ATM Next

If the current user prompt mentions a task id, task card, plan document, or a scoped batch of tasks, choose the narrowest route before editing. For one exact task id, do not write the shared runtime intent file; route directly with:

node atm.mjs next --task TASK-ABC-0001 --json

Invoke the atm-task-intent-resolver skill when the prompt needs semantic resolution for fuzzy task, plan, or batch scope. That skill writes .atm/runtime/task-intent.json and routes with:

node atm.mjs next --intent .atm/runtime/task-intent.json --json

Use the prompt-scoped command below only when no task or plan scope is present or when the editor cannot run the semantic intent skill.

First command:

node atm.mjs next --prompt "$ARGUMENTS" --json

After the first command returns, read evidence.nextAction.playbook before editing, closing, or committing. The playbook is the authoritative short instruction sheet for the selected channel:

• fast: small quickfix, no task close.
• normal: one task, claim -> implement -> validators -> evidence add -> tasks close -> commit.
• batch: many tasks, claim original prompt -> deliver queue head -> evidence -> batch checkpoint -> commit -> continue next queue head.

For normal task-card work, keep this order fixed:

claim -> implement -> validators -> evidence add -> tasks close -> commit

Do not commit a normal task before the matching evidence has been added and tasks close has succeeded.

Framework critical files have one narrow exception to the close timing, not to the evidence requirement. If tasks close is blocked by ATM_TASK_CLOSE_FRAMEWORK_DIFF_ACTIVE, keep the active claim and command-backed evidence, make a governed delivery commit for the scoped non-.atm deliverables, then close with:

node atm.mjs tasks close --task <task-id> --actor "$ATM_ACTOR_ID" --status done --historical-delivery <commit> --json

After that close succeeds, make a separate closure commit for the ATM ledger updates. Do not treat the critical-diff gate as permission to skip ATM or close without evidence.

Route Command

Use this ATM command only after the first command confirms it is the current governed route:

node atm.mjs next --prompt "$ARGUMENTS" --json

For collaboration workflows, claim the selected imported task before edits:

node atm.mjs next --claim --actor "$ATM_ACTOR_ID" --prompt "$ARGUMENTS" --json

For one exact task id, prefer:

node atm.mjs next --claim --actor "$ATM_ACTOR_ID" --task TASK-ABC-0001 --json

If the route returns recommendedChannel: "batch", do not manually run tasks reserve, tasks promote, tasks claim, or tasks close in a loop. Work only on the queue head, do not commit before checkpoint, and finish it through:

node atm.mjs batch checkpoint --actor "$ATM_ACTOR_ID" --json

Batch is the fast path for many task cards. Its speed comes from automated queue bookkeeping, not from weaker delivery or evidence requirements. After checkpoint succeeds, commit the queue-head deliverables together with the matching .atm/history/tasks/<task>.json, .atm/history/evidence/<task>.json, and .atm/history/task-events/<task>/ files.

Handoff

node atm.mjs handoff summarize --task "$ARGUMENTS" --json

Charter Invariants

• INV-ATM-001 — No second registry (enforcement: gate, breaking change: yes) Rule: A host project must not create a second AtomicRegistry implementation outside of packages/core or introduce a parallel ID allocation, version tracking, or registry promotion path.
• INV-ATM-002 — Lock before edit (enforcement: doctor, breaking change: no) Rule: No governed file mutation may occur without a valid ScopeLock recorded in .atm/locks/ for the current WorkItem. Agents must call atm lock before editing files.
• INV-ATM-003 — Schema-validated promotion only (enforcement: gate, breaking change: yes) Rule: An UpgradeProposal must pass all automatedGates (including JSON Schema validation) before promotion. Direct registry mutation that bypasses the UpgradeProposal path is forbidden.
• INV-ATM-004 — No competing highest authority (enforcement: doctor, breaking change: yes) Rule: No host project rule, profile, or configuration may declare itself to have authority equal to or higher than the AtomicCharter. Any rule that contradicts an invariant must go through a charter waiver proposal.
• INV-ATM-005 — Host rule amendments require waiver flow (enforcement: waiver-required, breaking change: no) Rule: When a host project rule conflicts with a charter invariant, the host must submit a behavior.evolve UpgradeProposal with a charterWaiver field and a linked HumanReviewDecision. Silent override is not permitted.
• INV-ATM-006 — Framework work tracking stays downstream (enforcement: doctor, breaking change: yes) Rule: The framework repository must not host coordinating implementation task cards, planning queues, or project-specific work tracking artifacts beyond ATM's own bootstrap/runtime-managed files. Upstream planning cards belong in the coordinating host workspace and may feed evidence back upstream without becoming framework-resident work tracking.
• INV-ATM-007 — Public framework docs remain English-only (enforcement: doctor, breaking change: yes) Rule: Public contributor-facing documentation in the framework repository must remain English-only and repository-neutral. Non-English planning notes, local experiments, or downstream operating guidance must live in the coordinating host workspace unless they are translated into neutral English framework documentation.

Guardrails

• Stay inside ATM CLI routing and evidence contracts.
• Do not create a parallel task model, registry, or approval flow.
• Treat any planning hint as CLI output, not as template authority.
• If ATM recommends batch, use batch checkpoint; do not hand-roll a lifecycle loop over low-level tasks commands.
• If an ATM_USER_NOTICE message or evidence.userNotice is present, show it to the user in natural language before executing the returned next action.
• After an onboarding or refresh command succeeds, return to the user original request and continue the actual work.
• Treat ATM_ACTOR_ID as the default actor identity variable. AGENT_IDENTITY is legacy-compatible only.