Skip to content

Commit 4604e70

Browse files
clark-mackeyclark-mackey
committed
refactor(epic-8): revise from MCP Server to Log Automation & Reliability
1 parent d83099d commit 4604e70

File tree

4 files changed

+583
-4
lines changed

4 files changed

+583
-4
lines changed

‎context/code-police-analysis-2026-01.md‎

Lines changed: 120 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
1+
# Code-Police Analysis Report: LFG Automation Architecture
2+
3+
**Date:** 2026-01-22
4+
**Analyst:** Winston (Architect Agent)
5+
**Status:** Analysis Complete, Recommendations Implemented
6+
7+
---
8+
9+
## Executive Summary
10+
11+
A Letta "code-police" agent reviewed Log File Genius and recommended 10 improvements. After architecture exploration and dogfooding analysis against actual log files, we implemented a pragmatic subset focused on reliability over automation.
12+
13+
**Key Finding:** LFG's value comes from *rich, contextual entries* that only the AI working on a task can write. Automation cannot replace this.
14+
15+
---
16+
17+
## Original Code-Police Recommendations
18+
19+
| # | Recommendation | Effort | Impact | Status |
20+
|---|----------------|--------|--------|--------|
21+
| 1 | MCP Server for programmatic API | High | High | ⏸️ Deferred to Future |
22+
| 2 | Git Hooks for auto-logging | Medium | High | ✅ Epic 8.2 (safety net) |
23+
| 3 | CLI Tools for quick entries | Low | Medium | ✅ Epic 8.3-8.5, Epic 9 |
24+
| 4 | Token counter integration | Low | Medium | ✅ Already in validation |
25+
| 5 | Archive automation | Medium | Medium | ✅ In rules, Story 7.2 |
26+
| 6 | Template system | Low | Low | ✅ product/templates/ |
27+
| 7 | Validation pre-commit | Low | High | ✅ Already implemented |
28+
| 8 | Context summarizer | Medium | High | ✅ Epic 9.1 (CLI) |
29+
| 9 | Multi-profile support | Medium | Medium | ✅ Epic 3 |
30+
| 10 | ADR generator | Low | Medium | ✅ Epic 8.3 |
31+
32+
---
33+
34+
## Architecture Evolution
35+
36+
### Phase 1: Initial MCP Proposal (Over-Engineered)
37+
38+
Winston proposed elaborate MCP Server architecture:
39+
- TypeScript + npm package + MCP SDK
40+
- 5 services: Parser, Summarizer, Cache, Writer, Transport
41+
- 3 main tools: `get_context`, `log_update`, `query_history`
42+
- ~150 tokens tool definition overhead
43+
44+
**Problem:** Added complexity for marginal benefit. Solo developers don't need programmatic APIs.
45+
46+
### Phase 2: Git-Native Simplification
47+
48+
Pivoted to git hooks + bash/PowerShell:
49+
- post-commit hook auto-updates CHANGELOG from commit message
50+
- `.lfg/pending.md` staging file for DEVLOG entries
51+
- Simple CLI commands
52+
53+
**Problem:** "Who writes the words?" - Commit messages are too terse for quality log entries.
54+
55+
### Phase 3: Reality Check (Dogfooding Analysis)
56+
57+
Examined actual `logs/CHANGELOG.md` and `logs/DEVLOG.md`:
58+
59+
| Document | Expected Size | Actual Size | Implication |
60+
|----------|---------------|-------------|-------------|
61+
| CHANGELOG entry | ~10 tokens | 60-80 tokens | Cannot auto-generate from commits |
62+
| DEVLOG entry | ~50 tokens | 500-1000 tokens | Requires full session context |
63+
| ADR | ~100 tokens | 200+ lines | Deliberate, not automatable |
64+
65+
**Key Insight:** Current rules-based approach already works. AI has context, git hooks don't.
66+
67+
---
68+
69+
## What Was Implemented
70+
71+
### Epic 8 Revised: Log Automation & Reliability
72+
73+
| Story | Description | Approach |
74+
|-------|-------------|----------|
75+
| 8.1 | Enhanced Rule Enforcement | ⛔ STOP markers, self-correction |
76+
| 8.2 | Git Hook Safety Net | Warn-only, not auto-generate |
77+
| 8.3 | ADR Scaffold Command | `lfg adr "Title"` CLI |
78+
| 8.4 | CHANGELOG Entry Helper | `lfg changelog "Desc"` CLI |
79+
| 8.5 | DEVLOG Decision Logger | `lfg decision "What"` CLI |
80+
81+
### Epic 9: CLI Tooling (Unchanged)
82+
83+
Stories 9.1-9.4 remain as specified - context injection, handoffs, status, quick entry.
84+
85+
---
86+
87+
## What Was Deferred
88+
89+
### MCP Server → Future Considerations
90+
91+
**Rationale:**
92+
1. Token savings minimal (~150 tokens vs ~50 token rules)
93+
2. Content quality requires AI session context
94+
3. Rules + git hooks achieve 95%+ reliability
95+
4. Solo developers don't need programmatic API
96+
97+
**Trigger for Reconsideration:**
98+
- Multi-agent scenarios needing shared context API
99+
- Enterprise deployments requiring audit trails
100+
- Rules-based approach proves unreliable at scale
101+
102+
---
103+
104+
## Lessons Learned
105+
106+
1. **Analyze real data before architecting** - Assumptions about entry sizes were wrong
107+
2. **Simpler is better for solo developers** - MCP adds overhead without proportional value
108+
3. **AI context is irreplaceable** - Git hooks can detect but not create quality content
109+
4. **Defense-in-depth works** - Rules + validation + git hooks = reliable system
110+
111+
---
112+
113+
## References
114+
115+
- PRD Epic 8: `project/specs/prd.md` lines 1106-1237
116+
- PRD Future Considerations (MCP): `project/specs/prd.md` lines 1444-1468
117+
- Actual CHANGELOG format: `logs/CHANGELOG.md`
118+
- Actual DEVLOG format: `logs/DEVLOG.md`
119+
- AI rules: `.augment/rules/log-file-maintenance.md`
120+

‎logs/CHANGELOG.md‎

Lines changed: 7 additions & 1 deletion
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -19,7 +19,13 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
1919

2020
## [Unreleased]
2121

22-
*No unreleased changes.*
22+
### Changed
23+
24+
- Epic 8 revised from "MCP Server & Programmatic API" to "Log Automation & Reliability". Analysis of actual log files revealed entries are too detailed (60-80 tokens/CHANGELOG, 500-1000 tokens/DEVLOG) to auto-generate from commits. New focus: enhanced rules, git hook safety nets, CLI scaffolding. MCP deferred to Future Considerations. Files: `project/specs/prd.md`. Commit: `d20f1fe`
25+
26+
### Added
27+
28+
- Code-police analysis report documenting architecture evolution from MCP proposal through git-native simplification to final pragmatic approach. Includes original 10 recommendations with implementation status. Files: `context/code-police-analysis-2026-01.md`. Commit: `d20f1fe`
2329

2430
---
2531

‎logs/DEVLOG.md‎

Lines changed: 30 additions & 0 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -108,6 +108,36 @@ A narrative chronicle of the project journey - the decisions, discoveries, and p
108108

109109
## Daily Log - Newest First
110110

111+
### 2026-01-22: Epic 8 Revision - MCP Deferred After Dogfooding Analysis
112+
113+
**The Situation:** Code-police agent (Letta) reviewed LFG and recommended 10 improvements including an MCP Server for programmatic API access. Winston (Architect) initially designed elaborate TypeScript/npm architecture with 5 services.
114+
115+
**The Challenge:** User challenged the complexity: "How can it be simpler, fewer dependencies, and still deliver the results we want?" This led to git-native alternatives, which then raised: "Who writes the words?" - git hooks can detect but not generate quality content.
116+
117+
**The Decision:** Examined actual `logs/CHANGELOG.md` and `logs/DEVLOG.md` entries. Discovered entries are far richer than assumed:
118+
- CHANGELOG entries: 60-80 tokens each (not 10 from commit messages)
119+
- DEVLOG entries: 500-1000 tokens with narrative structure
120+
- Current rules-based approach already works (AI has context, hooks don't)
121+
122+
Revised Epic 8 from "MCP Server" to "Log Automation & Reliability":
123+
- Story 8.1: Enhanced rule enforcement (⛔ STOP markers, self-correction)
124+
- Story 8.2: Git hook safety net (warn-only, not auto-generate)
125+
- Stories 8.3-8.5: CLI scaffolding (ADR, CHANGELOG, DEVLOG helpers)
126+
127+
MCP deferred to Future Considerations with clear trigger conditions.
128+
129+
**Why This Matters:** Avoided building complex infrastructure that would produce 90% quality loss. Recognized that LFG's value comes from rich contextual entries that only session-aware AI can write.
130+
131+
**The Result:**
132+
- ✅ PRD Epic 8 completely revised (140 lines changed)
133+
- ✅ MCP added to Future Considerations with rationale
134+
- ✅ Analysis report created at `context/code-police-analysis-2026-01.md`
135+
- ✅ Architect Prompt updated (MCP spec preserved in report for future reference)
136+
137+
**Files Changed:** `project/specs/prd.md`, `context/code-police-analysis-2026-01.md`
138+
139+
---
140+
111141
### 2025-11-10: Epic 20 - AI Context Optimization Research
112142

113143
**The Situation:** After completing Epic 19 (dogfooding migration), user asked a profound question: "For small personal projects of a solo dev, doesn't Keep a Changelog format create a problem? Solo devs remember work calendar-like, not feature-like." This led to deeper question: **Is CHANGELOG providing the best AI context per token spent?**

0 commit comments

Comments
 (0)