Edit MTHDS bundles

Modify existing MTHDS method bundles.

Mode Selection

See Mode Selection for general mode behavior.

Default: Automatic for clear, specific changes. Interactive for ambiguous or multi-step modifications.

Detection heuristics:

• "Rename X to Y" → automatic
• "Update the prompt in pipe Z" with new text provided → automatic
• "Add a step to do X" (open-ended) → interactive
• "Refactor this pipeline" (subjective) → interactive
• Multiple changes requested at once → interactive (confirm the plan)

Process

Prerequisite: See CLI Prerequisites

1. Read the existing .mthds file — Understand current structure before making changes

2. Understand requested changes:

   • What pipes need to be added, removed, or modified?
   • What concepts need to change?
   • Does the method structure need refactoring?

   Interactive checkpoint: Present a summary of planned changes. Ask "Does this plan look right?" before proceeding to step 3.

   Automatic: Proceed directly to step 3. State planned changes in one line.

3. Apply changes:

   • Maintain proper pipe ordering (controllers before sub-pipes)
   • Keep TOML formatting consistent
   • Preserve cross-references between pipes
   • Keep inputs on a single line
   • Maintain POSIX standard (empty line at end, no trailing whitespace)

4. Validate after editing:

   mthds-agent pipelex validate <file>.mthds -L <bundle-dir>/
   

   If errors, see Error Handling Reference for recovery strategies by error domain. Use /fix skill for automatic error resolution.

5. Regenerate inputs if needed:

   • If inputs changed, run mthds-agent pipelex inputs <file>.mthds -L <bundle-dir>/
   • Update existing inputs.json if present

6. Present completion:

   • If inputs were regenerated (step 5 triggered), show the path to the updated file.
   • Provide a concrete CLI example. If inputs.json contains placeholder values, suggest the safe dry-run command first:

     To try the updated method now, use /run or from the terminal:

     mthds run <bundle-dir>/ --dry-run --mock-inputs
     

     To run with real data, use /inputs to prepare your inputs (provide your own files, or generate synthetic test data), then:

     mthds run <bundle-dir>/
     

Common Edit Operations

• Add a pipe: Define concept if needed, add pipe in correct order
• Modify a prompt: Update prompt text, check variable references
• Change inputs/outputs: Update type, regenerate inputs
• Add batch processing: Add batch_over (plural list name) and batch_as (singular item name) to step — they must be different
• Refactor to sequence: Wrap multiple pipes in PipeSequence

Reference

• CLI Prerequisites — read at skill start to check CLI availability
• Error Handling — read when CLI returns an error to determine recovery
• MTHDS Agent Guide — read for CLI command syntax or output format details
• MTHDS Language Reference — read when writing or modifying .mthds TOML syntax
• Native Content Types — read when using $var.field in prompts or from in construct blocks, to know which attributes each native concept exposes
• Talents & Presets — read when setting or changing the model field in a pipe, to find the correct preset name