ai-workflow-skill/docs/tests/council-review-skill/council-start-with-target-file-through-bundled-cli.md

Case: council-start-with-target-file-through-bundled-cli

Test Type

This is a forward-test and a non-prompt target-context validation.

The goal is to verify that a leader using the packaged council-review skill can start a council run from explicit --target-file context instead of relying on a pure inline prompt.

Purpose

Validate that all of the following can be true at the same time:

• the test runner can prepare a concrete brief file before launching the leader
• the leader can start a council run through the bundled council-review skill using --target-file
• the target-file path is persisted in council input metadata
• reviewer tasks are still dispatched normally from the file-based target

Preconditions

• council-review skill path exists: COUNCIL_SKILL_PATH=skills/council-review
• inbox skill path exists: INBOX_SKILL_PATH=skills/inbox
• bundled CLI executables exist at COUNCIL_SKILL_PATH/assets/orch and INBOX_SKILL_PATH/assets/inbox
• sqlite3 is available locally for metadata validation
• use an empty temporary directory TMPDIR
• initialize TMPDIR/coord.db before launching the leader through INBOX_SKILL_PATH/assets/inbox --db TMPDIR/coord.db --json init

Agent Topology

• leader

Inputs

Target File Fixture

Create TMPDIR/brief.md before launching the leader with contents similar to:

# Brief

Review the current council-review packaging flow.

- Confirm the skill can carry file-based context.
- Focus on documentation quality and report semantics.

Leader Prompt

Use $council-review at COUNCIL_SKILL_PATH to act as leader on the already initialized SQLite DB TMPDIR/coord.db. Only coordinate through the bundled orch CLI from the skill. Workflow: 1) start council run council_skill_009 using --target-file TMPDIR/brief.md, --target-type mixed, and --mode review, 2) stop after reporting RUN_ID and the target metadata you observed from the start response. Do not use ordinary chat to simulate reviewer work.

Execution Parameters

• use the shared execution contract from README.md
• use the shared timeout defaults from README.md
• do not override the default cleanup policy

Execution Steps

1. Initialize TMPDIR/coord.db once through the bundled inbox CLI before launching agents
2. Create TMPDIR/brief.md with the target file contents
3. Inject skills/council-review/ into leader
4. Point the leader at the database path TMPDIR/coord.db
5. Launch the leader
6. Wait for the leader to finish
7. Independently run the validation commands from the main thread

Validation Commands

COUNCIL_SKILL_PATH/assets/orch --db TMPDIR/coord.db --json run show --run council_skill_009
COUNCIL_SKILL_PATH/assets/orch --db TMPDIR/coord.db --json status --run council_skill_009
sqlite3 TMPDIR/coord.db "SELECT prompt, target_file, repo_path, target_task_id FROM council_inputs WHERE run_id = 'council_skill_009';"
sqlite3 TMPDIR/coord.db "SELECT acceptance_json FROM tasks WHERE run_id = 'council_skill_009' AND task_id = 'CR1';"

Expected Outcomes

• the leader successfully starts council_skill_009
• the run goal references the target file rather than an inline prompt
• the stored council input row keeps target_file == TMPDIR/brief.md
• reviewer task dispatch still produces the usual three council tasks
• reviewer task acceptance metadata carries the target_file reference forward

Assertions

• run_show.data.run.goal mentions brief.md
• status.data.tasks length is 3
• status.data.run.status is not terminal
• the council_inputs row has empty prompt, repo_path, and target_task_id
• the council_inputs row has target_file == "TMPDIR/brief.md"
• the CR1 acceptance JSON contains "target_file":"TMPDIR/brief.md"

Cleanup

• use the default cleanup policy from README.md
• if the run fails, retain TMPDIR, brief.md, and coord.db for replay and manual inspection

Recorded Real Forward Run

• recorded on: 2026-03-19
• execution mode: real_subagent_forward_test
• result: pass
• evidence root: /tmp/council-skill-target-file.ikPOLP
• observed run id: council_skill_009
• observed thread ids:
• CR1: thr_32df58f9b55945b899257f583708b7ef
• CR2: thr_c5f8c552cb1240649546df8386be3668
• CR3: thr_172eabff13eb48ed9af2deee928a9438
• evidence summary:
• main-thread status --run council_skill_009 --json returned three dispatched council tasks and a non-terminal run
• main-thread sqlite3 validation showed council_inputs.target_file == "/tmp/council-skill-target-file.ikPOLP/brief.md" with empty prompt, repo_path, and target_task_id
• main-thread sqlite3 validation of CR1 acceptance JSON showed the same target_file persisted into the council task payload