Entropyk/_bmad/bmb/workflows/agent/steps-e/e-08-edit-agent.md

name	description	nextStepFile	editPlan	agentFile	agentBackup	agentTemplate	agentArch	agentValidation	agentCompilation	agentMetadata	personaProperties	principlesCrafting	agentMenuPatterns	criticalActions	noSidecarExample	withSidecarExample	advancedElicitationTask	partyModeWorkflow
e-08-edit-agent	Apply edits to agent (with or without sidecar)	./e-09-celebrate.md	{bmb_creations_output_folder}/edit-plan-{agent-name}.md	{original-agent-path}	{original-agent-path}.backup	../templates/agent-template.md	../data/agent-architecture.md	../data/agent-validation.md	../data/agent-compilation.md	../data/agent-metadata.md	../data/persona-properties.md	../data/principles-crafting.md	../data/agent-menu-patterns.md	../data/critical-actions.md	../data/reference/without-sidecar/commit-poet.agent.yaml	../data/reference/with-sidecar/journal-keeper/journal-keeper.agent.yaml	{project-root}/_bmad/core/workflows/advanced-elicitation/workflow.xml	{project-root}/_bmad/core/workflows/party-mode/workflow.md

Edit Step 8: Edit Agent

STEP GOAL:

Apply all planned edits to the agent YAML file. The edit approach (with or without sidecar) is determined by the hasSidecar value from the edit plan.

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES:

• 🛑 ALWAYS create backup before modifying agent file
• 📖 CRITICAL: Read template and architecture files first
• 🔄 CRITICAL: Load editPlan and agentFile
• ✅ YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT In your Agent communication style with the config {communication_language}

Step-Specific Rules:

• 🎯 Load all reference files before applying edits
• 📊 Apply edits exactly as specified in editPlan
• 💾 Validate YAML after each edit
• 🎭 Handle sidecar structure if hasSidecar: true
• ➡️ Auto-advance to celebration when complete

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

• 🎯 Load template, architecture, and validation files
• 📊 Read editPlan to get all planned changes
• 💾 Create backup
• 📝 Apply edits: sidecar conversion, metadata, persona, commands, critical_actions
• 🎭 Manage sidecar folder structure (if applicable)
• ✅ Validate YAML and sidecar paths
• ➡️ Auto-advance to next step

MANDATORY SEQUENCE

CRITICAL: Follow this sequence exactly. Do not skip, reorder, or improvise unless user explicitly requests a change.

1. Load Reference Documents

Read all files before editing:

• {agentTemplate} - YAML structure reference
• {agentArch} - Agent architecture (with/without sidecar)
• {agentValidation} - Validation checklist
• {agentCompilation} - Assembly guidelines
• {agentMetadata}, {personaProperties}, {principlesCrafting}
• {agentMenuPatterns}, {criticalActions}

2. Load Edit Plan and Agent

Read {editPlan} to get all planned edits. Read {agentFile} to get current agent YAML.

Check the hasSidecar value from editPlan to determine edit approach.

3. Create Backup

ALWAYS backup before editing:

cp {agentFile} {agentBackup}

Confirm: "Backup created at: {agentBackup}"

4. Apply Edits in Sequence

For each planned edit:

Sidecar Conversion:

false → true (Adding sidecar):

• Set hasSidecar: true
• Add metadata.sidecar-folder if not present
• Add critical_actions section with sidecar file references
• Create sidecar directory: {agent-folder}/{agent-name}-sidecar/
• Create starter files: memories.md, instructions.md
• Update all references to use {project-root}/_bmad/_memory/{sidecar-folder}/ format

true → false (Removing sidecar):

• Set hasSidecar: false
• Remove metadata.sidecar-folder and metadata.sidecar-path
• If critical_actions contains only sidecar references, remove the section
• If critical_actions contains non-sidecar activation behaviors, keep and clean sidecar references
• Remove sidecar references from menu actions
• Optionally archive sidecar folder

Metadata Edits:

• Apply each field change from metadataEdits
• Validate format conventions

Persona Edits:

• Replace persona section with new four-field persona
• Validate field purity (role ≠ identity ≠ communication_style)
• For hasSidecar: true, ensure communication_style includes memory reference patterns

Command Edits:

• Additions: append to commands array
• Modifications: update specific commands
• Removals: remove from commands array

Critical Actions Edits (hasSidecar: true only):

• Additions: append to critical_actions array
• Modifications: update specific actions
• Removals: remove from array
• Ensure all references use correct {project-root}/_bmad/_memory/ paths

5. Validate After Each Edit

For both types:

• Confirm YAML syntax is valid after each modification

For hasSidecar: true:

• Validate sidecar path format
• Ensure all critical_actions reference correct paths
• Confirm sidecar folder structure exists

6. Document Applied Edits

Append to {editPlan}:

editsApplied:
  - {edit-description}
  - {edit-description}
backup: {agentBackup}
timestamp: {YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM}

7. Present MENU OPTIONS

Display: "Select an Option: [A] Advanced Elicitation [P] Party Mode [C] Continue"

Menu Handling Logic:

• IF A: Execute {advancedElicitationTask}, and when finished redisplay the menu
• IF P: Execute {partyModeWorkflow}, and when finished redisplay the menu
• IF C: Save to {editPlan}, then only then load, read entire file, then execute {nextStepFile}
• IF Any other comments or queries: help user respond then Redisplay Menu Options

EXECUTION RULES:

• ALWAYS halt and wait for user input after presenting menu
• ONLY proceed to next step when user selects 'C'
• After other menu items execution, return to this menu

CRITICAL STEP COMPLETION NOTE

ONLY WHEN [C continue option] is selected and [all edits applied and validated], will you then load and read fully {nextStepFile} to execute and celebrate.

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SUCCESS METRICS

✅ Backup created ✅ All reference files loaded ✅ All edits applied correctly ✅ YAML remains valid ✅ Sidecar structure correct (if hasSidecar: true) ✅ Sidecar paths validated (if hasSidecar: true) ✅ Edit plan tracking updated

FAILURE MODES

❌ Backup failed ❌ YAML became invalid ❌ Sidecar paths broken (hasSidecar: true) ❌ Edits not applied as specified

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Auto-advancing to celebration when complete...