From 3885774e5bc5d7e5522eec010c48ff1f8ef9a858 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: John Lancaster <32917998+jsl12@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:23:29 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] step 6

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+**Step 6 Results: Resource-First Discovery and Tool Fallback Contract**
+
+This section finalizes Step 6 by defining discovery behavior for clients that can attach MCP resources and the fallback behavior for clients or chat surfaces that must rely on MCP tools.
+
+### Step Deliverable
+
+- Update the current `docs/` directory with the finalized Step 6 discovery and fallback contract content from this document.
+
+### Primary Source Baseline (Repository Docs)
+
+Step 6 is based on the current project contracts in:
+
+1. `docs/architecture.md` (resource-first architecture and catalog role)
+2. `docs/usage.md` (operating flows, bounded loading, and fallback sequence)
+3. `docs/copilot.md` (client capability lanes and practical fallback behavior)
+4. `docs/mcp_layout.md` (shared content source and thin-tool fallback position)
+5. `docs/securing.md` (read-only/public-docs security invariant)
+
+Normative conclusions from those sources:
+
+1. Discovery stays resource-first.
+2. Tool fallback is allowed, thin, and read-only.
+3. Resources and tools must resolve to the same canonical authored markdown.
+4. Fallback behavior should keep context bounded and deterministic.
+
+### Discovery Priority Contract (Normative)
+
+Preferred sequence for skill discovery and loading:
+
+1. `resource://catalog/skills_index`
+2. `resource://catalog/skills/{skill_id}`
+3. `resource://skills/{skill_id}/document`
+4. `resource://skills/{skill_id}/references/{ref_id}` only when needed
+
+Rules:
+
+1. Start from catalog discovery before loading any skill document.
+2. Do not skip straight to broad document loading when catalog metadata can narrow choices first.
+3. Use `resource://docs/{path*}` only for direct authored-doc access outside skill-specific flows.
+
+### Fallback Activation Rule
+
+Fallback is used only when the active client path cannot reliably attach MCP resources (for example, tool-only chat surfaces).
+
+Rules:
+
+1. Keep the same discovery order semantics as the resource path.
+2. If resource attachment is available, prefer resources over tools.
+3. Tool fallback must never become a second authoritative content source.
+
+### Tool Fallback Surface (Normative)
+
+The minimal read-only fallback tool set is:
+
+1. `search_patterns`
+2. `get_pattern_by_id`
+3. `get_skill_document_by_id`
+
+Fallback order:
+
+1. call `search_patterns` to find likely skills
+2. call `get_pattern_by_id` for one selected id when detail is needed
+3. call `get_skill_document_by_id` only for selected skill(s)
+
+Tool behavior requirements:
+
+1. read-only and idempotent semantics
+2. deterministic ordering and bounded pagination
+3. explicit not-found responses (`found: false` style) where applicable
+4. payloads remain schema-aligned with catalog resources
+
+### Resources-As-Tools Compatibility Layer
+
+Step 6 may include a resources-as-tools compatibility layer for clients that can call tools but not attach resources.
+
+Rules:
+
+1. If enabled, it wraps canonical resource reads rather than re-implementing content transforms.
+2. It preserves canonical URIs and metadata semantics.
+3. It does not replace the minimal catalog tools listed above.
+4. It remains optional and interoperability-driven.
+
+### Resource/Tool Parity Contract
+
+Resources and fallback tools must agree on identity and routing metadata.
+
+Parity requirements:
+
+1. `skill_id` and `ref_id` are identical across both paths.
+2. canonical URIs in payloads match Step 3 URI rules.
+3. skill metadata (`id`, `name`, `description`, `tags`, `capabilities`, `version`) remains consistent.
+4. document payload returned by `get_skill_document_by_id` resolves to the same canonical `SKILL.md` content as `resource://skills/{skill_id}/document`.
+
+### Relevance and Ranking Contract
+
+Baseline matching behavior is metadata-first and deterministic.
+
+Rules:
+
+1. Search primarily over normalized skill metadata (id, name, description, tags).
+2. Keep deterministic ordering and deterministic pagination behavior.
+3. Keep ranking logic transparent and bounded for predictable client behavior.
+
+Optional extension policy:
+
+1. BM25/regex augmentation is allowed only when catalog/tool volume meaningfully harms token efficiency or precision.
+2. Any augmentation must preserve canonical ids, URIs, and deterministic tie-breaking.
+3. Any augmentation remains discovery-only and does not create alternate content payloads.
+
+### Context-Bounding and Clarification Policy
+
+To prevent context bloat and improve answer quality:
+
+1. load only the most relevant skill document by default
+2. load at most two skill documents in one pass unless the user explicitly asks for more
+3. if confidence is low after catalog discovery, ask one clarifying question before loading additional skill documents
+4. fetch references lazily and only when required
+
+### Security and Safety Constraints
+
+Fallback tools must preserve the project security invariant.
+
+Rules:
+
+1. tool surfaces stay documentation-only and read-only
+2. no mutation, shell execution, secret access, or private filesystem exposure
+3. all returned content remains safe to publish publicly
+
+### Integration Boundaries
+
+Step 6 integrates with prior steps as follows:
+
+1. Step 4 provides the validated in-memory registry.
+2. Step 5 provides canonical resource registration.
+3. Step 6 adds fallback discovery/read behavior that reuses the same registry and canonical markdown sources.
+
+Separation-of-concerns rule:
+
+1. Catalog/resource contracts remain canonical.
+2. Fallback tools are interoperability adapters, not a parallel architecture.
+
+### Acceptance Criteria for Step 6 Completion
+
+Step 6 is complete when all are true:
+
+1. Resource-first discovery remains the documented and implemented default path.
+2. The fallback tool set is minimal, read-only, and schema-aligned.
+3. Fallback tool outputs map to canonical skill identities and URIs.
+4. Context loading is bounded and clarifying-question behavior is documented for low-confidence cases.
+5. No second content source is introduced; resources and tools resolve the same authored markdown.
+
+### Non-goals for Step 6
+
+1. No write or side-effecting tools.
+2. No alternate authored markdown stores or duplicated skill content pipelines.
+3. No guarantee that every client session exposes MCP resource attachment UI.
+4. No packaging/build contract changes (handled in Step 7).
+5. No CI gate expansion details (handled in later validation/governance steps).
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