 2 completion indicators met
2. EXIT_SIGNAL: Explicit signal from Claude that task is complete

I've completed the implementation. All requirements met.

EXIT_SIGNAL: true

This prevents premature exits when heuristics are met but work remains.

Stagnation Detection

When the same state is detected for 3 consecutive iterations:

STAGNATION DETECTED
==================================================

Same state detected for 3 consecutive iterations.

Current State:
  Phase: IMPL
  Indicators: 1/5
  Last Action: Modified src/auth.ts

Options:
1. [Continue] - Try one more iteration
2. [Clarify] - Explain what's blocking
3. [Abort] - End loop, manual intervention
==================================================

Configuration

New loop_mode section in .agent/.nav-config.json:

{
  "version": "5.1.0",
  "loop_mode": {
    "enabled": false,
    "max_iterations": 5,
    "stagnation_threshold": 3,
    "exit_requires_explicit_signal": true,
    "show_status_block": true
  }
}

Options:

• enabled: Default state for new tasks (default: false)
• max_iterations: Hard cap to prevent infinite loops (default: 5)
• stagnation_threshold: Same-state count before pause (default: 3)
• exit_requires_explicit_signal: Require EXIT_SIGNAL (default: true)
• show_status_block: Display NAVIGATOR_STATUS (default: true)

Files Added

skills/nav-loop/
├── SKILL.md                           # Skill definition (~250 lines)
└── functions/
    ├── status_generator.py            # NAVIGATOR_STATUS block generation
    ├── exit_gate.py                   # Dual-condition exit logic
    ├── stagnation_detector.py         # Circuit breaker detection
    └── phase_detector.py              # Auto-detect task phase

Files Modified

Integration with Navigator

With Autonomous Completion

Loop mode enhances (not replaces) the autonomous protocol:

• Completion indicators map to autonomous steps
• EXIT_SIGNAL triggers autonomous completion
• Markers include loop state for restoration

With nav-diagnose

Stagnation triggers nav-diagnose quality check:

• 3 same-state loops = potential quality issue
• Helps identify root cause of stuck loops

With nav-marker

Markers capture loop state:

• Current iteration and max
• Phase at time of marker
• State hash for continuity

With ToM Features

Loop mode respects ToM configuration:

• Verification checkpoints still apply
• Profile preferences affect communication style

Inspiration: Ralph

Loop Mode is inspired by Ralph for Claude Code, which pioneered:

• Dual-condition exit gates
• Stagnation circuit breakers
• Structured completion signals

Navigator adapts these concepts for context-efficient workflows while maintaining its 92% token savings foundation.

Upgrade Path

From v5.0.0: No breaking changes. Loop mode is disabled by default.

1. Update plugin: /plugin update navigator
2. Optionally enable loop mode in config
3. Use natural language triggers when needed

Backward compatible: All v5.0.0 workflows continue unchanged.

What's Next

v5.2.0 (Planned)

• Loop mode analytics and metrics
• Per-task loop configuration
• Extended completion indicators

Version History

v5.1.0 (This Release)

• New nav-loop skill with structured completion
• Dual-condition exit gate (heuristics + EXIT_SIGNAL)
• Stagnation detection with circuit breaker
• Progress phases (INIT → RESEARCH → IMPL → VERIFY → COMPLETE)
• Integration with nav-diagnose and nav-marker

v5.0.0

• Theory of Mind integration
• nav-profile for bilateral modeling
• nav-diagnose for quality detection
• Verification checkpoints

v4.7.0

• Interactive onboarding (nav-onboard)

v4.6.0

• Native agents, token monitoring hooks

Full Changelog: https://github.com/alekspetrov/navigator/compare/v5.0.0...v5.1.0