ase-task-research

@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-control.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-skill.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-getopt.md

<purpose name="ase-task-research"> Research a Topic for a Task Plan </purpose>

<expand name="getopt" arg1="ase-task-research" arg2="--services|-s=(all|perplexity|brave|exa|websearch)... --refine|-r --dry-run|-d --int-source-dir="> $ARGUMENTS </expand>

<objective> *Research* a topic in depth for a task plan, grounded in both the *Internet*/*Web* and the *source artifacts* of the project. </objective>

@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-format-task.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-format-meta.md

Procedure

<define name="search-agent"> ```text Agent( description: "Query Web Search Service: <arg1/>", subagent_type: "ase:ase-meta-search", prompt: <content/>, run_in_background: false ) ``` </define>

1. Determine Task and Topic:

   1. Set <topic><getopt-arguments/></topic> initially, with any leading and trailing whitespace stripped. Inherit the always existing <ase-task-id/>, <ase-session-id/>, and <ase-project-boxing/> from the current context. Do not output anything.

   2. React on task and/or topic:

      • If <topic/> matches the regexp ^[a-zA-Z0-9#][a-zA-Z0-9#_-]*$, or has the format <id/>: or <id/>: <text/> where <id/> matches this regexp: set <ase-task-id><id/></ase-task-id> (or to <topic/> itself for the first form) and <topic/> to <text/> (or to empty for the first two forms), call the ase_task_id(id: "<ase-task-id/>", session: "<ase-session-id/>") tool of the ase MCP server to switch the task, and then only output the following <template/>:

        <template> ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ▶ status: **task given** </template>

      • Otherwise, only output the following <template/>:

        <template> ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ▶ status: **task inherited** </template>

   3. Treat <getopt-option-services/> as a comma-separated list of backend tokens. The getopt parser validates only the first token, so you MUST validate each remaining token yourself against the allowed set all, perplexity, brave, exa, websearch. If any token is not in this set, bind <token/> to that offending token, then only output the following <template/> and then immediately STOP processing the entire current skill:

      <template> ⧉ **ASE**: ☻ skill: **ase-task-research**, ▶ ERROR: invalid `--services` token: **<token/>** </template>

      A backend is selected if all is in <getopt-option-services/> OR that backend's own name is in <getopt-option-services/>.

   4. Load: call the ase_task_load(id: "<ase-task-id/>", tag: true) tool of the ase MCP server -- with the variant argument defaulting to source and the attachments argument defaulting to elided -- and set <plan/> to its text output field without the trailing <task-plan-tag> delimiter line, and <tag/> to the content of that line. If <plan/> is empty or starts with ERROR: or WARNING:, only output the following <template/> and then immediately STOP processing the entire current skill:

      <template> ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ▶ ERROR: no task plan to research for </template>
   5. <if condition="<topic/> is empty"> Research the *task plan itself*: set <topic/> to a concise, self-contained summary of the `# TASK:` title and the `DOM` bullet-points of <plan/> (skipping every bullet-point in the *inert* checkbox states `[-]` and `[>]`). </if> Then only output the following <template/>: <template> ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ⌕ topic: **<topic/>**, ▶ status: **topic given** </template>

2. Research the Web:

   1. Derive two to four focused, complementary search queries <queries/> from <topic/> -- like its established practices and standards, its typical solutions, libraries, or patterns, and its known pitfalls. Each query is a self-contained summary of an aspect of <topic/> and MUST NEVER carry confidential project internals: no file paths, no symbols or identifiers, and no other names taken from the project or from <plan/>, as the queries leave the project towards foreign search services. Do not output anything.

   2. Invoke the following tool once per query <query/> of <queries/> and per selected backend, emitting all invocations in one single message so they run in parallel:

      If the perplexity backend is selected and the MCP tool perplexity_search from the MCP server search-perplexity is available:

      <expand name="search-agent" arg1="perplexity"> Call the MCP tool `perplexity_search(query: "<query/>")` from the MCP server `search-perplexity`. </expand>

      If the brave backend is selected and the MCP tool brave_web_search from the MCP server search-brave is available:

      <expand name="search-agent" arg1="brave"> Call the MCP tool `brave_web_search(query: "<query/>")` from the MCP server `search-brave`. </expand>

      If the exa backend is selected and the MCP tool web_search_exa from the MCP server search-exa is available:

      <expand name="search-agent" arg1="exa"> Call the MCP tool `web_search_exa(query: "<query/>")` from the MCP server `search-exa`. </expand>

      If the websearch backend is selected and the tool WebSearch (or, if it is not available, the tool web_search) is available:

      <expand name="search-agent" arg1="websearch"> Call the tool `WebSearch(query: "<query/>")`. </expand>

      If none of the selected backends could be invoked -- because no corresponding tool is available -- only output the following <template/> and then immediately STOP processing the entire current skill:

      <template> ⧉ **ASE**: ✪ skill: **ase-task-research**, ▶ ERROR: no search backend available: **<getopt-option-services/>** </template>

   3. Consolidate all responses into the Web facts <web-facts/>: merge overlapping information, drop irrelevant and unsourced information, and keep every remaining fact together with its source URL. Do not output anything.

3. Ground in the Project:

   1. Resolve the artifact kinds spec, code, docs, and infr to their project-relative file lists:

      <if condition="<getopt-option-int-source-dir/> is not empty"> The *code basis* of the task is the separate working copy <getopt-option-int-source-dir/> (e.g. a checkout of the branch of its `Source` key): run the command `ase artifact list` *once* with <getopt-option-int-source-dir/> as its working directory and parse its `# <kind/>:` and `- <file/>` output lines into the file lists, and read every file *exclusively* from there -- the `ase_artifact_list` tool always resolves against the *project* working copy and hence *MUST* *NOT* be used here. </if> <else> Call the `ase_artifact_list(kind: [ "spec", "code", "docs", "infr" ])` tool of the `ase` MCP server *once* and read the returned `artifacts` array of `{ kind, files }` objects into the file lists. </else>

   2. From these file lists, determine the files (or their parts) which are relevant for <topic/> and <plan/> -- the specification parts, source code modules, interfaces, and symbols, the documentation, and the build, test, and deployment configuration the topic touches or depends on -- and read them, strictly read-only (never change, stage, or commit anything). Condense their relevant project facts -- the current state, existing decisions, conventions, constraints, and terminology -- each with its project-relative file path, into <project-facts/>. Do not output anything.

4. Synthesize the Research Report:

   Call the ase_timestamp(format: "yyyy-LL-dd HH:mm") tool of the ase MCP server and set <timestamp/> to the text field of its response. Then set <section/> to the research section of this run with the following <format/>, bounded to about 300 lines and at most 10 findings (the most relevant ones), where every line of every part is broken after about 100 characters, and where a part without any content states (none):

   <format> ## RESEARCH: <topic/>

   Researched: <timestamp/>

   Findings

   1. <finding-summary/>: <finding-text/> (<source-url/>) [...]

   Project Grounding

   • <project-file/>: <project-fact/> [...]

   Assessment

   <assessment/>

   Recommendations

   • <recommendation-summary/>: <recommendation-text/> [...] </format>

   Here the Findings are the most relevant Web facts of <web-facts/>, each with its source URL, the Project Grounding are the most relevant project facts of <project-facts/>, each with its project-relative file path, the Assessment states in 3-8 sentences how the findings apply to the project, including the gaps (what the project lacks) and the conflicts (where the project or <plan/> deviates from the findings), and the Recommendations are the concrete, actionable consequences for <plan/>. You MUST NOT invent any finding, source URL, or project fact which is not backed by <web-facts/> resp. <project-facts/>. The section MUST NOT contain a line consisting of just ---. Do not output anything.

5. Attach the Research Report:

   1. <if condition="<getopt-option-dry-run/> is `true`"> Set <status>researched (dry-run, not attached)</status> and continue with sub-step 3. </if>

   2. Persist: update <plan/> as follows and save it, where a refused save restarts this sub-step:

      1. If the backmatter of <plan/> contains an attachment block with the Type key value text/markdown; charset=utf-8; kind="research", it carries the sections of earlier research runs: fetch its payload via the ase_task_attachment(id: "<ase-task-id/>", type: "text/markdown; charset=utf-8; kind=\"research\"") tool of the ase MCP server, whose text output field is the payload verbatim, and set <payload/> to it, followed by an empty line and <section/>, so the sections accumulate in chronological order. Otherwise, set <payload/> to <section/> and append a new attachment block to the backmatter of <plan/>.

      2. Set the keys of this attachment block according to the plan <format/>: Type to text/markdown; charset=utf-8; kind="research", Desc to <topic/> (truncated to at most 60 characters, ending in … if truncated), Created to its already present value (or to <timestamp/> for a new block), Modified to <timestamp/>, and Data to <payload/> as a |4+ literal block scalar, with every line -- including empty lines -- indented by exactly 4 spaces.

      3. <if condition="<getopt-option-refine/> is `true`"> Treat the *Recommendations* of <section/> as a *refinement instruction* for the plan and apply them *in-place* to the body of <plan/>, preserving the overall structure and the format of the plan <format/>: add new bullet-points in checkbox state `[ ]` or adjust the <text/> of existing ones, but *never* rewrite unrelated bullet-points and *never* change a bullet-point in checkbox state `[x]`, `[-]`, or `[>]`. Skip recommendations which the plan already reflects. If the body actually changed, set the `Modified:` frontmatter key to <timestamp/> -- the very same value as the `Modified` key of the research attachment, so the attachment does not fall behind the plan. </if>

      4. Change nothing else of <plan/>: especially, do not change the Status: key, pass the Effort: key through verbatim (the task store drops it on its own if the body changed), and pass all other attachment blocks through verbatim (with their elided Data markers).

      5. Call the ase_task_save(id: "<ase-task-id/>", text: "<plan/>", base: "<tag/>") tool of the ase MCP server, so the save is refused if the plan was changed meanwhile by anybody else. This ase_task_save MCP tool call is the only permitted way to persist the plan -- NEVER write the plan file via Write/Edit or by executing a shell command.

         • On success, set <status>research attached</status>, or <status>research attached, plan refined</status> if the body was changed by sub-step 3 above.

         • If the save is refused because the plan was changed meanwhile, reload <plan/> and <tag/> as in step 1.4 and restart this sub-step 2 (keeping <section/>), at most three times in total, and afterwards set <status>failed: plan changed concurrently</status>.

         • On any other error <info/>, set <status>failed: <info/></status>.

   3. Report:

      • <if condition="<status/> starts with `failed` or <ase-project-boxing/> is `black`"> Only output the following <template/>: <template> ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ▶ status: **<status/>** </template> </if>
      • <elseif condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is `grey`"> Only output the following <template/>, where <condensed/> is the *Assessment* and the *Recommendations* of <section/>, condensed to their essentials: <template> <ase-tpl-boxed title="RESEARCH" subtitle="<ase-task-id/>"> <condensed/> </ase-tpl-boxed> ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ▶ status: **<status/>** </template> </elseif>
      • <else> Only output the following <template/>: <template> <ase-tpl-boxed title="RESEARCH" subtitle="<ase-task-id/>"> <section/> </ase-tpl-boxed> ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ▶ status: **<status/>** </template> </else>

   4. Finally, give the closing hint by expanding the following (which, depending on the configured <ase-guidance-level/>, may expand into nothing and hence emit no output at all), and then STOP processing the entire current skill:

      <if condition="<getopt-option-dry-run/> is `true`"> <ase-tpl-hint level="normal"> Run `/ase-task-research` again without `--dry-run` to append the research report to the `research` attachment of the task. </ase-tpl-hint> </if> <elseif condition="<getopt-option-refine/> is not `true` and <status/> starts with `research attached`"> <ase-tpl-hint level="verbose"> Use `/ase-task-research --refine` to additionally refine the plan by the recommendations, or `/ase-task-view --full` to view the research attachment. </ase-tpl-hint> </elseif>