Intent-Driven Development

On-demand brain entry-point tool. Call this when you need to reach the brain mid-task — do NOT call it on every /aide boot. Boot-time brain precondition state is already reported by aide_info.brain.status; firing aide_brain at boot duplicates that work unnecessarily.

Optional kind parameter — closed two-value vocabulary: "orientation" (default) or "config".

• "orientation" — returns the orientation section: a runtime briefing delivered when an agent reaches for the brain mid-task. Omitting kind is equivalent to passing "orientation".
• "config" — returns the integration-specific wiring flow, used by /aide:brain config to walk through brain setup.

Install-time seed sections (playbookIndex, studyPlaybook, updatePlaybook, researchIndex) are NOT surfaced via this tool — agents reach those via the brain's read tool against the on-disk seed files.

Response shape: { status, instructions } — exactly two fields. No backend, no connector, no name, no kind.

status — mirrors the BrainState tagged union from buildBrainState. The four-state vocabulary: ok, no-brain-aide, no-mcp-entry, mcp-drift. Branch on status alone — no other discriminant is present.

instructions — always non-empty on every branch. Act on this field directly:

• On ok: the verbatim bytes of the selected section from the host's .aide/config/brain.aide, byte-identical to what the user wrote between that section's markers. No trimming, no normalization, no ${...} substitution. The selected section takes over from here — the tool has no further role.
• On no-brain-aide: fixed remediation prose directing the user to run npx @aidemd-mcp/server@latest init. Do not proceed as if the brain were available.
• On no-mcp-entry: fixed remediation prose directing the user to run npx @aidemd-mcp/server@latest sync and restart Claude Code. Do not proceed as if the brain were available.
• On mcp-drift: fixed remediation prose directing the user to run npx @aidemd-mcp/server@latest sync and restart Claude Code, explicitly forbidding the agent from patching .mcp.json itself.

Non-ok remediation prose is identical regardless of kind — the file is broken for both sections in the same way.

Scan for .aide spec files in this project. Returns a tree map of where specs live, following progressive disclosure.

Without a path: returns a lightweight project-wide map — file locations and types only, no content. Use this once to understand the project's spec architecture.

With a path: the response opens with the ancestor chain — the cascading intent lineage from project root down to the target directory, with each ancestor showing its description and alignment status (aligned/misaligned when set). The ancestor chain gives you the full inherited context before you read a single spec body. After the ancestor chain comes the detailed subtree of the target directory — summaries extracted from file content and anomaly warnings. Use this to drill into the area you're working on.

.aide files are progressive disclosure specs that live next to orchestrator code — they contain intent (strategy, implementation contracts, anti-patterns), research (sources, data, patterns), or QA checklists (todo). Read .aide files BEFORE reading code — they are the context layer between folder structure and implementation details.

File types (.aide, intent.aide, research.aide, plan.aide, todo.aide):

• .aide — Intent spec (default). Strategy, contracts, anti-patterns.
• intent.aide — Same as .aide, used only when research.aide exists in the same folder.
• research.aide — Raw research. Sources, data points, pattern synthesis.
• plan.aide -- Architect's implementation plan. Checkboxed steps for the implementor.
• todo.aide — QA re-alignment document. Captures where implementation drifted from intent.

Never have both .aide and intent.aide in the same folder.

Boot-time reporter called by the orchestrator at startup. Returns two independent top-level fields that the orchestrator must branch on separately:

outdated (array of stale artifact keys) — soft notification. Compares the host's .aide/versions.json against the canonical manifest shipped with this npm package. Each element names an artifact key that is behind. An empty array means everything is current. A missing .aide/versions.json (old install predating version tracking) silently collapses to []. Staleness is informational — the orchestrator continues with a heads-up to the user.

brain (precondition state) — hard gate. Reports whether the host's brain MCP entry is wired and consistent. Shape: { status, name?, hints }. The orchestrator must halt and direct the user to resolve the issue before continuing if status is not 'ok'. No path validation is performed — the package never stats any directory on disk; state derives entirely from comparing .aide/config/brain.aide against .mcp.json.

The four brain.status values:

• ok — .aide/config/brain.aide exists and the host's .mcp.json brain entry matches the parsed mcpServerConfig. name is the user-declared descriptive label from brain.aide. The pipeline may proceed.
• no-brain-aide — .aide/config/brain.aide is missing or unparseable. No name field. Remediation: run /aide and complete the brain wiring interview.
• no-mcp-entry — brain.aide parsed successfully but the host's .mcp.json is absent, malformed, or has no mcpServers.brain key. name is present. Remediation: run npx @aidemd-mcp/server@latest sync.
• mcp-drift — brain.aide and .mcp.json both exist but their brain entries disagree on command or args. name is present. Remediation: run npx @aidemd-mcp/server@latest sync.

hints is always present on every status — an array of candidate brain root paths the orchestrator can surface during recovery.

No parameters needed — uses the server's working directory.

Bootstrap the AIDE development environment into a project. Returns structured JSON for agent consumption — not prose.

The tool uses a two-call pattern for progressive disclosure:

First call (no category param): Returns a lightweight summary — every step with name, status (would-create/would-overwrite/would-skip/exists), category, and filePath, but NO content fields. Also returns brainHints (brain root candidates) and detected framework. Use this to understand what needs to be done and which categories require user prompts.

Second call (with category param): The tool writes all would-create AND approved would-overwrite files directly to disk itself and returns a manifest — steps with filePath, status (created, overwritten, or exists), and name, but NO content. would-skip steps stay would-skip in the manifest (tool writes nothing for them). The agent never sees file content and never uses the Write tool for new files.

Exception — MCP steps: For MCP steps, the manifest includes prescription data (key name and entry object) so the agent can read the existing config, merge, and write. The tool never touches MCP config directly.

Exception — brain category: When calling with category=brain, also pass brainPath with the user-confirmed brain root path. The tool creates the brain root scaffold directories directly.

Exception — IDE VS Code steps: IDE steps that need external tooling (VS Code CLI) return instructions for the agent to execute, since those aren't simple file writes.

Agent branch logic — silent-on-create, prompt-on-overwrite:

After the first call, walk the categories using this rule:

• Pure-create category (all steps are would-create, would-skip, or exists): apply silently by calling with category=X immediately — no AskUserQuestion. A category with nothing on disk to overwrite has no decision the user can inform.
• Overwrite-bearing category (any step is would-overwrite): pause and use AskUserQuestion with structured options. Name the files that would be overwritten. If the user approves, call with category=X — the tool overwrites and returns overwritten in the manifest. If the user declines an overwrite but wants the new files, call with category=X — the tool writes only would-create steps; the would-overwrite step stays would-overwrite in the manifest.
• Inherent-decision categories (framework, brain root path, MCP config merge, IDE choice): always use AskUserQuestion regardless of disk state. These are not file-write decisions — filesystem contents cannot resolve them.

IMPORTANT — one-at-a-time wizard pattern using AskUserQuestion: Do NOT present a summary table of all categories. Do NOT offer "all" as an option. Do NOT ask conversational questions — use the AskUserQuestion tool with structured options at every pause point.

1. Call without category first to get the metadata
2. Present ONLY the detected framework — use AskUserQuestion with Yes/{alternatives} options. STOP.
3. Walk categories in order: methodology, commands, agents, skills, mcp, brain, ide, readme. For each:

• Pure-create: apply silently (call with category=X), report results, move to next.
• Overwrite-bearing: use AskUserQuestion naming the would-overwrite files. STOP. Wait for selection, then call with category=X. Report manifest (created N, overwrote M). Move to next.
• Inherent decision: always use AskUserQuestion. STOP.

4. For brain: use AskUserQuestion with brainHints as labeled options (user can pick Other for custom path). STOP. Then call with category=brain and brainPath.
5. For MCP: use AskUserQuestion with Merge/Skip options. Merge the prescription entry into the existing config yourself (read → merge → write). STOP.
6. For IDE: use AskUserQuestion with multiSelect for Zed/VS Code/Neither. STOP.

Each pause point is ONE AskUserQuestion → wait for selection → then proceed. Never show multiple categories at once. Never ask open-ended conversational questions.

Return JSDoc, signature, and kind for a named symbol without opening the full file — Tier 2 progressive disclosure for code. When an agent knows a function name from an import list or orchestrator file, call inspect to learn what the symbol does, what it accepts, and what it returns, based on its contract alone. Searches across TypeScript and JavaScript source files (ts, tsx, js, jsx, mjs, cjs). Use the optional file parameter to narrow the search to a single file when the location is already known.

Read an .aide spec file with full context. Returns the file content, its classified type (intent/research/plan/todo), related specs in the same directory, and links found in the content (relative paths, inline references, URLs). Use this after aide_discover to drill into a specific spec.

Create new .aide spec files with automatic naming convention enforcement. Handles the naming rules: intent specs are .aide by default, but become intent.aide when research.aide exists in the same folder. Creating a research.aide auto-renames any existing .aide to intent.aide.

Types:

• intent — Strategy, contracts, anti-patterns
• research — Sources, data, patterns (triggers rename of existing .aide)
• both — Creates research.aide + intent.aide pair
• todo — QA re-alignment document for QA agents
• plan -- Architect's implementation plan (no naming interaction with intent/research)

Compare the AIDE methodology artifacts in this project against the canonical versions and return structured JSON results grouped by category. Use this when the user asks to update AIDE, sync AIDE, refresh AIDE, check for AIDE updates, or bring AIDE up to date. This is NOT for editing user .aide specs — it inspects methodology infrastructure only.

The tool uses a two-call pattern for progressive disclosure:

First call (no category param): Returns a lightweight summary — every category with file names, statuses, and counts, but NO file content. Use this to understand what has drifted and present a summary to the user. Ask which categories they want to apply.

Second call (with category param): The tool writes all differs/missing files directly to disk itself and returns a manifest — file results with filePath, status ("updated", "created", or "unchanged"), and name, but NO canonicalContent. The agent never sees file content and never uses the Write tool for methodology files.

Repeat the second call for each category the user confirms.

As the calling agent, you must:

1. Call without category first to get the summary
2. Present each drifted category (differs/missing) and ask the user which to apply
3. For each confirmed category, call again with category=X — the tool writes the files and returns a manifest. Report what was updated/created to the user.
4. For the mcp category, the manifest still includes prescription data — merge the entry into the existing MCP config yourself (read → merge → write). If malformed, tell the user — do not overwrite.
5. For ide, the manifest may include instructions for VS Code extension install — execute that command for the user. Zed config is written directly by the tool.
6. For brain, category=brain never writes; the manifest entry carries an instructions field directing the agent to invoke /aide:brain config, which is the single canonical home for brain.aide creation.

IMPORTANT — one-at-a-time wizard pattern using AskUserQuestion: Do NOT present all categories at once. Walk the user through ONE category at a time using AskUserQuestion with Yes/Skip options. Stop after each question and wait for confirmation before calling with that category.

Categories: pointer-stub, methodology-docs, version-metadata, commands, agents, skills, mcp, ide, readme, brain.

Upgrade surface (user code and user .aide specs are never touched):

• AIDE pointer stub in the agent config file
• Canonical methodology docs under .aide/docs/
• versions.json metadata under .aide/docs/
• Slash commands for all pipeline phases
• Pipeline agent files, skill templates
• MCP server entry in the project's MCP config
• IDE file association config (Zed settings, VS Code extension)

Supports Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and Copilot. Auto-detects the framework or accepts an override.

Health check for .aide spec files in the project. Detects orphaned specs (in folders with no orchestrator), missing specs (orchestrators with 3+ helper imports but no .aide), naming conflicts (.aide + intent.aide in same folder), broken links, orphaned research (research.aide without intent spec), and missing descriptions (specs with no description field in frontmatter).