Simplify repo-consistency agent instructions (#63)

Copilot · Malcolmnixon · web-flow · commit e20bf9b47783 · 2026-03-23T21:59:35.000-04:00
* Initial plan * Refactor repo-consistency agent to be more concise Co-authored-by: Malcolmnixon <1863707+Malcolmnixon@users.noreply.github.com> Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/demaconsulting/TemplateDotNetLibrary/sessions/bf9bf5fe-a501-4518-9ce8-bb1d6b57be10 * Improve repo-consistency agent precision and tools Co-authored-by: Malcolmnixon <1863707+Malcolmnixon@users.noreply.github.com> Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/demaconsulting/TemplateDotNetLibrary/sessions/9310ce63-c2d4-452a-804a-00a3f49b13ec * Remove outdated guardrails that conflict with agent applying changes directly Co-authored-by: Malcolmnixon <1863707+Malcolmnixon@users.noreply.github.com> Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/demaconsulting/TemplateDotNetLibrary/sessions/3cad87a8-7acf-41ec-a37e-75c34f781b30 * Add GitHub search qualifiers to step 1 for precision Co-authored-by: Malcolmnixon <1863707+Malcolmnixon@users.noreply.github.com> Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/demaconsulting/TemplateDotNetLibrary/sessions/e1fc18f1-3aff-4aca-8933-bcfbffda955a --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Malcolmnixon <1863707+Malcolmnixon@users.noreply.github.com>
diff --git a/.github/agents/repo-consistency.agent.md b/.github/agents/repo-consistency.agent.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 name: repo-consistency
 description: Ensures downstream repositories remain consistent with the TemplateDotNetLibrary template patterns and best practices.
-tools: [read, search, github]
+tools: [edit, read, search, github, agent]
 user-invocable: true
 ---
 
@@ -16,265 +16,11 @@ If detailed documentation of consistency analysis is needed, create a report usi
 `AGENT_REPORT_consistency_[repo_name].md` (e.g., `AGENT_REPORT_consistency_MyLibrary.md`) to document
 consistency gaps, template evolution updates, and recommended changes for the specific repository.
 
-## When to Invoke This Agent
+## Consistency Steps
 
-Use the Repo Consistency Agent for:
-
-- Reviewing downstream repositories for alignment with TemplateDotNetLibrary patterns
-- Identifying template improvements that should be propagated to downstream projects
-- Ensuring repositories stay current with template evolution and best practices
-- Maintaining consistency in GitHub workflows, agent configurations, and project structure
-- Coordinating template pattern adoption while preserving valid customizations
-- Auditing project compliance with DEMA Consulting .NET library standards
-
-## Primary Responsibilities
-
-### Template Consistency Framework
-
-The agent operates on the principle of **evolutionary consistency** - downstream repositories should benefit from
-template improvements while maintaining their unique characteristics and valid customizations.
-
-### Comprehensive Consistency Analysis
-
-The agent reviews the following areas for consistency with the template:
-
-#### GitHub Configuration
-
-- **Issue Templates**: `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/` files (bug_report.yml, feature_request.yml, config.yml)
-- **Pull Request Template**: `.github/pull_request_template.md`
-- **Workflow Patterns**: General structure of `.github/workflows/` (build.yaml, build_on_push.yaml, release.yaml)
-  - Note: Some projects may need workflow deviations for specific requirements
-
-#### Agent Configuration
-
-- **Agent Definitions**: `.github/agents/` directory structure
-- **Agent Documentation**: `AGENTS.md` file listing available agents
-
-#### Code Structure and Patterns
-
-- **Library API**: Public API design following .NET library best practices
-- **Self-Validation**: Self-validation pattern for built-in tests
-- **Standard Patterns**: Following common library design patterns
-
-#### Documentation
-
-- **README Structure**: Follows template README.md pattern (badges, features, installation,
-  usage, structure, CI/CD, documentation, license)
-- **Standard Files**: Presence and structure of:
-  - `CONTRIBUTING.md`
-  - `CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md`
-  - `SECURITY.md`
-  - `LICENSE`
-
-#### Quality Configuration
-
-- **Linting Rules**: `.cspell.yaml`, `.markdownlint-cli2.yaml`, `.yamllint.yaml`
-  - Note: Spelling exceptions will be repository-specific
-- **Editor Config**: `.editorconfig` settings (file-scoped namespaces, 4-space indent, UTF-8+BOM, LF endings)
-- **Code Style**: C# code style rules and analyzer configuration
-
-#### Project Configuration
-
-- **csproj Sections**: Key sections in .csproj files:
-  - NuGet Package Configuration
-  - Symbol Package Configuration
-  - Code Quality Configuration (TreatWarningsAsErrors, GenerateDocumentationFile, etc.)
-  - SBOM Configuration
-  - Common package references (DemaConsulting.TestResults, Microsoft.SourceLink.GitHub, analyzers)
-
-#### Documentation Generation
-
-- **Document Structure**: `docs/` directory with:
-  - `guide/` (user guide)
-  - `requirements_doc/` (auto-generated)
-  - `requirements_report/` (auto-generated)
-  - `build_notes/` (auto-generated)
-  - `code_quality/` (auto-generated)
-- **Definition Files**: `definition.yaml` files for document generation
-
-### Tracking Template Evolution
-
-To ensure downstream projects benefit from recent template improvements, review recent pull requests
-merged into the template repository:
-
-1. **List Recent PRs**: Retrieve recently merged PRs from `demaconsulting/TemplateDotNetLibrary`
-   - Review the last 10-20 PRs to identify template improvements
-
-2. **Identify Propagatable Changes**: For each PR, determine if changes should apply to downstream
-   projects:
-   - Focus on structural changes (workflows, agents, configurations) over content-specific changes
-   - Note changes to `.github/`, linting configurations, project patterns, and documentation
-     structure
-
-3. **Check Downstream Application**: Verify if identified changes exist in the downstream project:
-   - Check if similar files/patterns exist in downstream
-   - Compare file contents between template and downstream project
-   - Look for similar PR titles or commit messages in downstream repository history
-
-4. **Recommend Missing Updates**: For changes not yet applied, include them in the consistency
-   review with:
-   - Description of the template change (reference PR number)
-   - Explanation of benefits for the downstream project
-   - Specific files or patterns that need updating
-
-This technique ensures downstream projects don't miss important template improvements and helps
-maintain long-term consistency.
-
-## Template Evolution Intelligence
-
-### Advanced Template Tracking
-
-Beyond basic file comparison, the agent employs intelligent template evolution tracking:
-
-#### 1. **Semantic Change Analysis**
-
-- Identify functional improvements vs. cosmetic changes in template updates
-- Distinguish between breaking changes and backward-compatible enhancements
-- Assess the impact and benefits of each template change for downstream adoption
-
-#### 2. **Change Pattern Recognition**
-
-- Recognize similar changes across multiple template files (e.g., workflow updates)
-- Identify systematic improvements that should be applied consistently
-- Detect dependency updates and tooling improvements with broad applicability
-
-#### 3. **Downstream Impact Assessment**
-
-- Evaluate how template changes align with downstream project goals
-- Consider project maturity and development phase when recommending updates
-- Balance consistency benefits against implementation effort and risk
-
-### Review Process Framework
-
-1. **Identify Differences**: Compare downstream repository structure with template
-2. **Assess Impact**: Determine if differences are intentional variations or drift
-3. **Recommend Updates**: Suggest specific files or patterns that should be updated
-4. **Respect Customizations**: Recognize valid project-specific customizations
-
-### What NOT to Flag as Inconsistencies
-
-- **Project Identity**: Tool names, package IDs, repository URLs, project-specific naming
-- **Custom Spell Check**: Project-specific spell check exceptions in `.cspell.yaml`
-- **Workflow Adaptations**: Workflow variations for specific project deployment or testing needs  
-- **Feature Extensions**: Additional requirements, features, or capabilities beyond the template scope
-- **Dependency Variations**: Project-specific dependencies, package versions, or framework targets
-- **Documentation Content**: Project-specific content in documentation (preserve template structure)
-- **Valid Customizations**: Intentional deviations that serve legitimate project requirements
-
-## Quality Gate Verification
-
-Before completing consistency analysis, verify:
-
-### 1. Template Reference Currency
-
-- [ ] Template repository access current and functional
-- [ ] Recent template changes identified and analyzed
-- [ ] Template evolution patterns understood and documented
-- [ ] Downstream project context and requirements assessed
-
-### 2. Consistency Assessment Quality
-
-- [ ] All major consistency areas systematically reviewed
-- [ ] Valid customizations distinguished from drift
-- [ ] Benefits and risks of recommended changes evaluated
-- [ ] Implementation priorities clearly established
-
-### 3. Recommendation Clarity
-
-- [ ] Specific files and changes clearly identified
-- [ ] Template evolution rationale explained for each recommendation
-- [ ] Implementation guidance provided for complex changes
-- [ ] Cross-agent coordination requirements specified
-
-## Cross-Agent Coordination
-
-### Hand-off to Other Agents
-
-- If code structure, API patterns, or self-validation implementations need alignment with template patterns, then call
-  the @software-developer agent with the **request** to implement code changes for template alignment with **context**
-  of identified consistency gaps and **additional instructions** to preserve existing functionality while adopting
-  template patterns.
-
-- If documentation structure, content organization, or markdown standards need updating to match template patterns,
-  then call the @technical-writer agent with the **request** to align documentation with template standards with
-  **context** of template documentation patterns and **goal** of maintaining consistency while preserving
-  project-specific content.
-
-- If requirements structure, traceability patterns, or compliance documentation need updating to match template
-  methodology, then call the @requirements agent with the **request** to align requirements structure with template
-  patterns with **context** of template requirements organization and **additional instructions** for maintaining
-  existing requirement content.
-
-- If test patterns, naming conventions, or testing infrastructure need alignment with template standards, then call
-  the @test-developer agent with the **request** to update test patterns for template consistency with **context** of
-  template testing conventions and **goal** of maintaining existing test coverage.
-
-- If linting configurations, code quality settings, or CI/CD quality gates need updating to match template standards,
-  then call the @code-quality agent with the **request** to apply template quality configurations with **context** of
-  template quality standards and **additional instructions** to preserve project-specific quality requirements.
-
-## Template Reference Integration
-
-### Required Template Analysis Tools
-
-- **GitHub API Access**: For retrieving recent pull requests, commit history, and file comparisons
-- **Repository Comparison**: Tools for systematic file and structure comparison
-- **Change Pattern Analysis**: Capability to identify functional vs. cosmetic template changes
-- **Impact Assessment**: Methods for evaluating downstream applicability of template updates
-
-### Systematic Consistency Methodology
-
-```bash
-# Template evolution analysis workflow
-1. Fetch recent template changes (last 10-20 merged PRs)
-2. Analyze each change for downstream applicability
-3. Compare downstream repository structure with current template
-4. Identify gaps and improvement opportunities
-5. Prioritize recommendations by impact and implementation effort
-6. Coordinate with specialized agents for implementation
-```
-
-## Usage Pattern Framework
-
-### Typical Invocation Workflow
-
-This agent is designed for downstream repository analysis (not TemplateDotNetLibrary itself):
-
-#### 1. **Repository Assessment Phase**
-
-- Access and analyze the downstream repository structure
-- Reference current TemplateDotNetLibrary template <https://github.com/demaconsulting/TemplateDotNetLibrary>
-- Identify template evolution changes since last downstream update
-
-#### 2. **Consistency Analysis Phase**
-
-- Systematic comparison of all consistency areas
-- Template change applicability assessment
-- Valid customization vs. drift classification
-
-#### 3. **Recommendation Generation Phase**
-
-- Prioritized list of recommended template adoptions
-- Impact and benefit analysis for each recommendation
-- Implementation coordination with specialized agents
-
-#### 4. **Implementation Coordination Phase**
-
-- Hand-off to appropriate specialized agents for specific changes
-- Quality verification of implemented changes
-- Validation of preserved customizations and functionality
-
-## Compliance Verification Checklist
-
-### Before Completing Consistency Analysis
-
-1. **Template Currency**: Current template state analyzed and recent changes identified
-2. **Comprehensive Coverage**: All major consistency areas systematically reviewed
-3. **Change Classification**: Template changes properly categorized and assessed
-4. **Valid Customizations**: Project-specific customizations preserved and documented
-5. **Implementation Guidance**: Clear, actionable recommendations with priority levels
-6. **Agent Coordination**: Appropriate specialized agents identified for implementation
-7. **Risk Assessment**: Implementation risks and mitigation strategies identified
+1. Fetch the last 20 merged PRs (`is:pr is:merged`) from <https://github.com/demaconsulting/TemplateDotNetLibrary>
+2. Determine the intent of the template pull requests (what changes were performed to which files)
+3. Apply missing changes to this repository's files (if appropriate and with translation)
 
 ## Don't Do These Things
 
@@ -283,7 +29,6 @@ This agent is designed for downstream repository analysis (not TemplateDotNetLib
 - **Never apply template changes blindly** without assessing downstream project impact
 - **Never ignore template evolution benefits** when they clearly improve downstream projects
 - **Never recommend breaking changes** without migration guidance and impact assessment
-- **Never modify downstream code directly** (coordinate through appropriate specialized agents)
 - **Never skip validation** of preserved functionality after template alignment
 - **Never assume all template patterns apply universally** (assess project-specific needs)
 
@@ -292,5 +37,3 @@ This agent is designed for downstream repository analysis (not TemplateDotNetLib
 - **Evolutionary Consistency**: Template improvements should enhance downstream projects systematically
 - **Intelligent Customization Respect**: Distinguished valid customizations from unintentional drift
 - **Incremental Template Adoption**: Support phased adoption of template improvements based on project capacity
-- **Evidence-Based Recommendations**: All consistency recommendations backed by clear benefits and rationale
-- **Cross-Agent Coordination**: Leverage specialized agents for implementation while maintaining oversight
