Dialectical Loop
Run a bounded, adversarial coding workflow rather than single-turn “vibe coding”.
Core idea
- •Architect turns high-level intent (
REQUIREMENTS.md) into an actionable contract (SPECIFICATION.md). - •Player implements the specification and runs verification commands.
- •Coach adversarially evaluates compliance and blocks until it’s correct.
This keeps attention bounded, forces explicit plans, and adds a strict review gate.
Inputs / outputs
- •Input:
REQUIREMENTS.md(recommended) - •Generated/optional input:
SPECIFICATION.md - •Output: code edits + command outputs per turn
Agent prompts (no manual install)
This skill ships its role prompts inside the skill folder:
- •
agents/architect.md - •
agents/player.md - •
agents/coach.md
The orchestrator loads these files automatically at runtime. You do not need to “install agents” separately or configure them in OpenSkills.
Key Features
- •Bounded iteration:
--max-turnsprevents runaway token usage - •Fast-fail optimization: Skip Coach if verification fails (save tokens)
- •Auto-context switching: Full snapshot turn 1 → git-changed thereafter
- •Token-optimized:
--lean-modeactivates all savings (fast-fail, coach-focus-recent, auto-fix) - •Production observability: JSON logs with token estimates, loop health metrics, inter-agent communication tracking
Prerequisites
- •Python 3.10+
- •GitHub CLI authenticated (
gh auth loginorGITHUB_TOKENset) - •GitHub Copilot CLI available as
copilotcommand
Essential Options
- •
--max-turns N— Bound the loop (required) - •
--lean-mode— Activate all token optimizations (recommended) - •
--verbose— Detailed debug output - •
--quiet— Minimal output (final summary only) - •
--skip-architect— Use existing SPECIFICATION.md - •
--architect-model,--player-model,--coach-model— Override defaults
Recommended Models (GitHub Copilot CLI)
Tier 1 (Balanced): claude-sonnet-4.5 for all roles (~38 units/5 turns)
Tier 2 (Budget): gemini-3-pro-preview Architect, claude-haiku-4.5 Player, claude-sonnet-4.5 Coach (~26 units)
Tier 3 (Premium): claude-opus-4.5 Architect/Coach, claude-sonnet-4.5 Player (~79 units)
Observability
Automatic JSON logs (dialectical-loop-TIMESTAMP.json) include:
- •Per-turn events (agent, model, tokens, duration)
- •Loop health metrics (zero-edit streaks, fast-fail spirals)
- •Inter-agent communication tracking (feedback coverage, error persistence)
- •Real-time warnings for stuck patterns
Usage Examples
# Basic usage python ~/.claude/skills/dialectical-loop/scripts/dialectical_loop.py --max-turns 10 # Token-optimized python ~/.claude/skills/dialectical-loop/scripts/dialectical_loop.py --max-turns 10 --lean-mode # With existing spec python ~/.claude/skills/dialectical-loop/scripts/dialectical_loop.py --skip-architect --max-turns 5
Complete Documentation
See README.md for:
- •Installation instructions
- •Complete options reference
- •Model selection guide (3 tiers with cost analysis)
- •Token-saving strategies
- •Dynamic spec pruning
- •Verification configuration
- •Troubleshooting
- •Cross-platform shell configuration