Quick Start · TCAF

You do not need to read the whole TCAF reference before trying it.

The shortest useful path is:

install → verify → bootstrap or adopt → plan only if needed → task → verify → sync when project state changed.

TCAF constrains AI execution, not the developer. You remain free to inspect, design, write and change the software directly at any time.

1. Install TCAF once

git clone https://github.com/VegGyver/task-contract-ai-development-framework.git
cd task-contract-ai-development-framework
python install.py --adapter auto
tcaf doctor

A healthy installation should report PASS and identify the active runtime and adapter.

See Install TCAF for platform and version-management details.

2. Start from the project you actually have

New project:

tcaf bootstrap --target <project-path> --request "<starting request>"

Existing project:

tcaf adopt --target <project-path>

You can also use --input when you already have specifications, notes, plans or other project material. TCAF treats ordinary material as source evidence; you do not need to convert it into a TCAF template first.

3. Plan only when the work is broader than one task

tcaf plan --target <project-path> --request "<feature or outcome>"

plan proposes dependencies and task boundaries for review. It does not implement code or create Task Contracts.

If the requested change is already small and clear, skip this step.

4. Run one bounded task

tcaf task --target <project-path> --request "<requested change>"

TCAF prepares a Task Contract that makes the important boundary visible:

objective;
allowed edit surface;
behavior to preserve;
acceptance criteria;
relevant checks;
stop conditions.

Review and approve it. The AI can then execute the approved work inside that boundary.

5. Verify, accept and sync when needed

The result should clearly separate what changed from what was actually verified. The developer decides whether the work is accepted.

If the repository or project evidence later changes outside the current run, use:

tcaf sync --target <project-path>

Sync re-reads current evidence and proposes the smallest reconciliation. Its first pass is read-only; updates require a bounded approval.

Adapter note

TCAF 0.4.0 remains model-agnostic, but host validation coverage is not identical:

Codex — native path verified;
Cline — manual-envelope path verified with documented limitations;
native Cline invocation and broader generic-host combinations are not claimed as equivalent verified paths.

See Validation coverage for the precise scope.