---

name: thread-patterns description: Guide for implementing thread-based engineering patterns. Use when discussing or implementing Base, Parallel, Chained, Fusion, Big, Long, or Zero-Touch thread patterns for agentic coding. allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob

Thread-Based Engineering Patterns

This skill provides guidance on choosing and implementing the right thread pattern for your task.

Quick Reference

Decision Tree

CopyIs it a simple, single task?
├─ YES → Base Thread
└─ NO → Can tasks run independently?
         ├─ YES → Need multiple perspectives?
         │        ├─ YES → Fusion Thread
         │        └─ NO → Parallel Thread
         └─ NO → Is it high-risk/production?
                  ├─ YES → Chained Thread
                  └─ NO → Need specialized agents?
                           ├─ YES → Big Thread
                           └─ NO → Want extended autonomy?
                                    ├─ YES → Have validation suite?
                                    │        ├─ YES → Zero-Touch or Long
                                    │        └─ NO → Long Thread
                                    └─ NO → Base Thread

Pattern Details

Base Thread

When: Simple tasks, learning, experimentation Pattern: Prompt → Tools → Review Example: "Explain this codebase"

Parallel Thread (P)

When: Multiple independent tasks, scaling compute Pattern: Spawn N agents, each on different work Example: Review auth/, api/, and db/ simultaneously

Chained Thread (C)

When: Production work, large migrations, high-risk changes Pattern: Phase 1 → Review → Phase 2 → Review → ... Example: Plan migration → Review → Execute → Review → Validate

Fusion Thread (F)

When: Need high confidence, comparing approaches Pattern: N agents same prompt → Aggregate best Example: 3 reviewers → Synthesize findings

Big Thread (B)

When: Complex workflows needing specialized agents Pattern: Primary agent orchestrates sub-agents Example: Researcher → Reviewer → Builder → Validator

Long Thread (L)

When: Extended autonomous work, self-correcting Pattern: Work → Stop Hook validates → Continue if needed Example: "Fix all bugs until tests pass" (Ralph Wiggum)

Zero-Touch Thread (Z)

When: Mature codebase, comprehensive validation Pattern: Prompt → Work → Auto-validate → Done Example: Automated dependency updates with full CI

Improvement Metrics

You're getting better when you:

1. Run more threads (P-Threads)
2. Run longer threads (L-Threads)
3. Run thicker threads (B-Threads)
4. Run fewer checkpoints (toward Z-Threads)

See Also

• examples.md for detailed code examples
• Plugin commands: /agent-threads:<type>
• Scripts in scripts/ directory