The Loop

The core workflow of OpenPAUL is the PLAN → APPLY → UNIFY loop.

Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  PLAN ──▶ APPLY ──▶ UNIFY          │
│                                     │
│  Define    Execute    Reconcile     │
│  work      tasks      & close       │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Every unit of work follows this cycle. Never skip UNIFY.

---

PLAN

Create an executable plan with structured sections.

Structure

{
  "phase": "1",
  "plan": "01",
  "criteria": [
    "AC-1: Feature works",
    "AC-2: Errors handled"
  ],
  "tasks": [
    {
      "name": "Implement login endpoint",
      "files": ["src/api/auth/login.ts"],
      "action": "Add POST /auth/login with JWT response",
      "verify": "curl /auth/login returns 200",
      "done": "AC-1 satisfied"
    }
  ],
  "boundaries": ["DO NOT change database/migrations/*"]
}

Key Sections

Section	Purpose
objective	What and why
context	File references (@-syntax)
acceptance_criteria	Given/When/Then definitions
tasks	Sequential actions with verification
boundaries	What NOT to change

How to Create

/openpaul:plan

OpenPAUL prompts you to describe what you want to build, then generates a structured PLAN.json.

---

APPLY

Execute the approved plan.

Execution Rules

1. Sequential — Tasks run one at a time
2. Verified — Each task has a verify step
3. Checkpointed — Pause for human input when needed
4. Logged — Deviations are recorded

Checkpoints

✓ Task 1: Create model (verified: tests pass)
✓ Task 2: Add endpoint (verified: curl returns 200)
⏸ Task 3: Checkpoint — Verify login flow manually?

YOU: approved

✓ Task 3: Login flow works

How to Execute

/openpaul:apply

Or specify phase and plan:

/openpaul:apply --phase 1 --plan 01

---

UNIFY

Close the loop (required!).

What UNIFY Does

1. Creates SUMMARY.json

   • What was built
   • Plan vs actual comparison
   • Decisions made
   • Issues deferred

2. Updates loop state

   • Current position
   • Accumulated decisions
   • Next phase/plan
   • Updates STATE.md if present

3. Logs Decisions

   • Architecture choices
   • Trade-offs
   • Future considerations

Why UNIFY Matters

Without UNIFY	With UNIFY
Orphan plans	Every plan closed
Lost decisions	Decisions logged
Drifted state	Reconciled state
No handoff	Clear summary

How to Close

/openpaul:unify

---

Loop Integrity

The loop is not optional:

PLAN ──▶ APPLY ──▶ UNIFY
  ✓        ✓        ✓     [Loop complete]

Enforced Rules

• No orphan plans — Every PLAN gets a SUMMARY
• State reconciliation — UNIFY catches drift
• Decision logging — Choices are recorded

With OpenCARL

OpenCARL can enforce loop discipline automatically:

# Detects .openpaul/ and loads rules
- Loop enforcement (no skipping UNIFY)
- Boundary protection (DO NOT CHANGE sections)
- State consistency checks

---

Common Patterns

New Feature

/openpaul:plan      # Describe the feature
[review plan]
/openpaul:apply     # Execute tasks
/openpaul:unify     # Close the loop

Bug Fix

/openpaul:plan-fix  # Plan fixes for UAT issues
[review plan]
/openpaul:apply
/openpaul:unify

Research First

Research can be done by asking the assistant directly, or use the research CLI tool.
[review findings]
/openpaul:plan              # Create informed plan
/openpaul:apply
/openpaul:unify

Multi-Phase Project

/openpaul:milestone <name>  # Start milestone
/openpaul:plan              # Phase 1 plan
/openpaul:apply
/openpaul:unify
/openpaul:plan              # Phase 2 plan
...
/openpaul:complete-milestone  # Archive milestone