NW-EXECUTE: Atomic Task Execution
Wave: EXECUTION_WAVE | Agent: Dispatched agent (specified by caller)
Overview
Dispatch a single roadmap step to an agent. Orchestrator extracts step context from roadmap so agent never loads the full roadmap.
Syntax
/nw-execute @{agent} "{feature-id}" "{step-id}"
Context Files Required
docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver/roadmap.json— Orchestrator reads once, extracts step contextdocs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver/execution-log.json— Agent appends only (never reads)
Rigor Profile Integration
Before dispatching the agent, read rigor config from .nwave/des-config.json (key: rigor). If absent, use standard defaults.
agent_model: Pass asmodelparameter to Agent tool. If"inherit", omitmodel(inherits from session).tdd_phases: Modify the TDD_PHASES section in the DES template to match the configured phases. The 3-phase canon (ADR-025) is[RED, GREEN, COMMIT]; the lean variant is[RED, GREEN]. Legacy 5-phase contract ([PREPARE, RED_ACCEPTANCE, RED_UNIT, GREEN, COMMIT]) and its lean variant ([RED_UNIT, GREEN]) remain supported for audit-log replay of pre-2026-05-07 commits. Remove omitted phases' instructions from the template.refactor_pass: Iffalse, skip COMMIT phase refactoring instructions.
Dispatcher Workflow
- Parse Parameters — Extract agent name, feature ID, and step ID from invocation. Gate: all three parameters present and non-empty.
- Load Rigor Profile — Read
.nwave/des-config.jsonkeyrigor(default: standard if absent). Gate: config loaded or default applied. - Validate Context Files — Confirm
docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver/roadmap.jsonandexecution-log.jsonexist. Gate: both files present; report path-not-found if missing. - Extract Step Context — Grep roadmap for
step_id: "{step-id}"with ~50 lines context. Gate: step found; report available step IDs if missing. - Invoke Agent — Call Agent tool with DES template below, applying rigor model and phases from step 2. Gate: Agent tool called, not executed inline.
Agent Invocation
@{agent}
Use this DES template verbatim. Fill {placeholders} from roadmap. Without DES markers, hooks cannot validate.
<!-- DES-VALIDATION : required -->
<!-- DES-PROJECT-ID : {feature-id} -->
<!-- DES-STEP-ID : {step-id} -->
# DES_METADATA
Step: {step-id}
Feature: {feature-id}
Command: /nw-execute
# AGENT_IDENTITY
Agent: {agent-name}
# SKILL_LOADING
Before starting TDD phases, read your skill files for methodology guidance.
Skills path: ~/.claude/skills/nw-{skill-name}/SKILL.md
Always load before RED: tdd-methodology.md, quality-framework.md (3-phase canon, ADR-025) — legacy 5-phase logs reference loading at PREPARE.
Load on-demand per phase as specified in your Skill Loading Strategy table.
# TASK_CONTEXT
{step context from roadmap - name|criteria|test_file|scenario_name|implementation_notes|deps|files_to_modify (per nWave/templates/roadmap-schema.json)}
# DESIGN_CONTEXT
{Summary of architectural decisions relevant to this step, extracted by the orchestrator from docs/product/architecture/brief.md and wave-decisions.md. Include: component structure, dependency boundaries, technology choices, and any design constraints that affect implementation. If no design artifacts exist, write "No design artifacts available — use project conventions."}
# TDD_PHASES
3-phase canon (ADR-025, 2026-05-07). Execute in order:
1. RED - Activate the pre-authored acceptance test (PRIMARY TBU DEFENSE); write PBT unit tests ONLY if the AT cannot reach GREEN without them.
AT activation: If TASK_CONTEXT includes test_file, locate it and remove the @skip/@ignore/@pending/xit/.skip/[Ignore] marker from the target scenario (the AT scaffold was authored by DISTILL — DELIVER does NOT re-author ATs). Run it — must fail for business logic reason (not import/syntax error). Fail-for-right-reason gate: collected ≥ 1, failures ≥ 1, no collection errors, semantic AssertionError / expected-exception-not-thrown.
PORT-TO-PORT PRINCIPLE: The acceptance test exercises the scenario through
the driving port (application service, orchestrator, CLI handler, API controller),
not a decomposed helper or internal class. A correctly-written port-to-port test
makes TBU structurally impossible — if a new function were missing or unwired,
THIS test stays RED. That is the entire point: GREEN is unreachable without wiring.
Litmus test: "If I delete the call-site that wires the new code, does this test fail?"
If no → the test is at the wrong level. Stop and flag to orchestrator (DISTILL re-author needed).
Conditional unit-test authoring: write PBT unit tests (or integration tests for adapter/infrastructure code — adapters use real infrastructure, never mocked unit tests) ONLY when the AT requires them to reach GREEN. If the AT can pass via direct minimal implementation, skip unit-test authoring inside RED.
2. GREEN - Minimal code to pass AT + any unit tests authored in RED.
After GREEN: run FULL test suite. If all pass, proceed to COMMIT immediately.
Smell test: if any new function is only called from test code, your acceptance
test is at the wrong abstraction level — stop and flag.
Never move to new task or stop without committing green code.
3. COMMIT - Stage and commit with conventional message.
Include git trailer: `Step-ID: {step-id}` (required for DES verification)
Example:
feat(feature-id): implement feature X
Step-ID: 02-01
LEGACY 5-PHASE CONTRACT (ADR-024 era, pre-2026-05-07): PREPARE → RED_ACCEPTANCE → RED_UNIT → GREEN → COMMIT. Preserved for audit-log replay only — new work uses the 3-phase canon above. Audit-log entries referencing RED_ACCEPTANCE/RED_UNIT/PREPARE represent merged sub-steps now folded into RED.
# QUALITY_GATES
- All tests pass before COMMIT
- No skipped phases without blocked_by reason
- Coverage maintained or improved
# OUTCOME_RECORDING
After ACTUALLY EXECUTING each phase, record via DES CLI:
des-log-phase \
--project-dir docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver \
--step-id {step-id} \
--phase {PHASE_NAME} \
--status EXECUTED \
--data PASS
For SKIPPED phases (genuinely not applicable):
des-log-phase \
--project-dir docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver \
--step-id {step-id} \
--phase {PHASE_NAME} \
--status SKIPPED \
--data "NOT_APPLICABLE: reason"
CLI enforces real UTC timestamps and validates phase names.
Do NOT manually edit execution-log.json.
Use the DES CLI to record phase outcomes and create log files.
Python resolution: `$(command -v python3 || command -v python)` — works on macOS (python3 only), Linux, and Windows.
CRITICAL: Only the executing agent calls the CLI.
Orchestrator MUST NEVER write phase entries — only the agent that performed the work. A log entry without actual execution is a **violation that DES detects and that will cause integrity verification to fail**, blocking finalize.
# RECORDING_INTEGRITY
Valid Skip Prefixes: NOT_APPLICABLE, BLOCKED_BY_DEPENDENCY, APPROVED_SKIP, CHECKPOINT_PENDING
Anti-Fraud Rules:
- NEVER write EXECUTED for phases you did not actually perform
- NEVER invent timestamps — DES CLI generates real UTC timestamps
- DES audits all entries; integrity violations block finalize
# BOUNDARY_RULES
- Only modify files listed in step's files_to_modify
- Do not load roadmap.json
- Do not modify execution-log.json structure (append only)
- NEVER write execution-log entries for phases you did not execute
# TIMEOUT_INSTRUCTION
Target: 30 turns max. If approaching limit, COMMIT current progress.
If GREEN complete (all tests pass), MUST commit before returning — even at turn limit.
Configuration:
- subagent_type: extracted agent name
- Turn limits are defined in each agent's
maxTurnsfrontmatter field (not as a tool parameter)
Error Handling
- Invalid Agent — Report availa