Tasks: channels — back-and-forth user communication, starting with a Slack bot

The last spec artifact. A DAG derived from the design and testing plan.

Task list

• [x] 1. Write the failing unit tests (test_channels.py)

  • Config parsing (absent/malformed → no channels, defaults match schema); event filtering; verbosity rendering; binding/cursor state (cap, atomicity, restart); Slack channel against a fake client (call-time token, thread reuse, missing token/channel fail closed); inbound steps (map, own-drop, allow-list, mirror compose with scrub + defang, cursor advance).
  • Depends on: none
  • Requirements: R1.4, R2.1–2.2, R3.1–3.3, R4.5–4.6, R5.1, R5.3, R6.1
  • Test: T1, T8 (red)

• [x] 2. Write the failing integration scenarios (test_channels_integration.py)

  • Gherkin-documented, Requirement: links: ask → work-item first + broadcast + binding; thread reply → mirror (marker) → delivery (comment=False); socket event through the same pipeline; watcher on interval, stops with daemon; no-session reply still mirrored; empty-allow-list denial.
  • Depends on: none
  • Requirements: R1.1–1.3, R2.3, R4.1–4.4, R5.2, R5.4, R6.2
  • Test: T2, T8 (red)

• [x] 3. Capture the red run as evidence

  • Depends on: 1, 2
  • Requirements: (process — tdd.mode: standard)
  • Test: evidence/red.md

• [x] 4. channels/base.py + channels/state.py — contract, rendering, bindings

  • OutboundEvent, Channel protocol, ChannelError, verbosity renderer, load_channels; the JSON state store (threads, cursors, cap, atomic replace).
  • Depends on: 3
  • Requirements: R1.1, R1.4, R2.1–2.2, R6.1
  • Test: T1 (green)

• [x] 5. channels/slack.py — the Slack bot provider, both transports

  • SlackBotChannel (injectable client factory, call-time env token, chat.postMessage threading, conversations.replies fetch); the Socket Mode listener feeding the same handler.
  • Depends on: 4
  • Requirements: R3.1–3.3, R4.2, R4.4–4.5
  • Test: T1, T2 -k socket (green)

• [x] 6. channels/broadcast.py + the ask_session seam

  • Best-effort fan-out with channel.posted/channel.post_failed; ask_session broadcasts after its work-item post, outcome-neutral.
  • Depends on: 4, 5
  • Requirements: R1.2, R2.3
  • Test: T2 -k asked (green)

• [x] 7. channels/inbound.py — map → own-drop → authorize → mirror → deliver

  • The pipeline with its event emissions; mirror via comments.post_issue_comment (mark_self_authored, scrub, defang); delivery via core_sessions.reply_session(..., comment=False).
  • Depends on: 5
  • Requirements: R1.3, R4.6, R5.1–5.4
  • Test: T1, T2, T8 (green)

• [x] 8. channels/watcher.py wiring + the two daemon run-loops

  • start_watcher(cli_config, stop_event) beside the self-diagnosis watcher in poller/daemon.py and webhook/daemon.py; None when disabled or read.mode is not poll.
  • Depends on: 7
  • Requirements: R4.1, R4.3
  • Test: T2 -k watcher (green)

• [x] 9. The channels CLI verb (commands/channels_cmd.py)

  • status (token presence only), poll (one cycle), listen (Socket Mode foreground); registered in commands/__init__.py; exit codes 0/1/2.
  • Depends on: 7, 8
  • Requirements: R4.1–4.2, R6.2 (status shows no secrets)
  • Test: T1 -k status, T8 -k token (green)

• [x] 10. Config schema + instances + event types

  • channels section in .the-loop/cli-config.schema.json, byte-copied to cli/the_loop/schemas/; commented block in .the-loop/cli-config.yaml and the shipped template; six channel.* types in EVENT_TYPES.
  • Depends on: 4
  • Requirements: R6.1–6.2
  • Test: T12 (parity gates green)

• [x] 11. Documentation

  • docs/config/cli/channels-options.md (every leaf, Type/Default); rows in docs/config/cli/index.md and docs/config/index.md; docs/cli/commands/channels.md plus its commands index row; docs/cli/state.md (bindings file); VitePress sidebars; reference/observability.md event catalog; reference/collaboration.md § channels; capability doc docs/capabilities/channels.md + index + docs/capabilities/observability.md history; decision-094; README channels mention.
  • Depends on: 9, 10
  • Requirements: (gates: capability-docs, documentation)
  • Test: T12 (docs parity P1–P5 green)

• [x] 12. Verification — execute the plan, record results and evidence

  • Run T1, T2, T8, T12, T13; complete the plan's Verification results; commit evidence.
  • Depends on: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
  • Requirements: all
  • Test: the plan itself

DAG

flowchart LR
  1["1 unit tests (red)"] --> 3["3 red evidence"]
  2["2 integration tests (red)"] --> 3
  3 --> 4["4 base + state"]
  4 --> 5["5 slack provider"]
  4 --> 10["10 schema + events"]
  5 --> 6["6 broadcast + ask"]
  5 --> 7["7 inbound pipeline"]
  7 --> 8["8 watcher + daemons"]
  7 --> 9["9 CLI verb"]
  8 --> 9
  9 --> 11["11 docs"]
  10 --> 11
  6 --> 12["12 verification"]
  7 --> 12
  8 --> 12
  9 --> 12
  10 --> 12
  11 --> 12