Oracle

Oracle bundles your prompt + codebase files into a single request for GPT-5.2 Codex. Use it when planning is complex and requires deep, extended thinking.

When to Use Oracle

Trigger	Why
5+ specs needed	Complex dependency management
Unclear dependency graph	Needs analysis
Architecture decisions	Extended thinking helps
Migration planning	Requires careful sequencing
Performance optimization	Needs deep code analysis
Any planning >10 minutes	Offload to Codex

When NOT to Use Oracle

• Simple 1-2 spec tasks
• Clear, linear implementations
• Bug fixes
• Quick refactors

Prerequisites

Oracle CLI installed:

npm install -g @steipete/oracle

Or use npx:

npx -y @steipete/oracle --help

Workflow

Step 1: Craft the Prompt

Write to /tmp/oracle-prompt.txt:

Create a detailed implementation plan for [TASK].

## Context
- Project: [what the project does]
- Stack: [frameworks, languages, tools]
- Location: [key directories and files]

## Requirements
[ALL requirements gathered from human]
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
- Features needed:
  - [Feature A]
  - [Feature B]
- NOT needed: [explicit out-of-scope]

## Plan Structure

Output as plan.md with this structure:

# Plan: [Task Name]

## Overview
[Summary + recommended approach]

## Phase N: [Phase Name]
### Task N.M: [Task Name]
- Location: [file paths]
- Description: [what to do]
- Dependencies: [task IDs this depends on]
- Complexity: [1-10]
- Acceptance Criteria: [specific, testable]

## Dependency Graph
[Which tasks run parallel vs sequential]

## Testing Strategy
[What tests prove success]

## Instructions
- Write complete plan to plan.md
- Do NOT ask clarifying questions
- Be specific and actionable
- Include file paths and code locations

Step 2: Preview Token Count

npx -y @steipete/oracle --dry-run summary --files-report \
  -p "$(cat /tmp/oracle-prompt.txt)" \
  --file "src/**" \
  --file "!**/*.test.*" \
  --file "!**/*.snap" \
  --file "!node_modules" \
  --file "!dist"

Target: <196k tokens

If over budget:

• Narrow file selection
• Exclude more test/build directories
• Split into focused prompts

Step 3: Run Oracle

npx -y @steipete/oracle \
  --engine browser \
  --model gpt-5.2-codex \
  --slug "vertical-plan-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M)" \
  -p "$(cat /tmp/oracle-prompt.txt)" \
  --file "src/**" \
  --file "convex/**" \
  --file "!**/*.test.*" \
  --file "!**/*.snap" \
  --file "!node_modules" \
  --file "!dist"

Why browser engine:

• GPT-5.2 Codex runs take 10-60 minutes (normal)
• Browser mode handles long runs
• Sessions stored in ~/.oracle/sessions
• Can reattach if timeout

Step 4: Monitor

Tell the human:

Oracle is running. This typically takes 10-60 minutes.
I will check status periodically.

Check status:

npx -y @steipete/oracle status --hours 1

Step 5: Reattach (if timeout)

If the CLI times out, do NOT re-run. Reattach:

npx -y @steipete/oracle session <session-id> --render > /tmp/oracle-result.txt

Step 6: Read Output

Oracle writes plan.md to current directory. Read it:

cat plan.md

Step 7: Transform to Specs

Convert Oracle's phases/tasks → spec YAML files:

Oracle Output	Spec YAML
Phase N	Group of related specs
Task N.M	Individual spec file
Dependencies	pr.base field
Location	building_spec.files
Acceptance Criteria	verification_spec

File Attachment Patterns

Include:

--file "src/**"
--file "prisma/**"
--file "convex/**"

Exclude:

--file "!**/*.test.*"
--file "!**/*.spec.*"
--file "!**/*.snap"
--file "!node_modules"
--file "!dist"
--file "!build"
--file "!coverage"
--file "!.next"

Default ignored: node_modules, dist, coverage, .git, .turbo, .next, build, tmp

Size limit: Files >1MB are rejected

Prompt Templates

For Authentication

Create a detailed implementation plan for adding authentication.

## Context
- Project: [app name]
- Stack: Next.js, Prisma, PostgreSQL
- Location: src/pages/api/ for API, src/components/ for UI

## Requirements
- Methods: Email/password + Google OAuth
- Roles: Admin and User
- Features: Password reset, email verification
- NOT needed: 2FA, SSO

## Plan Structure
[standard structure]

For API Development

Create a detailed implementation plan for building a REST API.

## Context
- Project: [app name]
- Stack: [framework]
- Location: src/api/ for routes

## Requirements
- Resources: [entities]
- Auth: [method]
- Rate limiting: [yes/no]
- NOT needed: [out of scope]

## Plan Structure
[standard structure]

For Migration

Create a detailed implementation plan for migrating [from] to [to].

## Context
- Current: [current state]
- Target: [target state]
- Constraints: [downtime, rollback needs]

## Requirements
- Data to migrate: [what]
- Dual-write period: [yes/no]
- Rollback strategy: [required]

## Plan Structure
[standard structure]

Important Rules

1. One-shot execution - Oracle doesn't interact, just outputs
2. Always gpt-5.2-codex - Use Codex model for coding tasks
3. File output: plan.md - Always outputs to current directory
4. Don't re-run on timeout - Reattach to session instead
5. Use --force sparingly - Only for intentional duplicate runs

After Oracle Runs

1. Read plan.md
2. Review phases and tasks
3. Present breakdown to human for approval
4. Transform to spec YAMLs
5. Continue planner workflow