OpenPAUL - Plan-Apply-Unify Loop

Why OpenPAUL?

🔄 Loop Integrity

Every plan closes with UNIFY. No orphan plans. Every unit of work gets reconciled.

🎯 In-Session Context

Execution stays in-session. Subagents reserved for discovery. Better quality, less cleanup.

✅ Acceptance-Driven

Define done before starting. BDD format: Given/When/Then for every feature.

Quick Start

Installation

Add to your opencode.json:

{
  "plugins": {
    "npm": ["openpaul"]
  }
}

The Core Loop

PLAN ──▶ APPLY ──▶ UNIFY

Your First Loop

# Initialize OpenPAUL
/openpaul:init

# Create a plan
/openpaul:plan

# Review and approve, then execute
/openpaul:apply

# Close the loop (required!)
/openpaul:unify

Using with OpenCARL (Recommended)

OpenCARL is a dynamic rule injection system that auto-enforces OpenPAUL workflow discipline. Together, they create a powerful AI-assisted development experience.

Install Both

{
  "plugins": {
    "npm": ["openpaul", "@krisgray/opencarl"]
  }
}

What OpenCARL Enforces

Rule	What It Does
Loop Enforcement	No skipping UNIFY. Every plan needs closure.
Boundary Protection	`DO NOT CHANGE` sections are sacred.
AC-First Development	Acceptance criteria defined before tasks.
Verification Required	Every task needs a verify step.
State Consistency	STATE.md reflects reality after each phase.

Combined Workflow

# OpenCARL auto-loads OpenPAUL rules when it detects .openpaul/

/openpaul:init
✓ Created .openpaul/ structure

/openpaul:plan
✓ Created PLAN.md with AC, tasks, boundaries

/openpaul:apply
✓ Task 1/3: Complete
✓ Task 2/3: Complete
✓ Task 3/3: Complete

/openpaul:unify
✓ Created SUMMARY.md
✓ Updated STATE.md
✓ Loop complete

Essential Commands

Core Loop

/openpaul:init — Initialize project
/openpaul:plan — Create plan
/openpaul:apply — Execute plan
/openpaul:unify — Close loop

Session

/openpaul:progress — Status + next action
/openpaul:pause — Create handoff
/openpaul:resume — Restore context
/openpaul:help — Full reference