docs: add comprehensive RPI workflow documentation#153
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- create why-rpi.md explaining psychology and constraint-based AI behavior - update README.md with RPI framework overview and constraint insight - enhance mode guides with constraint motivation callouts - expand using-together.md with escalation path and decision guide 📚 - Generated by Copilot
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Pull request overview
This PR introduces comprehensive documentation explaining the psychological principles behind the RPI (Research-Plan-Implement) workflow, with a focus on how constraints change AI behavior. The core insight—that AI can't distinguish between investigating and implementing, and that constraints shift its optimization goal from "plausible code" to "verified truth"—is now consistently propagated across all RPI documentation.
Key changes:
- Adds a new foundational document explaining why constraint-based separation improves AI coding quality
- Updates entry points (README.md, RPI overview) to lead with the "why" before the "how"
- Enhances individual mode documentation with concise explanations of how constraints affect each phase
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 8 out of 8 changed files in this pull request and generated 7 comments.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
docs/rpi/why-rpi.md |
New comprehensive document explaining the psychology, quality comparisons, and decision guidance for RPI vs rpi-agent workflows |
README.md |
Rewrites the RPI section to open with the constraint insight and reorders links to prioritize understanding over tutorials |
docs/rpi/README.md |
Enhances "Why Use RPI?" section with concrete benefits and adds TIP callout linking to detailed explanation |
docs/rpi/task-researcher.md |
Adds NOTE callout explaining how the implementation constraint changes research behavior |
docs/rpi/task-planner.md |
Adds NOTE callout explaining how the implementation constraint focuses planning |
docs/rpi/task-implementor.md |
Adds NOTE callout explaining how constraints prevent improvisation during implementation |
docs/rpi/using-together.md |
Expands RPI Agent section with decision guide, escalation path, and link to full explanation |
docs/getting-started/first-workflow.md |
Adds IMPORTANT callout connecting the tutorial to the underlying constraint principles |
agreaves-ms
reviewed
Jan 7, 2026
agreaves-ms
approved these changes
Jan 7, 2026
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Jan 19, 2026
🤖 I have created a release *beep* *boop* --- ## [1.1.0](hve-core-v1.0.0...hve-core-v1.1.0) (2026-01-19) ### ✨ Features * **.devcontainer:** add development container configuration ([#24](#24)) ([45debf5](45debf5)) * **.github:** add github metadata and mcp configuration ([#23](#23)) ([1cb898d](1cb898d)) * **agent:** Add automated installation via hve-core-installer agent ([#82](#82)) ([a2716d5](a2716d5)) * **agents:** add brd-builder.agent.md for building BRDs ([#122](#122)) ([bfdc9f3](bfdc9f3)) * **agents:** redesign installer with Codespaces support and method documentation ([#123](#123)) ([6329fc0](6329fc0)) * **ai:** Establish AI-Assisted Development Framework ([#48](#48)) ([f5199a4](f5199a4)) * **build:** implement automated release management with release-please ([#86](#86)) ([90150e2](90150e2)) * **chatmodes:** add architecture diagram builder agent ([#145](#145)) ([db24637](db24637)) * **config:** add development tools configuration files ([#19](#19)) ([9f97522](9f97522)) * **config:** add npm package configuration and dependencies ([#20](#20)) ([fcba198](fcba198)) * **copilot:** add GitHub Copilot instruction files ([#22](#22)) ([4927284](4927284)) * **copilot:** add specialized chat modes for development workflows ([#21](#21)) ([ae8495f](ae8495f)) * **docs:** add comprehensive AI artifact contribution documentation ([#76](#76)) ([d81cf96](d81cf96)) * **docs:** add getting started guide for project configuration ([#57](#57)) ([3b864fa](3b864fa)) * **docs:** add repository foundation and documentation files ([#18](#18)) ([ad7efb6](ad7efb6)), closes [#2](#2) * **docs:** add RPI workflow documentation and restructure docs folder ([#102](#102)) ([c3af708](c3af708)) * **extension:** hve core vs code extension ([#149](#149)) ([041a1fd](041a1fd)) * **extension:** implement pre-release versioning with agent maturity filtering ([#179](#179)) ([fb38233](fb38233)) * **instructions:** add authoring standards for prompt engineering artifacts ([#177](#177)) ([5de3af9](5de3af9)) * **instructions:** add extension quick install and enhance installer agent ([#176](#176)) ([48e3d58](48e3d58)) * **instructions:** add VS Code variant prompt and gitignore recommendation to installer ([#185](#185)) ([b400493](b400493)) * **instructions:** add writing style guide for markdown content ([#151](#151)) ([02df6a8](02df6a8)) * **instructions:** consolidate C# guidelines and update prompt agent fields ([#158](#158)) ([65342d4](65342d4)) * **instructions:** provide guidance on using safe commands to reduce interactive prompting ([#117](#117)) ([1268580](1268580)) * **linting:** add linting and validation scripts ([#26](#26)) ([66be136](66be136)) * **prompt-builder:** enhance prompt engineering instructions and validation protocols ([#155](#155)) ([bc5004f](bc5004f)) * **prompts:** add ADR placement planning and update template paths ([#69](#69)) ([380885f](380885f)) * **prompts:** add git workflow prompts from edge-ai ([#84](#84)) ([56d66b6](56d66b6)) * **prompts:** add github-add-issue prompt and github-issue-manager chatmode with delegation pattern ([#55](#55)) ([d0e1789](d0e1789)) * **prompts:** add PR template discovery and integration to pull-request prompt ([#141](#141)) ([b8a4c7a](b8a4c7a)) * **prompts:** add task research initiation prompt and rpi agent([#124](#124)) ([5113e3b](5113e3b)) * **release:** implement release management strategy ([#161](#161)) ([6164c3b](6164c3b)) * Risk Register Prompt ([#146](#146)) ([843982c](843982c)) * **scripts:** enhanced JSON Schema validation for markdown frontmatter ([#59](#59)) ([aba152c](aba152c)) * **security:** add checksum validation infrastructure ([#106](#106)) ([07528fb](07528fb)) * **security:** add security scanning scripts ([#25](#25)) ([82de5a1](82de5a1)) * **workflows:** add CodeQL security analysis to PR validation ([#132](#132)) ([e5b6e8f](e5b6e8f)) * **workflows:** add orchestration workflows and documentation ([#29](#29)) ([de442e0](de442e0)) * **workflows:** add security reusable workflows ([#28](#28)) ([2c74399](2c74399)) * **workflows:** add validation reusable workflows ([#27](#27)) ([f52352d](f52352d)) ### 🐛 Bug Fixes * **build:** add token parameter to release-please action ([#166](#166)) ([c9189ec](c9189ec)) * **build:** disable MD012 lint rule in CHANGELOG for release-please compatibility ([#173](#173)) ([54502d8](54502d8)), closes [#172](#172) * **build:** pin npm commands for OpenSSF Scorecard compliance ([#181](#181)) ([c29db54](c29db54)) * **build:** remediate GHSA-g9mf-h72j-4rw9 undici vulnerability ([#188](#188)) ([634bf36](634bf36)) * **build:** seed CHANGELOG.md with version entry for release-please frontmatter preservation ([#170](#170)) ([2b299ac](2b299ac)) * **build:** use GitHub App token for release-please ([#167](#167)) ([070e042](070e042)) * **build:** use hashtable splatting for named parameters ([#164](#164)) ([02a965f](02a965f)) * **devcontainer:** remove unused Python requirements check ([#78](#78)) ([f17a872](f17a872)), closes [#77](#77) * **docs:** fix broken links and update validation for .vscode/README.md ([#118](#118)) ([160ae7a](160ae7a)) * **docs:** improve language consistency in Automated Installation section ([#139](#139)) ([a932918](a932918)) * **docs:** replace install button anchor with VS Code protocol handler ([#111](#111)) ([41a265e](41a265e)) * **docs:** update install badges to use aka.ms redirect URLs ([#114](#114)) ([868f655](868f655)) * **linting:** use cross-platform path separators in gitignore pattern matching ([#121](#121)) ([3f0aa1b](3f0aa1b)) * **scripts:** accepts the token (YYYY-MM-dd) in frontmatter validation ([#133](#133)) ([2648215](2648215)) * **tools:** correct Method 5 path resolution in hve-core-installer ([#129](#129)) ([57ef20d](57ef20d)) ### 📚 Documentation * add comprehensive RPI workflow documentation ([#153](#153)) ([cbaa4a9](cbaa4a9)) * enhance README with contributing, responsible AI, and legal sections ([#52](#52)) ([a424adc](a424adc)) ### ♻️ Refactoring * **instructions:** consolidate and enhance AI artifact guidelines ([#206](#206)) ([54dd959](54dd959)) * migrate chatmodes to agents architecture ([#210](#210)) ([712b0b7](712b0b7)) ### 🔧 Maintenance * **build:** clean up workflow permissions for Scorecard compliance ([#183](#183)) ([64686e7](64686e7)) * **deps-dev:** bump cspell in the npm-dependencies group ([#61](#61)) ([38650eb](38650eb)) * **deps-dev:** bump glob from 10.4.5 to 10.5.0 ([#74](#74)) ([b3ca9fd](b3ca9fd)) * **deps-dev:** bump markdownlint-cli2 from 0.19.1 to 0.20.0 in the npm-dependencies group ([#134](#134)) ([ebfbe84](ebfbe84)) * **deps-dev:** bump the npm-dependencies group across 1 directory with 2 updates ([#109](#109)) ([936ab84](936ab84)) * **deps-dev:** bump the npm-dependencies group with 2 updates ([#30](#30)) ([cf99cbf](cf99cbf)) * **deps:** bump actions/upload-artifact from 5.0.0 to 6.0.0 in the github-actions group ([#142](#142)) ([91eac8a](91eac8a)) * **deps:** bump js-yaml, markdown-link-check and markdownlint-cli2 ([#75](#75)) ([af03d0e](af03d0e)) * **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 2 updates ([#108](#108)) ([3e56313](3e56313)) * **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 2 updates ([#135](#135)) ([4538a03](4538a03)) * **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 2 updates ([#62](#62)) ([d1e0c09](d1e0c09)) * **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 3 updates ([#87](#87)) ([ed550f4](ed550f4)) * **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 6 updates ([#162](#162)) ([ec5bb12](ec5bb12)) * **devcontainer:** enhance gitleaks installation with checksum verification ([#100](#100)) ([5a8507d](5a8507d)) * **devcontainer:** refactor setup scripts for improved dependency management ([#94](#94)) ([f5f50d1](f5f50d1)), closes [#98](#98) * **security:** configure GitHub branch protection for OpenSSF compliance ([#191](#191)) ([90aab1a](90aab1a)) --- This PR was generated with [Release Please](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please). See [documentation](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please#release-please). Co-authored-by: hve-core-release-please[bot] <254602402+hve-core-release-please[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
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Summary
This PR adds a new "why-rpi.md" document explaining the psychology behind constraint-based AI workflows and propagates consistent messaging about the RPI framework across all RPI documentation. The core insight—AI can't distinguish between investigating and implementing, and constraints change the goal—now appears throughout the documentation ecosystem.
Changes
docs(rpi): create
why-rpi.mdexplaining the psychology of constraint-based AI behavior, quality comparisons between traditional and RPI approaches, and guidance for choosing between strict RPI and rpi-agentdocs(root): rewrite README.md "Try the RPI Workflow" section with the constraint insight, reorder bullets to lead with "why" before tutorial
docs(rpi): enhance README.md "Why Use RPI?" section with key benefits (pattern matching, traceability, knowledge transfer) and TIP callout linking to why-rpi.md
docs(rpi): add NOTE callouts to task-researcher.md, task-planner.md, and task-implementor.md explaining why constraints matter for each mode
docs(rpi): expand using-together.md with "RPI Agent: When Simplicity Fits" section, quick decision guide table, and escalation path
docs(getting-started): add IMPORTANT callout to first-workflow.md connecting the tutorial to the underlying constraint insight
Related Issue
Closes #152
📚 - Generated by Copilot