yao-meta-skill/references/autonomous-adaptation.md

Autonomous Adaptation Method

This reference defines the safe foundation for adaptive self-iteration.

Scope

Adaptive iteration is proposal-only until a human explicitly approves a patch application workflow. The current implementation may:

• read one user-provided local source file;
• redact sensitive text before storing evidence excerpts;
• summarize repeated preferences and operational signals;
• produce adaptation proposals with target files, risks, tests, and rollback plans.
• dry-run an approved patch through adapt-apply, after patch hash, approval, and target allowlist checks pass.
• apply a patch only when the operator passes --apply and the approval ledger names the reviewer, reason, patch hash, target files, verification commands, and rollback plan.
• automatically reverse an applied patch when --run-verification fails, unless the operator explicitly passes --no-rollback-on-failure.

It must not:

• scan shell history, browser history, chat logs, mail, or private folders by default;
• infer permanent user memory from a single comment;
• write source files as part of scan or proposal generation;
• write source files through adapt-apply without explicit --apply;
• apply a patch whose target files are outside both the proposal and approval allowlists;
• leave a failed verified apply in place by default;
• count proposals as completed implementation evidence.

Flow

1. adapt-scan reads an explicit source path and writes reports/user_patterns.json plus reports/user_patterns.md.
2. adapt-propose reads the pattern report and writes reports/adaptation_proposals.json plus reports/adaptation_proposals.md.
3. A reviewer decides whether any proposal is worth implementing.
4. adapt-apply --write-template creates reports/adaptation_approval_ledger.json and reports/adaptation_regression_report.json so the review surface exists before any patch is applied.
5. adapt-apply --proposal-id <id> --patch-file <patch> defaults to a dry-run and records patch, target, approval, regression, and rollback evidence.
6. adapt-apply --apply --run-verification may write files only after approval, patch hash, allowlist, git apply --check, and safe regression command checks pass.
7. If a verification command fails after a patch is applied, adapt-apply runs git apply -R <patch> by default and records failed-rolled-back plus rollback evidence in reports/adaptation_regression_report.json.

Evidence Standard

Each proposal should include:

• the repeated pattern that triggered it;
• redacted excerpts, never unredacted raw content;
• target files and change intent;
• risk level and boundary;
• verification commands;
• rollback plan;
• a clear proposal-only status.

Each approved application should include:

• reviewer, reason, approval date, and optional expiry;
• exact patch SHA-256;
• target file allowlist;
• regression commands restricted to local make targets or local Python verifier scripts;
• rollback command or plan.
• rollback result if regression failed after an apply attempt.

Review Boundary

The adaptive loop improves iteration quality, but it does not replace normal review. Any proposal touching trigger behavior, reports, packaging, telemetry, privacy, or governance must still pass the same tests and release gates as a manually designed change. adapt-apply evidence proves that an approved patch path was checked or applied; it does not make world-class external or human evidence complete.