Navigator v5.6.0 Release Notes

Navigator v5.6.0 Release Notes

Release Date: 2025-01-22 Type: Minor Release (Unified Workflow Architecture)

Summary

Navigator v5.6.0 introduces Task Mode—unified workflow orchestration that resolves conflicts between skills, loop mode, and CLAUDE.md workflows. Task Mode auto-detects complexity and routes requests to the appropriate handler.

The Problem Solved

Navigator had three disconnected workflow systems:

1. Skills (frontend-component, etc.) - have mini-workflows (Step 1 → Step 7)
2. Loop Mode - separate phase system (INIT → COMPLETE)
3. CLAUDE.md - documents workflow nobody enforces

Result: Conflicts when multiple systems tried to run simultaneously.

Task Mode Architecture

User Request
    ↓
TASK MODE (auto-detect)
    ├─ Simple task? → Direct execution (no overhead)
    ├─ Skill matches? → Let skill run (it has workflow)
    └─ Substantial, no skill? → Task Mode phases

Complexity Detection

Task Mode analyzes requests and calculates a complexity score (0-1):

Skill Deferral

When a skill matches the request (confidence ≥ 50%), Task Mode defers:

User: "Create a UserProfile component"
→ Skill match: frontend-component (95% confidence)
→ Task Mode defers: "frontend-component skill will handle this"

Phase Guidance

For substantial tasks without skill matches, Task Mode provides phase tracking:

RESEARCH → PLAN → IMPL → VERIFY → COMPLETE

New Skill: nav-task-mode

Files Created

Configuration

{
  "task_mode": {
    "enabled": true,
    "auto_detect": true,
    "defer_to_skills": true,
    "complexity_threshold": 0.5,
    "show_phase_indicator": true
  }
}

Verification Results

Test 1: "Fix typo in README"
→ Complexity: 0.30
→ Result: Direct execution (below threshold)

Test 2: "Create a LoginButton component"
→ Skill match: frontend-component (55%)
→ Result: Defers to skill

Test 3: "Refactor auth to use JWT"
→ Complexity: 0.95, No skill match
→ Result: Task Mode activates

Task Mode vs Loop Mode

Can coexist: Loop Mode wraps Task Mode phases if both active.

Files Changed

Upgrade Path

From v5.5.0: No breaking changes.

1. Update plugin: /plugin update navigator
2. Task Mode activates automatically based on config defaults
3. Optional: Adjust complexity_threshold in .nav-config.json

Backward compatible: All v5.5.0 features continue unchanged.

Version History

v5.6.0 (This Release)

• NEW: Task Mode - unified workflow orchestration
• NEW: nav-task-mode skill with complexity/skill detection
• NEW: Phase indicators for substantial tasks
• FIXED: Workflow conflicts between skills and loop mode

v5.5.0

• Auto-Update on Session Start
• Automatic plugin updates when newer version detected

v5.4.0

• Code Simplification (nav-simplify)
• Clarity over brevity improvements

v5.3.0

• Task Verification Enhancement
• Verify/Done sections in task docs

v5.2.0

• "Finish What You Start" positioning
• README rewrite

v5.1.0

• Loop Mode with structured completion signals
• Dual-condition exit gate

v5.0.0

• Theory of Mind integration
• nav-profile, nav-diagnose skills

Skills Count

Navigator now includes 26 skills (up from 25):

• nav-task-mode (new)
• nav-simplify, nav-onboard, nav-init, nav-start, nav-stats
• nav-profile, nav-diagnose, nav-loop, nav-update-claude, nav-upgrade
• nav-install-multi-claude, nav-marker, nav-compact, nav-task, nav-sop
• nav-skill-creator, nav-release, plugin-slash-command
• product-design, visual-regression
• frontend-component, backend-endpoint, database-migration
• backend-test, frontend-test

Full Changelog: https://github.com/alekspetrov/navigator/compare/v5.5.0...v5.6.0