Primitive of the day · 2026-11-03

plan-per-section-no-edits

For each approved section, have the agent write a section-scoped plan — what changes, which other sections/files might be affected, and the smallest change that achieves the goal — returned with zero edits, and execute only after that plan is approved.

When this applies

A mapped-and-approved section is next in line for modification.

Preconditions

• An approved section map with line ranges exists
• The plan prompt explicitly forbids edits at this step

Do this

Prompt the agent for a plan covering intended changes, blast radius, and the minimal sufficient change for this one section; review it; only then authorize execution of that plan.

What you should see

Each edit pass follows a reviewed intent, and the 'smallest change' question caps scope creep per section.

How it fails if ignored

Plans so vague they constrain nothing; planning overhead ballooning on many tiny sections.

Do not use when

Trivial sections where the plan would restate the one-line change; no reviewer available (then the checkpoint discipline is the only gate).

Kind: discipline. Part of the skill Legacy refactor chunk checkpoint. Free to reuse in your own agent skills.