Init-task Persistence
Verbatim operator brief artefact contract — frontmatter + append-log + Q&A round-trip auto-append + mandatory read by every pipeline command. Source of truth for operator intent across the task lifecycle.
Overview
Init-task persistence is the source-of-truth contract for the operator's original prompt. When the operator invokes the init command, Datarim writes a per-task file with the prompt captured verbatim. The file lives for the whole task lifecycle and is appended (never overwritten) when the operator adds clarifications or corrections along the way. Every later pipeline command — requirements, planning, design, implementation, review, hardening, archive — must read this file at its first step and flag any divergence between the operator's stated intent and the planned or implemented work.
Why It Exists
Operator briefs drift. A free-form prompt told to the agent at task start gets paraphrased by the requirements step, then re-paraphrased by the planning step, then narrowed by the implementation step. Three paraphrases later the agent's understanding may diverge from what the operator asked for in the first place. The init-task file is the immutable anchor — the literal text of the original prompt — so every subsequent step can re-anchor against it. The append-log section lets the operator add new constraints or corrections without losing the original anchor; agents must read the full append-log, not just the top block.
File Layout
- Frontmatter (closed schema, 12 fields) — task identifier, artefact type, capture timestamp, capture command, operator handle, status, schema version. Required for validation; extra keys are rejected.
- Operator brief (verbatim) — the exact text given to the init command, no rewording, no summarisation.
- Append-log (operator amendments) — chronological additions, each signed with timestamp and author. Agents must read every entry, not just the most recent one.
Validator
A bundled tool (dev-tools/check-init-task-presence.sh) verifies schema correctness on a per-task basis (--task ID) and scans the active task set for missing files (--all). A 30-day rolling soft window means legacy tasks without an init-task file never block the pipeline: under 30 days an info-level finding, over 30 days a warn-level finding, never a blocker. Adoption is opt-in for existing tasks and mandatory for new ones created after the contract landed.
Mandatory Read Across the Pipeline
Every command in the pipeline opens its first step with a read of the init-task file. The agent must cite divergences from the operator brief in the task description's Implementation Notes section; the review and hardening commands carry an explicit divergence check.
Q&A Round-Trip Auto-Append (v2.9.0)
Every operator clarification round during a pipeline stage now lands in the append-log automatically. Six pipeline commands — requirements, planning, design, implementation, review, hardening — invoke a small utility that writes a structured block: the verbatim question, the verbatim answer, a one-line summary of how the round changes the initial conditions, and a marker indicating whether the operator answered or the agent decided autonomously. When the agent decides on its own (because the operator was unavailable or the question is non-critical), the block carries a mandatory rationale of at least 50 characters explaining the best-practice basis of the choice. The review command verifies every autonomous decision against the implementation in a dedicated sub-check; any unclosed contradiction with an existing wish blocks the overall verdict and routes the task back to focused rework.
Source
Contract shipped with Datarim v2.8.0; Q&A round-trip extension shipped with Datarim v2.9.0.