dispatching parallel agents

Dispatching Parallel Agents Overview When multiple unrelated failures occur (different test files, different subsystems, different bugs), investigating them sequentially wastes time. Each investigation is independent and can happen in parallel. Core principle: Dispatch one agent per independent problem domain. Let them work concurrently. When to Use This Skill Activate this skill when facing: 3+ test files failing with different root causes Multiple subsystems broken independently Each problem is self-contained - can be understood without context from others No shared state between investigations Clear domain boundaries - fixing one won't affect others Don't use when: Failures are related (fix one might fix others) Need to understand full system state first Agents would interfere with each other (editing same files) Exploratory debugging (don't know what's broken yet) The Iron Law One agent, one problem domain, one clear outcome. Never overlap scopes. Never share state. Always integrate consciously. Core Principles Independence is Key Problems must be truly independent - no shared files, no related root causes, no dependencies between fixes. Focus Over Breadth Each agent gets narrow scope: one test file, one subsystem, one clear goal. Broad tasks lead to confusion. Clear Output Required Every agent must return a summary: what was found, what was fixed, what changed. No silent fixes. Conscious Integration Don't blindly merge agent work. Review summaries, check conflicts, run full suite, verify compatibility. Quick Start 1. Identify Independent Domains Group failures by what's broken: File A tests: Tool approval flow File B tests: Batch completion behavior File C tests: Abort functionality Each domain is independent - fixing tool approval doesn't affect abort tests. 2. Create Focused Agent Tasks Each agent gets: Specific scope: One test file or subsystem Clear goal: Make these tests pass Constraints: Don't change other code Expected output: Summary of what you found and fixed → agent-prompts.md for prompt templates and examples 3. Dispatch in Parallel // In Claude Code / AI environment Task ( "Fix agent-tool-abort.test.ts failures" ) Task ( "Fix batch-completion-behavior.test.ts failures" ) Task ( "Fix tool-approval-race-conditions.test.ts failures" ) // All three run concurrently → coordination-patterns.md for dispatch strategies 4. Review and Integrate When agents return: Read each summary - understand what changed Verify fixes don't conflict - check for same file edits Run full test suite - ensure compatibility Spot check changes - agents can make systematic errors → troubleshooting.md for conflict resolution Decision Tree Multiple failures? └→ Are they independent? ├→ NO (related) → Single agent investigates all └→ YES → Can they work in parallel? ├→ NO (shared state) → Sequential agents └→ YES → Parallel dispatch ✓ Key Benefits Parallelization - Multiple investigations happen simultaneously Focus - Each agent has narrow scope, less context to track Independence - Agents don't interfere with each other Speed - N problems solved in time of 1 Navigation Pattern Reference Coordination Patterns - Dispatch strategies, domain identification, integration workflows Agent Management Agent Prompts - Prompt structure, templates, common mistakes, constraints Learning Resources Examples - Real-world scenarios, case studies, time savings analysis Problem Solving Troubleshooting - Conflict resolution, verification strategies, common pitfalls