Implementation Plan — 2026-04-11 Live Queue Snapshot

Source identity (from 04-build/implementation-plan-2026-04-11-snapshot.md):

ddx:
  id: helix.implementation-plan-snapshot
  depends_on:
    - helix.workflow
    - TP-002
    - TD-002

Implementation Plan — 2026-04-11 Live Queue Snapshot

Historical project-status snapshot; superseded as the canonical implementation-plan example by docs/helix/04-build/implementation-plan.md, which is the slider-autonomy slice and follows the methodology template. Retained here for execution-history audit only.

Scope

This build plan defines the current HELIX execution landscape: which features are implemented, which have remaining work, what the governing artifacts are, and what ordering constraints keep implementation aligned with the authority stack.

Governing Artifacts:

docs/helix/01-frame/prd.md
docs/helix/01-frame/concerns.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-001-helix-supervisory-control.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-002-helix-cli.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-003-principles.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-004-plugin-packaging.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-005-execution-backed-output.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-006-concerns-practices-context-digest.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-007-microsite-and-demos.md
docs/helix/01-frame/features/FEAT-011-slider-autonomy.md
docs/helix/02-design/adr/ADR-001-supervisory-control-model.md
docs/helix/02-design/solution-designs/SD-001-helix-supervisory-control.md
docs/helix/02-design/solution-designs/SD-002-first-class-principles.md
docs/helix/02-design/technical-designs/TD-002-helix-cli.md
docs/helix/02-design/technical-designs/TD-003-helix-start-stop.md
docs/helix/02-design/technical-designs/TD-011-slider-autonomy-implementation.md
docs/helix/02-design/contracts/API-001-helix-tracker-mutation.md
docs/helix/03-test/test-plans/TP-002-helix-cli.md
workflows/README.md
workflows/EXECUTION.md
workflows/REFERENCE.md

Shared Constraints

Keep execution tracker-first. Active work must be selected, claimed, revalidated, and closed through ddx bead.
Keep spec-id anchored to the nearest governing artifact.
Limit implementation to bounded slices that satisfy documented acceptance and deterministic verification. Do not fold design reconciliation or new product scope into build issues.
Shape execution-ready work for DDx-managed queue draining: use explicit parents for grouped work, explicit dependencies for hard ordering, and measurable success criteria that let automation determine merge-and-close without hidden operator policy.
Treat this plan as a queue snapshot, not a static roadmap. Rebuild it from ddx bead status, ddx bead list --status open --json, and bash scripts/helix help whenever tracker state or command surface changes.
Use the proof lane for HELIX contract changes: bash tests/helix-cli.sh, bash tests/validate-skills.sh, and git diff --check.

Current Command Surface

Validated against bash scripts/helix help and the local DDx alpha command surface on 2026-04-11.

Intake and planning: input, frame, design, polish, triage, evolve
Execution and review: run, build, check, align, backfill, review, experiment, next
Operator and packaging: start, stop, status, commit, doctor, ddx bead, help
DDx execution substrate now available locally: ddx agent execute-bead (functional alpha) and ddx agent execute-loop (new queue-drain contract)
HELIX command surfaces are increasingly entrypoints to prompts, policy, and compatibility behavior rather than the canonical owner of queue draining

Feature Status

Feature	Status	Current State / Remaining Work
FEAT-001 Supervisory Control	ALIGNED	Core bounded supervision remains governed by `TD-002` and `TP-002`, but the execution substrate boundary is shifting downward into DDx.
FEAT-002 HELIX CLI	PARTIAL	The governing docs now treat `helix run` / `helix build` as compatibility surfaces over DDx-managed execution. Remaining work is implementation-proof and wrapper-correctness follow-ons (`helix-4243dd31`, `helix-ded1e007`, `helix-30814e44`, `helix-fb2ccbb1`, `helix-af902886`).
FEAT-003 First-Class Principles	COMPLETE	Defaults, bootstrap, and workflow references are in place; no live queue item currently targets FEAT-003 directly.
FEAT-004 Plugin Packaging	PARTIAL	`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`, `hooks/hooks.json`, `bin/helix`, and `tests/validate-skills.sh` exist; no dedicated open packaging bead is live right now, so remaining risk sits in wrapper-compatibility proof rather than package layout.
FEAT-005 Execution-Backed Output	PARKED	The feature remains specified, but no current open bead is scoped directly to execution-backed output while the queue prioritizes DDx-managed execution-contract alignment.
FEAT-006 Concerns & Context Digest	DIVERGENT	Concern docs and prompt references exist, but live propagation gaps remain open in the queue (`helix-674b1b42`, `helix-691d18c0`, `helix-d9f93a59`).
FEAT-007 Microsite and Demos	PARTIAL	The site and demos ship, but the live queue still carries demo and public-site proof work (`helix-438c8a07`, `helix-39fc1526`, `helix-71aab0f0`).
FEAT-011 Slider Autonomy	PARTIAL	`helix input` and `--autonomy` are live in `scripts/helix`; the design-layer boundary is converging and the remaining gaps are explicit follow-on beads for wrapper correctness, public contract cleanup, and proof-lane stability (`helix-f3062aa2`, `helix-4243dd31`, `helix-ded1e007`, `helix-30814e44`, `helix-fb2ccbb1`).

Live Queue Snapshot

Snapshot rebuilt on 2026-04-11 from ddx bead status plus targeted refreshes of the DDx-execution migration chain:

30 open
28 ready
2 blocked

DDx Execution-Contract Chain

Issue	Priority	Parent	Dependency	Focus
`helix-f3062aa2`	P0	`helix-13cfe23f`	none	Align the governing planning stack and implementation plan around `execute-loop` / `execute-bead`
`helix-4243dd31`	P0	`helix-13cfe23f`	`helix-f3062aa2`	Consume the bead DDx actually executed before HELIX applies bookkeeping
`helix-ded1e007`	P0	`helix-13cfe23f`	`helix-f3062aa2`	Reject closed or non-ready explicit selectors before `execute-bead` dispatch
`helix-30814e44`	P0	`helix-13cfe23f`	none	Reconcile stage-stance docs with wrapper model-override reality
`helix-fb2ccbb1`	P1	`helix-13cfe23f`	none	Restore deterministic proof for the DDx-agent dry-run lane
`helix-af902886`	P1	`helix-13cfe23f`	none	Isolate the `helix start` wrapper test from live repo state

Recently landed decisions in this chain:

helix-a938e147 closed the stage-stance design question by keeping stance in HELIX prompts while DDx owns concrete model policy.
Public docs and demos were moved to the helix input + ddx agent execute-loop default path under helix-d903a854; remaining work is proof and runtime drift, not reopening that default-path decision.

Build Sequencing

Order	Area	Governing Artifacts	Notes
1	Redesign execution contract around DDx	FEAT-002, FEAT-011, TD-002, TD-011, CONTRACT-001, TP-002	Land the governing-doc alignment first (`helix-f3062aa2`), then keep the remaining build beads explicitly ordered beneath the execution-contract epic so wrapper fixes implement the settled contract instead of re-deciding it in code.
2	Proof shipped entry surfaces	FEAT-002, FEAT-004, FEAT-011, TD-002, TD-003, TD-011, TP-002	Close deterministic proof gaps for `bin/helix`, `helix input`, `execute-loop` bookkeeping, selector validation, and the DDx dry-run harness before adding more command-surface drift.
3	Make concern-aware steering real	FEAT-006, `docs/helix/01-frame/concerns.md`, concern-resolution guidance	Propagate current context digests into live beads and preserve `area:*` metadata so review-filed work re-enters the queue with the right practices.
4	Repair deploy artifact contract consistency	Deploy artifact metadata/templates, review findings	Resolve ordering contradictions and missing artifact references before extending deploy docs further.
5	Restore the public site proof lane	FEAT-007, site concerns, Playwright/Hugo verification	Fix route/search regressions and extend deterministic site coverage so the published docs lane is green again.
6	Finish design-taxonomy follow-ons	Artifact hierarchy, design artifact docs, workspace-state design work	Complete the deleted-artifact audit, first-class contract support, and workspace-state modeling before new artifact types are introduced.
7	Stage DDx tier-policy adoption behind queue-contract stabilization	DDx tier-policy/model-catalog contract	Keep `helix-81c0c0df` queued as a cross-activity follow-on while higher-priority execution-contract work lands first.

Verification Expectations

Area	Required Verification
Wrapper / workflow contract changes	`bash tests/helix-cli.sh`; `git diff --check`; verify DDx alpha command help/contract assumptions against local `ddx agent execute-bead --help` and `ddx agent execute-loop --help`
Plugin packaging and published skill surface	`bash tests/validate-skills.sh`; plugin manifest validation; targeted wrapper/package smoke checks when plugin-surface follow-on work reopens
Concern / digest propagation	Targeted `ddx bead show` / `ddx bead list --status open --json` spot checks on updated beads; confirm explicit parents/dependencies on newly ordered follow-on work; `git diff --check`
Site / demo changes	`hugo --gc --minify` and `npx playwright test` under `website/`; `git diff --check`
Queue-refresh and doc-only updates	`git diff --check`; cross-check against `ddx bead status`, `ddx bead list --status open --json`, and `bash scripts/helix help`

Quality Gates

Failing or governing tests exist before implementation starts for code changes.
All required HELIX verification commands pass before a build issue closes.
Issue metadata cites the governing artifacts and this build plan.
Behavior or contract changes update the canonical HELIX docs explicitly.
Follow-on work outside the current issue scope is captured as new tracker issues instead of absorbed silently.

Risks

Risk	Impact	Response
Queue state changes faster than docs do	Medium	Rebuild this plan from live `ddx bead` output whenever it is used to steer a new implementation pass.
FEAT-006 propagation can touch many live beads at once	Medium	Keep changes bounded by area, verify with tracker spot checks, and file follow-on beads instead of bulk-fixing unrelated drift.
FEAT-007 public-site proof remains partially red	Medium	Treat site verification failures as real backlog, not as tolerated noise; keep Hugo and Playwright in the proof lane for any site work.
FEAT-011 exposes shipped intake surfaces before deterministic proof is complete	Medium	Land harness coverage before expanding the `helix input` behavior further.

Exit Criteria

Current open issues are sequenced with explicit governing artifacts and dependencies.
This plan reflects the live tracker queue (no stale issue references).
Verification expectations are explicit enough for bounded issue closure.