WO Work - Working Rules

Overview

Rules for working inside a WO worktree. These rules ensure isolation, traceability, and clean state.

When to Use

•After taking a WO (/wo-start)
•During development work
•Before commits

Working Rules

Rule 1: Stay in the Worktree

ALWAYS work in .worktrees/WO-XXXX/, NEVER in main repo.

bash

# Verify you're in worktree
git worktree list --porcelain | grep -A2 "$(pwd)" | grep "branch feat/wo"

Rule 2: Stay in Scope

ONLY modify files in scope.allow:

bash

# Check your scope
grep -A 10 "scope:" _ctx/jobs/running/WO-XXXX.yaml

# Verify files before commit
git diff --name-only

If a file is NOT in scope.allow:

•STOP
•Either: Update scope (requires new WO or scope change)
•Or: Don't modify that file

Rule 3: Small, Frequent Commits

bash

# Good: Small commits
git add src/domain/feature.py
git commit -m "feat(WO-XXXX): add feature X"

# Bad: Large commits
git add .
git commit -m "lots of changes"

Rule 4: Controlled Drift (NOT Absolute Prohibition)

Absolute prohibition causes worse workarounds. Sometimes you need changes from main (hotfix, compatibility).

Allowed IF:

•Run wo/guard first

•Log explicit decision in session:

code

[WO-XXXX] note: drift introduced because <reason>

•Run verify before continuing

bash

# If you MUST bring changes from main
# 1. Guard check
wo/guard PRE-COMMIT

# 2. Merge/rebase
git merge main --no-ff
# or
git rebase main

# 3. Log decision
trifecta session append --segment . \
  --summary "[WO-XXXX] note: drift introduced because <specific reason>"

# 4. Verify
uv run pytest tests/

If drift causes problems: Consider creating a new WO instead.

Rule 5: Session Append After Changes

After each significant change, log it:

bash

trifecta session append --segment . \
  --summary "Completed: <what you did>" \
  --files "<files modified>" \
  --commands "<commands run>"

Prohibited Actions

Action	Why Prohibited	Alternative
Working in main repo	Breaks isolation	Use worktree
Modifying `scope.deny` files	Security/policy	Request exception
Large commits	Hard to review	Small commits
Skipping session logs	Loses traceability	Always log
Drift without logging	Invisible state	Log + verify

Session Markers

Required format:

code

[WO-XXXX] intent: <what you plan to do>
[WO-XXXX] result: <what you actually did>
[WO-XXXX] note: <any significant decisions (optional)>

When to add:

•Intent: Immediately after taking WO
•Result: After completing work, before finish
•Note: When making significant decisions (drift, scope changes)

Validation: wo/guard checks for intent AND result markers before allowing finish.

Daily Workflow

bash

# 1. Navigate to worktree
cd .worktrees/WO-XXXX

# 2. Sync context
uv run trifecta ctx sync --segment .

# 3. Make changes (stay in scope!)
# ... edit files ...

# 4. Run tests
uv run pytest tests/unit/test_xxx.py

# 5. Commit
git add src/ tests/
git commit -m "feat(WO-XXXX): description"

# 6. Log progress
trifecta session append --segment . --summary "Progress: ..."

# 7. Repeat 3-6

# 8. When done, run /wo-finish

Resources

•docs/backlog/WORKFLOW.md - Full workflow
•docs/backlog/OPERATIONS.md - Daily operations
•_ctx/jobs/running/WO-XXXX.yaml - Your WO config

Quick Reference

bash

# Check you're in worktree
git worktree list --porcelain | grep -A2 "$(pwd)"

# Check scope
grep -A 5 "scope:" ../_ctx/jobs/running/WO-XXXX.yaml

# Check modified files
git diff --name-only

# Session log
trifecta session append --segment . --summary "Progress update"

# If drift needed
trifecta session append --segment . --summary "[WO-XXXX] note: drift because ..."

Required Output

After completing work session:

code

ACTIVE_WO=WO-XXXX
CWD=/path/.worktrees/WO-XXXX
BRANCH=feat/wo-WO-XXXX
STATE=running
NEXT_ALLOWED=["commit","session append","run verify","/wo-finish","/wo-repair"]