<quick_start> Basic usage:
/apex add authentication middlewareRecommended workflow (autonomous with save):
/apex -a -s implement user registrationFlags:
-a(auto): Skip confirmations-s(save): Save outputs to.claude/output/apex/-e(economy): No subagents, save tokens
See <parameters> for complete flag list. </quick_start>
Disable flags (turn OFF):
| Short | Long | Description |
|---|---|---|
-A | --no-auto | Disable auto mode |
-S | --no-save | Disable save mode |
-E | --no-economy | Disable economy mode |
-B | --no-branch | Disable branch mode |
Autonomous (skip confirmations)
/apex -a add auth middleware
Save outputs
/apex -a -s add auth middleware
Resume previous task
/apex -r 01-auth-middleware /apex -r 01 # Partial match
Economy mode (save tokens)
/apex -e add auth middleware
Interactive flag config
/apex -i add auth middleware
Disable flags (uppercase)
/apex -A add auth middleware # Disable auto
</examples>
<parsing_rules>
**Flag parsing:**
1. Defaults loaded from `steps/step-00-init.md` `<defaults>` section
2. Command-line flags override defaults (enable with lowercase `-x`, disable with uppercase `-X`)
3. Flags removed from input, remainder becomes `{task_description}`
4. Task ID generated as `NN-kebab-case-description`
For detailed parsing algorithm, see `steps/step-00-init.md`.
</parsing_rules>
</parameters>
<output_structure>
**When `{save_mode}` = true:**
All outputs saved to PROJECT directory (where Claude Code is running):.claude/output/apex/{task-id}/ ├── 00-context.md # Params, user request, timestamp ├── 01-analyze.md # Analysis findings ├── 02-plan.md # Implementation plan ├── 03-execute.md # Execution log └── 04-validate.md # Validation results
**00-context.md structure:**APEX Task: {task_id}
Created: {timestamp} Task: {task_description}
Flags
- Auto mode: {auto_mode}
- Save mode: {save_mode}
- Economy mode: {economy_mode}
User Request
{original user input}
Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] AC1: {inferred criterion}
- [ ] AC2: {inferred criterion}
</output_structure>
<resume_workflow> **Resume mode (`-r {task-id}`):**
When provided, step-00 will:
1. Locate the task folder in `.claude/output/apex/`
2. Restore state from `00-context.md`
3. Find the last completed step
4. Continue from the next step
Supports partial matching (e.g., `-r 01` finds `01-add-auth-middleware`).
For implementation details, see `steps/step-00-init.md`. </resume_workflow>
<state_variables> **Persist throughout all steps:**
| Variable | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `{task_description}` | string | What to implement (flags removed) |
| `{feature_name}` | string | Kebab-case name without number (e.g., `add-auth-middleware`) |
| `{task_id}` | string | Full identifier with number (e.g., `01-add-auth-middleware`) |
| `{acceptance_criteria}` | list | Success criteria (inferred or explicit) |
| `{auto_mode}` | boolean | Skip confirmations, use recommended options |
| `{save_mode}` | boolean | Save outputs to.claude/output/apex/ |
| `{economy_mode}` | boolean | No subagents, direct tool usage only |
| `{branch_mode}` | boolean | Verify not on main, create branch if needed |
| `{interactive_mode}` | boolean | Configure flags interactively |
| `{resume_task}` | string | Task ID to resume (if -r provided) |
| `{output_dir}` | string | Full path to output directory |
| `{branch_name}` | string | Created branch name (if branch_mode) |
</state_variables>
<entry_point>
**FIRST ACTION:** Load `steps/step-00-init.md`
Step 00 handles:
- Flag parsing (-a, -x, -s, -r, --test)
- Resume mode detection and task lookup
- Output folder creation (if save_mode)
- 00-context.md creation (if save_mode)
- State variable initialization
After initialization, step-00 loads step-01-analyze.md.
</entry_point>
<step_files> **Progressive loading - only load current step:**
| Step | File | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 00 | `steps/step-00-init.md` | Parse flags, create output folder, initialize state |
| 01 | `steps/step-01-analyze.md` | Smart context gathering with 1-10 parallel agents based on complexity |
| 02 | `steps/step-02-plan.md` | File-by-file implementation strategy |
| 03 | `steps/step-03-execute.md` | Todo-driven implementation |
| 04 | `steps/step-04-validate.md` | Self-check, validation, and workflow completion |
</step_files>
<execution_rules>
- **Load one step at a time** - Only load the current step file
- **ULTRA THINK** before major decisions
- **Persist state variables** across all steps
- **Follow next_step directive** at end of each step
- **Save outputs** if `{save_mode}` = true (append to step file)
- **Use parallel agents** for independent exploration tasks
## 🧠 Smart Agent Strategy in Analyze Phase
The analyze phase (step-01) uses **adaptive agent launching** (unless economy_mode):
**Available agents:**
- `explore-codebase` - Find existing patterns, files, utilities
- `explore-docs` - Research library docs (use when unfamiliar with API)
- `websearch` - Find approaches, best practices, gotchas
**Launch 1-10 agents based on task complexity:**
| Complexity | Agents | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Simple | 1-2 | Bug fix, small tweak |
| Medium | 2-4 | New feature in familiar stack |
| Complex | 4-7 | Unfamiliar libraries, integrations |
| Major | 6-10 | Multiple systems, many unknowns |
**BE SMART:** Analyze what you actually need before launching. Don't over-launch for simple tasks, don't under-launch for complex ones.
</execution_rules>
<save_output_pattern> **When `{save_mode}` = true:**
Step-00 runs `scripts/setup-templates.sh` to initialize all output files from `templates/` directory.
**Each step then:**
1. Run `scripts/update-progress.sh {task_id} {step_num} {step_name} "in_progress"`
2. Append findings/outputs to the pre-created step file
3. Run `scripts/update-progress.sh {task_id} {step_num} {step_name} "complete"`
**Template system benefits:**
- Reduces token usage by ~75% (1,350 tokens saved per workflow)
- Templates in `templates/` directory (not inline in steps)
- Scripts handle progress tracking automatically
- See `templates/README.md` for details
</save_output_pattern>
<success_criteria>
- Each step loaded progressively
- All validation checks passing
- Outputs saved if `{save_mode}` enabled
- Clear completion summary provided </success_criteria>