refactor!: remove agent launching, activation, and ancillary features

[ckrough]

Summary

• Remove agent launching functionality (~510 lines)
• Remove workspace activation/current tracking (~150 lines)
• Remove skills generation (~160 lines)
• Remove plan mode configuration (~200 lines)
• Remove workspace sync command (~30 lines)
• Remove CLI context for verbose/quiet flags (~60 lines)
• Update documentation (README.md, CLAUDE.md)

Total reduction: ~1,500 lines (25% of codebase)

Retained core features:

• workspace create - Create isolated workspaces with git worktrees
• workspace list - List all workspaces with purpose descriptions
• workspace status - Show detailed workspace status
• workspace remove - Clean up workspaces
• docs subcommand - Documentation templates

Test plan

• All 266 tests pass
• ruff format/check clean
• mypy strict type checking clean
• bandit security scan clean

Breaking Changes

The following commands have been removed:

• agent launch subcommand
• workspace activate
• workspace current
• workspace sync
• --launch flag on workspace create

[claude]

Code Review

I've reviewed this PR and the refactoring looks solid. The removal of ~1,500 lines (25% of the codebase) is well-executed with good attention to detail. Here's my feedback:

✅ Strengths

1. Clean Simplification

• The PR successfully removes complex features (agent launching, workspace activation, skills generation, plan mode config) while preserving core workspace management
• Code is cleaner and more focused on its primary purpose: git worktree orchestration
• Excellent commit message following Conventional Commits with detailed breakdown

2. Backwards Compatibility Handling

• Properly marked as BREAKING CHANGE in the commit message
• Clear documentation in PR body about what commands were removed
• Updated CLAUDE.md and README.md to reflect the simplified command set

3. Code Quality

• Properly removed dead code without leaving orphaned references
• Test suite reduced from 510 tests to 266 but all pass
• Clean removal of unused imports and dependencies
• Consistent adherence to project conventions (ruff, mypy, bandit all clean)

4. Small Issues Fixed

• src/agentspaces/cli/workspace.py:218: Good consolidation of error handling into _suggest_similar_workspaces() helper
• src/agentspaces/cli/formatters.py:100-119: Next steps simplified appropriately
• Removed verbose/quiet CLI context which wasn't being used effectively

🔍 Observations & Suggestions

1. Metadata Fields Still Present (Minor)
src/agentspaces/modules/workspace/service.py:46-48:

deps_synced_at: datetime | None = None
last_activity_at: datetime | None = None

These fields are still defined in WorkspaceInfo dataclass but are no longer used anywhere (since workspace sync was removed). Consider removing them in a follow-up commit or leaving them if there are plans to reintroduce activity tracking.

Lines: service.py:47-48, 285-286, 341-342

2. Documentation Accuracy
The PR description mentions removing ~1,110 lines but the actual diff shows:

• Additions: 35
• Deletions: 2,977
• Net reduction: ~2,942 lines

This is even better than described! Consider updating the PR description to reflect the accurate numbers.

3. ARG001 Suppression
src/agentspaces/cli/app.py:46:

quiet: bool = typer.Option(  # noqa: ARG001 - reserved for future use

The quiet parameter is kept but unused. If it's truly reserved for future use, this is fine. Otherwise, consider removing it entirely to reduce the API surface.

🎯 Testing & Quality

• All 266 tests passing ✅
• Type checking clean ✅
• Linting clean ✅
• Security scan clean ✅

The test removals are appropriate - they tested features that no longer exist. No evidence of missed test coverage for remaining features.

🔒 Security Considerations

No security concerns identified. The removal of features reduces the attack surface, which is a positive security outcome.

📊 Performance

The simplification should improve:

• CLI startup time (fewer imports, modules)
• Maintenance burden (25% less code to maintain)
• User experience (clearer, more focused tool)

🎬 Recommendation

APPROVE ✅

This is a well-executed refactoring that achieves its stated goals. The breaking changes are clearly documented, the code quality is maintained, and all tests pass. The minor observations above are truly minor and don't block this PR.

The only consideration is whether stakeholders are aligned on removing these features. From a pure code quality perspective, this is excellent work.

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Note: The unused deps_synced_at and last_activity_at fields could be cleaned up in a follow-up PR if desired, but they don't harm anything by remaining.

[claude]

Code Review - PR #25

Overview

This is a massive refactoring effort that successfully removes ~3,000 lines of code (25% of the codebase) while maintaining all core workspace functionality. The PR correctly uses the refactor! conventional commit prefix to indicate breaking changes. All 266 tests passing is an excellent sign of the refactor's quality.

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✅ Strengths

1. Excellent Code Cleanup

• Clean removals: Entire modules deleted cleanly without leaving orphaned imports or references
• Focused scope: The tool now has a clear, singular purpose - workspace orchestration
• Better separation of concerns: Removes tight coupling to Claude Code agent
• Maintained quality: All linting (ruff), type checking (mypy --strict), and security (bandit) checks passing

2. Well-Structured Changes

• Metadata schema updated properly: SCHEMA_VERSION = "3" with clear migration path in src/agentspaces/infrastructure/metadata.py:29-31
• Consistent API simplification: Commands like workspace status now require explicit workspace name (no implicit active workspace)
• Documentation updated: Both CLAUDE.md and README.md reflect the new reduced scope

3. Good Test Coverage

• Removed test files cleanly alongside removed functionality
• Remaining 266 tests all passing shows core features intact
• Test file removals match module removals 1:1

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🔍 Code Quality Observations

1. Simplified CLI (src/agentspaces/cli/app.py:32-53)

Good simplification removing --quiet flag and CLIContext dependency. The new single verbose flag is cleaner and follows YAGNI principle.

2. Status Command Enhancement (src/agentspaces/cli/workspace.py:238-268)

The status command now requires explicit workspace name instead of Optional with active workspace fallback. This is more explicit and predictable - good change for a tool focused on managing multiple workspaces.

3. Metadata Schema Migration (src/agentspaces/infrastructure/metadata.py:27-31)

Good documentation of schema evolution from v1 -> v2 -> v3. The forward-compatible loading at line 148 is excellent and prevents breaking existing workspaces.

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⚠️ Potential Issues & Considerations

1. Breaking Changes - User Migration Path

Severity: Medium

This PR removes major user-facing features with no deprecation period:

• agent launch subcommand
• workspace activate/current/sync
• --launch flag on workspace create

Recommendation: Consider adding to CHANGELOG.md a migration guide section showing:

• What users should do if they were using agent launch (direct claude command usage)
• How existing active workspace tracking will be ignored (no error, just silently unused)

2. Next Steps Output Simplification

Severity: Low

The print_next_steps function in src/agentspaces/cli/formatters.py:100-118 now shows:

1. cd <path>
2. source .venv/bin/activate
3. agentspaces workspace remove <name>

Missing: What users should actually do in the workspace. Consider adding a generic placeholder step between activate and remove to guide users.

3. Formatters Module Cleanup

Severity: Low

In src/agentspaces/cli/formatters.py, removed functions that checked CLIContext.get().quiet. Good cleanup, but verify the datetime import on line 6 is still needed after removing timestamp display fields.

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🔒 Security Review

✅ No security concerns identified

• Atomic file writes still used in metadata.py:86-99
• File size limits maintained (MAX_METADATA_SIZE = 1MB)
• No new subprocess calls or user input handling
• Git operations remain safely wrapped

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🚀 Performance Considerations

✅ Performance improved

• Removing unused features reduces startup time
• Fewer imports and module loading
• Simpler command structure reduces overhead
• No performance regressions expected

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📊 Test Coverage

The PR states all 266 tests pass. Test file deletions are appropriate and match removed modules:

• tests/unit/cli/test_context.py - removed with CLIContext
• tests/unit/infrastructure/test_active.py - removed with active workspace tracking
• tests/unit/infrastructure/test_claude.py - removed with agent launcher
• tests/unit/infrastructure/test_config.py - removed with config system
• tests/unit/infrastructure/test_skills.py - removed with skills generation
• tests/unit/modules/agent/ - removed entire agent module

Recommendation: Consider adding a test to verify that old v2 metadata files can still be loaded (forward compatibility test for schema migration from v2 to v3).

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📝 Documentation Review

CLAUDE.md

✅ Properly updated to remove:

• Agent Skills section
• Skills templates reference
• Launch command examples

README.md

✅ Properly updated to remove:

• Agent integration marketing copy
• Agent launch examples
• Workspace activation commands

Minor suggestion: Consider updating the tagline from "Workspace orchestration for AI coding agents" to just "Workspace orchestration tool" since this is now agent-agnostic.

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🎯 Summary & Recommendation

Overall Assessment: ✅ APPROVE with minor suggestions

This is a well-executed refactoring that:

• ✅ Maintains backward compatibility for workspace data (schema v3 migration)
• ✅ Removes features cleanly without leaving cruft
• ✅ Maintains all tests and code quality checks
• ✅ Updates documentation appropriately
• ✅ Follows conventional commits for breaking changes

Minor improvements suggested:

1. Add migration guide to CHANGELOG.md for users of removed features
2. Consider updating README tagline to be agent-agnostic
3. Consider adding a comment in next steps about what to do in the workspace
4. Verify unused imports are cleaned up (datetime in formatters.py)

No blocking issues identified. The 25% code reduction while maintaining functionality is impressive. This refactor sets a solid foundation for the tool's focused purpose.

The code quality is excellent, following all repository conventions from CLAUDE.md including:

• ✅ Type hints on all functions
• ✅ Google-style docstrings maintained
• ✅ ruff formatting clean
• ✅ mypy --strict passing
• ✅ Conventional commit format

Great work on this significant simplification!

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Review performed by Claude Sonnet 4.5 following repository conventions in CLAUDE.md

[claude]

Pull Request Review: Refactor to Remove Agent Launching and Activation Features

Summary

This PR successfully removes ~1,500 lines of code (25% of codebase) while maintaining core workspace management functionality. The removal is well-executed with proper cleanup of related code, tests, and documentation. All 266 tests pass and code quality checks are clean.

✅ Strengths

1. Clean Architectural Refactoring

• Complete feature removal: Agent launching, workspace activation, skills generation, plan mode config, and sync commands are all fully removed
• No orphaned code: Related imports, CLI context, formatters, and test files properly cleaned up
• Schema versioning: Properly incremented metadata schema from v2 to v3 with clear changelog in comments (src/agentspaces/infrastructure/metadata.py:29-31)
• Backward compatibility: Schema loader handles version mismatches gracefully with warnings (metadata.py:141-148)

2. Excellent Documentation Updates

• README.md and CLAUDE.md properly updated to reflect new reduced scope
• Version bumped appropriately from 0.1.0 → 0.2.0
• Examples in docstrings updated to remove references to deleted features

3. Code Quality

• Type safety: All type hints maintained, mypy strict passing
• Error handling: Proper exception handling throughout with informative messages
• Immutability: WorkspaceInfo and WorkspaceMetadata remain frozen dataclasses
• Atomic operations: Metadata save still uses atomic write pattern (tempfile + rename)

4. Test Coverage

• 266 tests passing (excellent retention)
• Test files properly removed for deleted features
• Remaining tests comprehensive for core functionality

🔍 Code Review Findings

Critical Issues: None ✅

Minor Issues & Suggestions

1. Potential Bug in _ensure_git_exclude_entry (LOW)

Location: src/agentspaces/modules/workspace/service.py:439-440

if exclude_path.exists():
    content = exclude_path.read_text()

Issue: The file existence is checked again inside the append block, but content was already read at line 429. This is redundant and could cause an unnecessary extra read.

Suggestion: Remove the redundant read or restructure to read once.

2. Inconsistent Error Handling Pattern

Location: src/agentspaces/cli/workspace.py:203-204

except (OSError, WorkspaceError):
    pass  # If we can't resolve paths, continue anyway

Observation: Silently swallowing exceptions here might hide real issues. While the comment explains the intent, consider logging at debug level for troubleshooting.

Suggestion:

except (OSError, WorkspaceError) as e:
    logger.debug("path_resolution_failed", error=str(e))

3. Missing Input Validation

Location: src/agentspaces/cli/workspace.py:240-243

The status command now requires a workspace name argument, but there's no validation that the provided name is valid (non-empty, no path traversal chars, etc.).

Observation: While PathResolver likely handles this, explicit validation would improve UX with clearer error messages.

4. Datetime Comparison with datetime.min

Location: src/agentspaces/cli/workspace.py:158

workspaces.sort(key=lambda w: w.created_at or datetime.min, reverse=True)

Issue: datetime.min is timezone-naive, but created_at is timezone-aware (UTC). This works but relies on Python's comparison behavior.

Suggestion: Use datetime.min.replace(tzinfo=UTC) for consistency.

🎯 Breaking Changes Assessment

Well Documented ✅

The PR description clearly lists all breaking changes:

• agent launch subcommand removed
• workspace activate, current, sync removed
• --launch flag on workspace create removed

Migration Path

Users upgrading from 0.1.0 → 0.2.0 will get clear errors for removed commands. Consider adding a brief migration note in CHANGELOG.md for users who relied on these features.

🧪 Testing Observations

Positive

• Test retention rate is excellent (266 tests still passing)
• Tests properly removed for deleted features (no dead test code)
• Test coverage appears comprehensive for remaining features

Considerations

• No new tests added, but none needed for a deletion refactor
• Consider adding a regression test that metadata with old schema versions (v1, v2) can still be loaded successfully

🔐 Security Review

No New Concerns ✅

• Atomic file writes maintained for metadata
• File size checks still in place (MAX_METADATA_SIZE = 1MB)
• No new external inputs or attack surfaces
• Git exclude pattern properly scoped to .agentspace/ directory

Existing Patterns Preserved

• Proper path resolution through PathResolver
• No command injection vectors
• No SQL/template injection risks

📊 Performance Considerations

Positive Impact ✅

• Reduced code surface area (25% reduction) improves maintainability
• Fewer dependencies to manage
• Faster startup time (less code to load)
• Simpler mental model for users

No Performance Regressions

• Core workspace operations remain unchanged
• No new blocking operations introduced
• Metadata I/O patterns unchanged

🎨 Code Style & Conventions

Adherence to Project Standards ✅

Per CLAUDE.md:

• ✅ Python 3.13 compatibility maintained
• ✅ Type hints on all functions
• ✅ Google-style docstrings preserved
• ✅ ruff format/check clean
• ✅ mypy --strict passing
• ✅ Conventional commit message format used

📝 Recommendations

Before Merge

1. Consider the datetime.min fix (workspace.py:158) for cleanliness
2. Add debug logging for swallowed exceptions in path resolution
3. Update CHANGELOG.md with migration notes if not already planned for release

Future Enhancements (Out of Scope)

1. Add integration test for schema migration (v1/v2 → v3)
2. Consider adding workspace name validation at CLI layer
3. Document the .git/info/exclude pattern in architecture docs

✅ Approval Recommendation

Status: APPROVED with minor suggestions

This is a well-executed refactoring that:

• ✅ Maintains all core functionality
• ✅ Properly cleans up related code and tests
• ✅ Updates documentation comprehensively
• ✅ Passes all quality checks (tests, linting, typing, security)
• ✅ Follows project conventions
• ✅ Has no critical issues

The minor suggestions are non-blocking and could be addressed in follow-up PRs if desired.

Excellent work on this architectural simplification! The reduced scope makes the tool more focused and maintainable.

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Review conducted by Claude Code PR Review
Analyzed: 30 changed files, +62/-3,078 lines