<quick_start> Basic usage:
/apex add authentication middleware
Recommended workflow (autonomous with save):
/apex -a -s implement user registration
Flags:
-a(auto): Skip confirmations-s(save): Save outputs to.claude/output/apex/-e(economy): No subagents, save tokens
See <parameters> for complete flag list.
</quick_start>
Disable flags (turn OFF):
| Short | Long | Description |
|---|---|---|
-A | --no-auto | Disable auto mode |
-S | --no-save | Disable save mode |
-E | --no-economy | Disable economy mode |
-B | --no-branch | Disable branch mode |
Autonomous (skip confirmations)
/apex -a add auth middleware
Save outputs
/apex -a -s add auth middleware
Resume previous task
/apex -r 01-auth-middleware /apex -r 01 # Partial match
Economy mode (save tokens)
/apex -e add auth middleware
Interactive flag config
/apex -i add auth middleware
Disable flags (uppercase)
/apex -A add auth middleware # Disable auto
</examples>
<parsing_rules>
**Flag parsing:**
1. Defaults loaded from `steps/step-00-init.md` `<defaults>` section
2. Command-line flags override defaults (enable with lowercase `-x`, disable with uppercase `-X`)
3. Flags removed from input, remainder becomes `{task_description}`
4. Task ID generated as `NN-kebab-case-description`
For detailed parsing algorithm, see `steps/step-00-init.md`.
</parsing_rules>
</parameters>
<output_structure>
**When `{save_mode}` = true:**
All outputs saved to PROJECT directory (where Claude Code is running):
.claude/output/apex/{task-id}/ ├── 00-context.md # Params, user request, timestamp ├── 01-analyze.md # Analysis findings ├── 02-plan.md # Implementation plan ├── 03-execute.md # Execution log └── 04-validate.md # Validation results
**00-context.md structure:**
```markdown
# APEX Task: {task_id}
**Created:** {timestamp}
**Task:** {task_description}
## Flags
- Auto mode: {auto_mode}
- Save mode: {save_mode}
- Economy mode: {economy_mode}
## User Request
{original user input}
## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] AC1: {inferred criterion}
- [ ] AC2: {inferred criterion}
</output_structure>
<resume_workflow>
Resume mode (-r {task-id}):
When provided, step-00 will:
- Locate the task folder in
.claude/output/apex/ - Restore state from
00-context.md - Find the last completed step
- Continue from the next step
Supports partial matching (e.g., -r 01 finds 01-add-auth-middleware).
For implementation details, see steps/step-00-init.md.
</resume_workflow>
<state_variables> Persist throughout all steps:
| Variable | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
{task_description} | string | What to implement (flags removed) |
{feature_name} | string | Kebab-case name without number (e.g., add-auth-middleware) |
{task_id} | string | Full identifier with number (e.g., 01-add-auth-middleware) |
{acceptance_criteria} | list | Success criteria (inferred or explicit) |
{auto_mode} | boolean | Skip confirmations, use recommended options |
{save_mode} | boolean | Save outputs to .claude/output/apex/ |
{economy_mode} | boolean | No subagents, direct tool usage only |
{branch_mode} | boolean | Verify not on main, create branch if needed |
{interactive_mode} | boolean | Configure flags interactively |
{resume_task} | string | Task ID to resume (if -r provided) |
{output_dir} | string | Full path to output directory |
{branch_name} | string | Created branch name (if branch_mode) |
</state_variables>
<entry_point>
FIRST ACTION: Load steps/step-00-init.md
Step 00 handles:
- Flag parsing (-a, -x, -s, -r, --test)
- Resume mode detection and task lookup
- Output folder creation (if save_mode)
- 00-context.md creation (if save_mode)
- State variable initialization
After initialization, step-00 loads step-01-analyze.md.
</entry_point>
<step_files> Progressive loading - only load current step:
| Step | File | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | steps/step-00-init.md | Parse flags, create output folder, initialize state |
| 01 | steps/step-01-analyze.md | Smart context gathering with 1-10 parallel agents based on complexity |
| 02 | steps/step-02-plan.md | File-by-file implementation strategy |
| 03 | steps/step-03-execute.md | Todo-driven implementation |
| 04 | steps/step-04-validate.md | Self-check, validation, and workflow completion |
</step_files>
<execution_rules>
- Load one step at a time - Only load the current step file
- ULTRA THINK before major decisions
- Persist state variables across all steps
- Follow next_step directive at end of each step
- Save outputs if
{save_mode}= true (append to step file) - Use parallel agents for independent exploration tasks
🧠 Smart Agent Strategy in Analyze Phase
The analyze phase (step-01) uses adaptive agent launching (unless economy_mode):
Available agents:
explore-codebase- Find existing patterns, files, utilitiesexplore-docs- Research library docs (use when unfamiliar with API)websearch- Find approaches, best practices, gotchas
Launch 1-10 agents based on task complexity:
| Complexity | Agents | When |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 1-2 | Bug fix, small tweak |
| Medium | 2-4 | New feature in familiar stack |
| Complex | 4-7 | Unfamiliar libraries, integrations |
| Major | 6-10 | Multiple systems, many unknowns |
BE SMART: Analyze what you actually need before launching. Don't over-launch for simple tasks, don't under-launch for complex ones.
</execution_rules>
<save_output_pattern>
When {save_mode} = true:
Step-00 runs scripts/setup-templates.sh to initialize all output files from templates/ directory.
Each step then:
- Run
scripts/update-progress.sh {task_id} {step_num} {step_name} "in_progress" - Append findings/outputs to the pre-created step file
- Run
scripts/update-progress.sh {task_id} {step_num} {step_name} "complete"
Template system benefits:
- Reduces token usage by ~75% (1,350 tokens saved per workflow)
- Templates in
templates/directory (not inline in steps) - Scripts handle progress tracking automatically
- See
templates/README.mdfor details
</save_output_pattern>
<success_criteria>
- Each step loaded progressively
- All validation checks passing
- Outputs saved if
{save_mode}enabled - Clear completion summary provided </success_criteria>