PLATE Template

plate_template is the canonical starter repository for the Process Lifecycle Agentic Task Engine (PLATE) methodology.

PLATE is a GitHub-first delivery model where:

• Humans keep judgment (scope, risk, approvals, releases).
• Agents do the toil (implementation, docs, triage, repetitive operations).
• GitHub holds truth (issues, labels, PRs, checks, SPEC.md, CURRENT.md, wiki artifacts).

What a PLATE project is

A PLATE project is a repository that uses typed work items and durable artifacts to keep autonomous work reviewable and reversible.

Core characteristics:

• Typed issue taxonomy (Feature, Bug, Research, Design, Question, etc.).
• Epic traceability via Epic: short-name labels.
• PR type labels (Feature, Bug, Documentation, Feedback Response).
• Required evidence updates (CURRENT.md, docs, tests) aligned to issue type.
• Guardrails in workflows for label validity, issue linkage, and documentation quality.

See AGENTS.md for the full operating doctrine and authority model.

Project truth model

PLATE separates future intent from present reality:

• SPEC.md describes desired future state (vision, users, goals, constraints).
• CURRENT.md describes what is actually implemented and verified today.

If a claim is not supported by CURRENT.md, it should be treated as planned work.

Getting started: PLATE onboarding

1. Create your repository from this template

Use GitHub's "Use this template" flow to create a new repository.

2. Run repository bootstrap

From the new repository root:

macOS / Linux / WSL

bash scripts/bootstrap_github.sh --repo OWNER/REPO --local-repo . --owner-handle @your-handle --remove-default-labels --set-delete-branch-on-merge --protect-branch main

Windows (PowerShell)

.\scripts\BootstrapGitHub.ps1 -Repo OWNER/REPO -LocalRepo . -OwnerHandle @your-handle -RemoveDefaultLabels -SetDeleteBranchOnMerge -ProtectBranch main

Both bootstrap scripts run a runtime-aware local toolchain preflight (scripts/check_toolchain.sh or scripts/CheckToolchain.ps1) before GitHub mutations.

See docs/bootstrap/new-repository-checklist.md for what is automated vs. what still requires human decisions.

3. Answer the onboarding questions

Use the default PLATE onboarding question set to establish durable project context:

1. Project identity and purpose
2. New project vs migration
3. Primary users and outcome
4. Team size / operating model
5. Preferred stack and deployment target
6. Notification and budget posture
7. Testing posture
8. First Epic and first Feature

Reference: docs/design/default-questions.md.

4. Create first Epic labels and starter issues

Create 1-3 real Epic: short-name labels, then open your first Epic and Feature issues using the repository templates.

5. Ship the first atomic PR

Open a small PR with:

• one PR type label,
• closing keyword (Closes #N),
• updated evidence (CURRENT.md and/or docs/tests as required by issue type).

Repository map

• AGENTS.md - operating rules and authority boundaries
• SPEC.md - future-state product intent
• CURRENT.md - implemented-state record
• CONTRIBUTING.md - contributor expectations and traceability rules
• .agentic/ - machine-readable process and skill metadata
• docs/bootstrap/ - new repo setup guidance
• docs/design/, docs/research/, docs/wiki/ - durable artifacts
• .github/workflows/ - enforcement and automation checks

Keeping Your Fork Current

If your repository started from an older plate_template release and has local process customizations, avoid full-file replacement during upgrades.

Use this sync flow:

1. Fetch upstream template updates (git fetch upstream) and review diffs for AGENTS.md, .agentic/skills.yml, CURRENT.md, and workflows in .github/workflows/ that contain PLATES-CORE markers.
2. Import only upstream-owned PLATES-CORE sections into your customized files.
3. Preserve local sections outside those markers.
4. Open an atomic PR with the correct PR type label and issue linkage (Closes #N when applicable).
5. Update your CURRENT.md entry with imported behavior and evidence.
6. Run required checks before merge.

This keeps downstream repos aligned with new core PLATE behavior without erasing project-specific policy.