Configuration Reference

Configuration Variables

Variable	Description	Default	Where Used
artifact_output_path	Root directory for all artifact output	_cat/artifacts	All workflows
project_name	Display name used in artifact headers	Repository name	All workflows
default_intent_owner	Default owner for new intent artifacts	Empty	Intent workflows
enable_compliance_frontmatter	Add compliance tracking frontmatter to artifacts	true	All workflows
preferred_arc_depth	Default ARC detail level	standard	ARC Builder

Module Structure

CAT organizes capabilities into modules:

cat-core

Core utilities available in every CAT installation.

Capability	Description
Help	Context-aware guidance
Party Mode	Multi-agent roundtable
Advanced Elicitation	Deep critical thinking
Brainstorming	Creative ideation
Reviews	Adversarial, edge-case, editorial
Documentation	Project docs, context generation, indexing

core (v0.2.0)

Foundation module with core utilities. Mirrors cat-core capabilities.

aidlc (v1.0.0)

The AI-Driven Development Lifecycle module containing all phase-specific workflows and agent personas.

Phase	Workflows
Intent	Intent Statement, Brief, Quick Intent, Checkpoint, Research, Features
Architecture	ARC Builder, Quick ARC, AI Validation, UX Design, Readiness Check
Construction	Bolt Writer, Execution, Code Review, Test Plan, Dashboard
Validation	ARC Adherence, Work Acceptance, Compliance Report

Manifest Files

CAT uses CSV manifest files for configuration:

_cat/_config/agent-manifest.csv

Defines agent personas with fields:

Field	Description
name	Agent skill name (e.g., cat-agent-sa)
displayName	Display name
title	Agent’s professional title
icon	Emoji icon
capabilities	Comma-separated capability list
role	Full role description
identity	Persona background
communicationStyle	How the agent communicates
principles	Guiding principles
module	Which module the agent belongs to
path	File path to the agent skill

_cat/_config/skill-manifest.csv

Catalogs all installed skills:

Field	Description
canonicalId	Unique skill identifier
name	Skill command name
description	What the skill does
module	Which module the skill belongs to
path	File path to SKILL.md

_cat/_config/cat-help.csv

The help registry used by cat-help:

Field	Description
module	Module name
phase	DLC phase (1-intent, 2-architecture, etc.)
name	Workflow display name
code	Short code
sequence	Order within phase
command	Invocation command
agent-name	Primary agent
agent-display-name	Agent persona name
description	Workflow description
output-location	Where artifacts are saved
outputs	Expected output filename

Project Files

project-context.md

Generated by cat-generate-project-context. Contains:

• Technology stack and runtime
• Framework and library conventions
• Coding patterns and rules
• Architecture decisions
• Team-specific terminology

All CAT workflows reference this file for project-specific guidance.

_cat/references/dlc-process-reference.md

The DLC process reference document that workflows use to understand phase expectations and artifact requirements.

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See Also: Customize Configuration · Skills Reference · Artifact Outputs