cc-sessions-core

Type: WRITE-CAPABLE DAIC Modes: IMPLEMENT only Priority: High

Trigger Reference

This skill activates on:

• •Keywords: "hook", "session", "task", "middleware", "route handler", "api endpoint", "cc-sessions"
• •Intent patterns: "(create|modify|refactor).?(hook|session|task)", "sessions.?development", "api.*?(implementation|development)"
• •File patterns: sessions/**/*.js, sessions/hooks/**/*.js, sessions/api/**/*.js

From: skill-rules.json - cc-sessions-core configuration

Purpose

Provide comprehensive guidance for developing and maintaining the cc-sessions framework core functionality. This is the primary skill for all cc-sessions development work including hooks, sessions, tasks, middleware, route handlers, and API endpoints.

Core Behavior

When activated in IMPLEMENT mode with an active cc-sessions task:

1. •

   Framework Core Development

   • •Guide implementation of new cc-sessions features
   • •Ensure DAIC discipline enforcement
   • •Maintain write-gating integrity
   • •Implement state persistence mechanisms
   • •Handle session lifecycle management
2. •

   Hook Development

   • •Create/modify hooks in sessions/hooks/
   • •Ensure hooks respect DAIC modes
   • •Implement proper error handling and logging
   • •Validate hook execution order and dependencies
   • •Test hook integration with enforcement layer
3. •

   API Endpoint Development

   • •Create/modify routes in sessions/api/
   • •Follow RESTful conventions where applicable
   • •Implement proper request validation
   • •Ensure consistent error responses
   • •Document API contracts
4. •

   Task Management Features

   • •Implement task creation, startup, and completion workflows
   • •Handle task state transitions
   • •Manage task manifests and context
   • •Implement todo tracking and progression
   • •Support task resumption and recovery
5. •

   Middleware & Route Handlers

   • •Create Express-compatible middleware
   • •Implement route handlers with proper error handling
   • •Ensure consistent request/response patterns
   • •Apply security best practices (input validation, sanitization)

Safety Guardrails

CRITICAL WRITE-GATING RULES:

• •✓ Only execute write operations when in IMPLEMENT mode
• •✓ Verify active cc-sessions task exists before writing
• •✓ Follow approved manifest/todos from task file
• •✓ Never weaken DAIC discipline or write-gating logic
• •✓ Never bypass framework safety mechanisms

Framework Integrity Rules:

• •Never allow writes outside IMPLEMENT mode (core framework requirement)
• •Never modify CC_SESSION_MODE or CC_SESSION_TASK_ID directly (only cc-sessions API may do this)
• •Preserve SoT tier boundaries (Tier-1 canonical, Tier-2 task-scoped, Tier-3 ephemeral)
• •Maintain backward compatibility when modifying core APIs
• •Document breaking changes in context/gotchas.md

Code Quality Standards:

• •Follow existing code style and patterns
• •Add JSDoc comments for public APIs
• •Include error handling for all async operations
• •Validate inputs at API boundaries
• •Write tests for new functionality (when test infrastructure exists)

Examples

When to Activate

✓ "Create a new hook for validating task manifests" ✓ "Modify the session state API to include timestamps" ✓ "Add a new command: sessions tasks archive" ✓ "Fix the write-gating enforcement in sessions_enforce.js" ✓ "Implement task resumption from state.json"

When NOT to Activate

✗ In DISCUSS/ALIGN/CHECK mode (framework development requires IMPLEMENT) ✗ No active cc-sessions task (violates write-gating) ✗ User is working on application code (not framework code) ✗ Changes would weaken safety mechanisms

Framework Architecture Awareness

Key Files & Responsibilities

Core:

• •sessions/bin/sessions - CLI entry point
• •sessions/api/router.js - Main API router
• •sessions/sessions-state.json - Session state persistence

Hooks:

• •sessions/hooks/sessions_enforce.js - Write-gating and DAIC enforcement
• •Hook execution: UserPromptSubmit, SessionStart, PreToolUse, PostToolUse

API Modules:

• •sessions/api/state_commands.js - State management (show, mode, task, todos, flags, update)
• •sessions/api/task_commands.js - Task operations (idx, start)
• •sessions/api/config_commands.js - Configuration management
• •sessions/api/protocol_commands.js - Protocol execution

DAIC Flow

1. •DISCUSS → Clarify, gather context, no writes
2. •ALIGN → Design plan, create manifest, no writes
3. •IMPLEMENT → Execute approved todos, writes allowed
4. •CHECK → Verify, test, summarize, minimal writes

State Management

• •Session state tracked in sessions/sessions-state.json
• •Task state tracked in sessions/sessions-state.json (lightweight checkpoint)
• •Hooks enforce state consistency
• •State transitions logged for debugging

Decision Logging

When modifying core framework behavior, log in context/decisions.md:

### Framework Change: [Date]
- **Component:** sessions/hooks/sessions_enforce.js
- **Change:** Added todo list change detection
- **Rationale:** Users were bypassing execution boundary by silently changing todos
- **Impact:** All todo modifications now require explicit approval
- **Breaking:** No (additive change only)

Related Skills

• •cc-sessions-hooks - Specialized hook development (defers to this when hooks are involved)
• •cc-sessions-api - Specialized API development (defers to this when API commands are involved)
• •skill-developer - For creating skills that integrate with cc-sessions
• •framework_health_check - To validate framework health after changes
• •framework_repair_suggester - If framework issues arise during development

Last Updated: 2025-11-15 Framework Version: 2.0