docs: Add comprehensive ACP Constitution

[jeremyeder]

Summary

• Add constitution template to project documentation
• Expand constitution from template to comprehensive governance document
• Establish 10 core principles for the Ambient Code Platform

Changes

Constitution Document (.specify/memory/constitution.md)

Transformed from placeholder template to comprehensive 360+ line governance document:

Core Principles (10 total):

1. Kubernetes-Native Architecture - CRDs, Operators, Jobs, RBAC
2. Security & Multi-Tenancy First - Authentication, authorization, token security
3. Type Safety & Error Handling - No panic, explicit errors, type-safe unstructured access
4. Test-Driven Development - Contract, integration, unit, permission, E2E tests
5. Component Modularity - Single-responsibility modules, no cyclic dependencies
6. Observability & Monitoring - Structured logging, health/metrics endpoints
7. Resource Lifecycle Management - OwnerReferences, idempotency, cleanup
8. Context Engineering & Prompt Optimization - Token budgets, prompt templates
9. Data Access & Knowledge Augmentation - RAG, MCP, RLHF
10. Commit Discipline & Code Review - Line count thresholds, atomic commits, conventional format

Development Standards:

• Go code guidelines (formatting, error handling, K8s client patterns)
• Frontend guidelines (Shadcn UI, React Query, type safety)
• Python guidelines (virtual environments, uv, black/isort)

Deployment & Operations:

• Pre-deployment validation commands
• Production security, monitoring, scaling requirements

Governance:

• Amendment process with semantic versioning
• Compliance requirements and development guidance

Documentation (docs/reference/constitution.md)

Added reference documentation with link to constitution source

MkDocs Configuration (mkdocs.yml)

Added constitution to reference section of documentation site

Test plan

• Markdown linting passes (line length warnings ignored per project standards)
• Verify documentation renders correctly on MkDocs site
• Review all 10 principles for clarity and applicability
• Validate development standards match current project practices
• Confirm governance process is practical and enforceable

Follow-up TODOs

As noted in constitution changelog:

• Implement /metrics endpoints in all components
• Create prompt template library
• Design RAG pipeline architecture
• Add commit size validation tooling (pre-commit hook or CI check)
• Update PR template to include commit discipline checklist

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[github-actions]

Code Review - PR #256: Add comprehensive ACP Constitution

Overall Assessment

This is an excellent contribution that establishes critical governance for the Ambient Code Platform. The constitution is comprehensive, well-structured, and directly addresses real pain points observed in the codebase. The document demonstrates deep understanding of the project's architecture and best practices.

Strengths

1. Content Quality ✅

• Comprehensive Coverage: All 10 principles address critical aspects of the platform (K8s-native, security, type safety, TDD, modularity, observability, lifecycle, context engineering, knowledge augmentation, commit discipline)
• Actionable Guidance: Each principle includes concrete requirements, not just abstract ideals
• Strong Rationales: Every principle explains why it matters, which helps developers understand the impact of violations
• Practical Examples: References to actual patterns in the codebase (e.g., GetK8sClientsForRequest(), unstructured.Nested*)

2. Security & Multi-Tenancy (Principle II) ✅

• Correctly emphasizes user token authentication over service account fallbacks
• Explicit prohibition of token logging with redaction requirements
• Container security requirements are production-ready

3. Type Safety & Error Handling (Principle III) ✅

• NON-NEGOTIABLE designation is appropriate given the criticality
• Explicit ban on panic() in production code aligns with operator stability requirements
• Type-safe unstructured access pattern matches components/backend/ best practices

4. Commit Discipline (Principle X) ✅

• Line count thresholds are reasonable and backed by research (30-minute review window)
• Mandatory exceptions handle legitimate edge cases (generated code, migrations)
• Measurement guidelines clearly define what counts (source code) vs. what doesn't (lock files)
• Atomic commit requirements enable effective git bisect

5. Documentation Integration ✅

• Constitution added to MkDocs reference section
• Template file preserved in docs/reference/constitution.md for future projects
• Clear versioning and amendment process

Issues & Recommendations

1. CRITICAL: Wrong File in docs/reference/constitution.md ❌

The file docs/reference/constitution.md contains the template, not the actual ACP Constitution. This will confuse users visiting the documentation site.

Expected: Link to or duplicate the actual constitution from .specify/memory/constitution.md
Actual: Generic placeholder template

Recommendation:

# Option A: Symlink (if MkDocs supports it)
ln -s ../../.specify/memory/constitution.md docs/reference/constitution.md

# Option B: Copy the actual content
cp .specify/memory/constitution.md docs/reference/constitution.md

# Option C: Create a redirect/reference page
# docs/reference/constitution.md should say:
# "See the [ACP Constitution](../../.specify/memory/constitution.md) for project governance."

2. Principle VI: Metrics Endpoint - Implementation Gap ⚠️

The constitution states "/metrics endpoints REQUIRED for all services", but:

• Backend (components/backend/): No Prometheus metrics currently implemented
• Frontend: Not applicable (but health check missing)
• Operator (components/operator/): No metrics endpoint

Recommendation:

• Add TODO item to implement metrics endpoints (already in follow-up TODOs, good!)
• Consider marking this as "SHOULD" instead of "REQUIRED" until implementation plan exists
• Or add timeline: "REQUIRED by version 1.0" to set expectations

3. Principle VIII: Context Engineering - vTeam Branding ⚠️

Line 149 says "vTeam is a context engineering hub" but the project was renamed to "Ambient Code Platform" (ACP). This inconsistency may confuse readers.

Recommendation: Update to "The Ambient Code Platform is a context engineering hub"

4. Principle X: Commit Line Limits - Self-Violation ⚠️

This PR itself has +402 -35 lines = 367 net additions, which:

• Falls into "Documentation" category (≤200 lines per constitution)
• But the constitution also says "Can be larger for initial docs"

This creates ambiguity. Is this PR compliant or an exception?

Recommendation:

• Add explicit note: "Initial constitution creation is exempt from documentation line limits"
• Or split into 2 commits: (1) Template + structure (2) Principles content

5. Governance: Missing Enforcement Mechanism ⚠️

The constitution states "All pull requests MUST verify constitution compliance" but doesn't specify how:

• No pre-commit hook mentioned
• No CI check defined
• No reviewer checklist template

Recommendation:

• Add to "Follow-up TODOs": Create PR template with constitution compliance checklist
• Consider GitHub Actions workflow to check commit size (already in TODOs, good!)

6. Minor: Markdown Linting ✅ (with note)

The changelog mentions "line length warnings ignored per project standards". This should be documented somewhere (e.g., .markdownlint.json or CLAUDE.md) to avoid confusion.

7. Versioning: DRAFT Status ℹ️

Version is "0.1.0 (DRAFT)". When will this be ratified? Consider adding:

• Target ratification date
• Required approvals (e.g., "Requires 2 maintainer approvals")
• Migration plan for existing code that violates principles

Testing & Validation

Test Plan Status

• Markdown linting passes ✅
• Verify documentation renders correctly on MkDocs site ⚠️ BLOCKED by Issue Outcome: Reduce Refinement Time with agent System #1
• Review all 10 principles (in progress)
• Validate development standards (looks good)
• Confirm governance process (needs enforcement mechanism)

Recommendation: Deploy MkDocs site locally to verify:

mkdocs serve
# Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/reference/constitution/

Security Concerns

None identified. The security principles (Principle II) are excellent and address real vulnerabilities.

Performance Considerations

• Constitution document size (367 lines) is reasonable for reference documentation
• No runtime performance impact (pure documentation)

Best Practices Alignment

Excellent Alignment ✅

• CLAUDE.md Integration: Constitution references CLAUDE.md for runtime guidance (avoids duplication)
• Semantic Versioning: MAJOR/MINOR/PATCH policy is clear and appropriate
• Amendment Process: Structured approach with migration planning

Suggestions

• Cross-References: Link principles to actual code examples in GitHub
  • Example: Principle III → Link to components/backend/handlers/sessions.go:227 (user token pattern)
• Success Metrics: How will compliance be measured?
  • Example: "By Q2 2026, 80% of backend handlers use GetK8sClientsForRequest()"

Action Items

Before Merge (Critical):

1. Fix docs/reference/constitution.md to contain actual ACP Constitution, not template

Before Ratification (Recommended):
2. Update "vTeam" → "Ambient Code Platform" in Principle VIII
3. Clarify metrics endpoint timeline ("REQUIRED by v1.0" or move to SHOULD)
4. Add enforcement mechanism to governance section
5. Document markdown line length exception in project config
6. Verify MkDocs rendering locally

Post-Merge (Follow-up):
7. Implement metrics endpoints (already in TODOs)
8. Create PR template with constitution checklist (already in TODOs)
9. Add commit size validation tooling (already in TODOs)
10. Create prompt template library (already in TODOs)

Verdict

APPROVE with required fix for Issue #1 (wrong file in docs/reference/).

This constitution is a significant step forward for project governance. The principles are sound, well-justified, and aligned with production best practices. Once the documentation rendering issue is fixed, this should be merged and used as the foundation for future development.

The irony that this PR about commit discipline is itself large is noted, but the "initial docs" exception is reasonable. Consider making that exception explicit in the final document.

Estimated review time: 45 minutes (constitution deserves thorough review)
Overall quality: 9/10 (would be 10/10 with fixes)

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Review conducted per CLAUDE.md guidelines with focus on constitution applicability, governance enforceability, and documentation accuracy.

[github-actions]

Code Review: ACP Constitution

Summary

This PR introduces a comprehensive governance document for the Ambient Code Platform. The constitution establishes 10 core principles covering architecture, security, development practices, and operational standards. Overall, this is a well-structured and valuable addition to the project documentation.

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✅ Strengths

1. Comprehensive Coverage

The 10 principles cover all critical aspects of platform development:

• Technical architecture (K8s-native, modularity, lifecycle management)
• Security and multi-tenancy (authentication, authorization, isolation)
• Code quality (type safety, error handling, testing)
• Operations (observability, monitoring, deployment)
• AI-specific concerns (context engineering, knowledge augmentation)
• Development discipline (commit standards, code review)

2. Clear Rationale

Each principle includes a "Rationale" section explaining why it matters. This is excellent for developer buy-in and understanding the underlying philosophy.

Example:

Rationale: Runtime panics crash operator loops and kill services. Type assertions without checks cause nil pointer dereferences.

3. Actionable Standards

The document provides concrete, measurable requirements rather than vague guidance:

• Specific line count thresholds (bug fix ≤150, feature ≤300/500)
• Explicit commands for validation (gofmt -l ., golangci-lint run)
• Clear conventions (conventional commits, semantic versioning)

4. Well-Organized Structure

The progression from principles → development standards → deployment → governance is logical and easy to follow.

5. Proper Integration

• Added to MkDocs navigation (reference section)
• Template remains available for future projects
• Clear versioning (0.1.0 DRAFT) with changelog

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🔍 Issues & Recommendations

1. Documentation File Confusion ⚠️ CRITICAL

Issue: The PR adds docs/reference/constitution.md as a template placeholder instead of the actual constitution content.

Current state:

• .specify/memory/constitution.md - Full 366-line constitution ✅
• docs/reference/constitution.md - 50-line placeholder template ❌

Expected state:
Users visiting the MkDocs site will see placeholder text like [PROJECT_NAME] and [PRINCIPLE_1_NAME] instead of the actual ACP Constitution.

Recommendation:
Replace docs/reference/constitution.md content with the actual constitution (copy from .specify/memory/constitution.md), OR create a link/redirect:

# ACP Constitution

The Ambient Code Platform Constitution is maintained in the project's specification directory.

**[View the full ACP Constitution](.specify/memory/constitution.md)**

## Summary
The constitution establishes 10 core principles...
(brief summary or table of contents here)

Impact: HIGH - Users cannot access the constitution through the documentation site.

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2. Principle X Self-Violation ⚠️ MODERATE

Issue: Principle X (Commit Discipline) states:

Documentation: ≤200 lines

This PR adds 351 lines to .specify/memory/constitution.md (from 50 to 366 total).

Counter-argument: The principle includes an exception:

• Documentation: ≤200 lines
  • Pure documentation changes
  • Can be larger for initial docs

Recommendation:
Add explicit justification in the PR description or commit message citing the "initial docs" exception. Consider whether 366 lines for a single document warrants splitting (e.g., separate files for principles, development standards, governance).

Impact: MODERATE - Demonstrates the constitution's flexibility but needs clear justification.

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3. Principle VIII Specificity 💡 ENHANCEMENT

Issue: Principle VIII mentions specific token limits and model versions:

Context Budgets: Respect token limits (200K for Claude Sonnet 4.5)

Concern: Model specifications change frequently. Hardcoding "Claude Sonnet 4.5" may become outdated.

Recommendation:
Use more generic phrasing:

Context Budgets: Respect token limits for configured models (e.g., 200K for current Claude models)

Impact: LOW - Future maintenance consideration.

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4. Missing Follow-up Tracking 💡 ENHANCEMENT

Issue: The changelog includes follow-up TODOs:

• Implement /metrics endpoints in all components
• Create prompt template library
• Design RAG pipeline architecture
• Add commit size validation tooling
• Update PR template to include commit discipline checklist

Recommendation:
Create GitHub issues for these follow-up tasks and reference them in the PR description. This ensures they don't get lost.

Impact: LOW - Process improvement.

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5. Principle IX Implementation Gaps 💡 ENHANCEMENT

Issue: Principle IX (Data Access & Knowledge Augmentation) describes RAG, MCP, and RLHF, but these are aspirational rather than current capabilities.

Current state: The platform doesn't yet implement:

• Semantic chunking and embedding of repository contents
• MCP server integration
• User feedback collection (thumbs up/down)

Recommendation:
Consider marking future/aspirational principles with a tag:

IX. Data Access & Knowledge Augmentation (PLANNED)

Or move to a separate "Roadmap" section until implemented.

Impact: LOW - Clarity for new contributors.

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6. Testing Coverage ⚠️ MODERATE

Issue: The PR description has an incomplete test plan:

• Markdown linting passes
• Verify documentation renders correctly on MkDocs site ❌
• Review all 10 principles for clarity and applicability
• Validate development standards match current project practices
• Confirm governance process is practical and enforceable

Recommendation:
Complete the test plan, especially verifying MkDocs rendering (which would catch issue #1 above).

Impact: MODERATE - Quality assurance.

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📋 Pre-Merge Checklist

• FIX CRITICAL: Replace placeholder content in docs/reference/constitution.md with actual constitution
• VERIFY: Test MkDocs build and rendering: mkdocs build && mkdocs serve
• DOCUMENT: Add explicit justification for 351-line documentation change
• ENHANCE: Create GitHub issues for follow-up TODOs
• CONSIDER: Mark aspirational principles (IX) as "PLANNED" or move to roadmap

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🎯 Recommendation

Conditional Approval: This is valuable work that establishes critical governance for the platform. However, the documentation file confusion (issue #1) must be fixed before merge.

Action Required: Update docs/reference/constitution.md to contain the actual constitution or a clear link to it.

Optional Improvements: Address issues #2-6 for better long-term maintainability, but these are not blockers.

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Additional Notes

Security Considerations

✅ No security concerns - this is documentation only.

Performance Considerations

✅ No performance impact - documentation changes only.

Test Coverage

⚠️ Test plan incomplete (see issue #6).

Code Quality

✅ Markdown formatting appears clean. The changelog shows attention to detail ("Reduced total length by ~30 lines while maintaining clarity").

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Overall Assessment: Strong contribution with one critical fix needed before merge. The constitution provides much-needed governance and will significantly improve code quality and consistency across the platform.

Great work on this foundational document! 🚀

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Review generated following CLAUDE.md guidelines and constitution compliance principles.