Interview Framework Codex

Codex interview framework

Run every normal-mode start, triage, research, requirements, design, and tasks phase through references/algorithm.md and references/domain-modeling.md.

Completion criterion

Delegate only after all of these conditions hold for one identity tuple:

• phase, interviewId, discoveryRevision, and contextDigest match in state and in the delegation packet.
• The selected skill manifest has status complete or partial_warned.
• The phase interview has status complete or skipped after explicit final approval.
• phase_gate.py check-delegation succeeds.

Hard-transition invariant

Run the current check-delegation immediately before each affected phase transition or child dispatch. A failed check-delegation in either mode stops this invocation before state transition, child dispatch, or target-artifact write. After a normal-mode failure, the next explicit invocation uses a fresh manifest/interview identity. After an exact --quick delegation failure, the next explicit invocation reruns discovery, records a fresh phaseSkillLoad and interview identity, and does not reuse a terminal bypassed_quick interview or its discovery revision. Only a matching in-progress collecting or awaiting_confirmation interview is resumable. A matching in-progress interview that has not reached a failed delegation boundary remains valid for resume.

Exact --quick preserves discovery, manifest, parent-delegation provenance, check-delegation, receipt recording, and check-agent-write. Quick mode bypasses interview questions only. Exact --quick separately bypasses final approval. It still runs check-delegation immediately before dispatch, uses the same identity tuple, requires a current complete or partial_warned manifest plus an interview receipt with status bypassed_quick and quickAuthorization.source: "--quick", and has no other bypass.

Hard boundaries

• Ask only critical user decisions that can change phase scope, externally visible behavior, acceptance, architecture, sequencing, or material risk.
• Inspect code, configuration, state, prior artifacts, and selected skill contracts for facts. Do not ask the user for discoverable facts or setup and administration choices.
• Ask the whole currently unblocked critical frontier. Split a frontier only when Codex's native user-input tool limit requires another batch. The current limit is three questions per call.
• Put the recommended option first and state its tradeoff. Offer only viable alternatives.
• Persist each partial answer before asking the next frontier.
• Treat control-only replies such as apply the changes, continue, proceed, and go ahead as no answer to an active interview question.
• Treat bare skip during an active question as an instruction to finish the remaining interview with stated defaults and assumptions. Present the final approval gate before delegation.
• Delegate in the same turn after the user explicitly chooses approve and delegate.
• During artifact review, treat apply the changes as a revision request. Delegate the revision and remain at the artifact approval gate.
• Apply domain-language modeling during the grill. Challenge conflicting or vague terms, use concrete boundary scenarios, and record resolved domain terms without creating an ADR.