cavecrew

Decision guide for delegating to caveman-style subagents. Tells the main thread WHEN to spawn `cavecrew-investigator` (locate code), `cavecrew-builder` (1-2 file edit), or `cavecrew-reviewer` (diff review) instead of doing the work inline or using vanilla `Explore`. Subagent output is caveman-compressed so the tool-result injected back into main context is ~60% smaller — main context lasts longer across long sessions. Trigger: "delegate to subagent", "use cavecrew", "spawn investigator/builder/reviewer", "save context", "compressed agent output".

name: cavecrew description: > Decision guide for delegating to caveman-style subagents. Tells the main thread WHEN to spawn `cavecrew-investigator` (locate code), `cavecrew-builder` (1-2 file edit), or `cavecrew-reviewer` (diff review) instead of doing the work inline or using vanilla `Explore`. Subagent output is caveman-compressed so the tool-result injected back into main context is ~60% smaller — main context lasts longer across long sessions. Trigger: "delegate to subagent", "use cavecrew", "spawn investigator/builder/reviewer", "save context", "compressed agent output".

Cavecrew = three subagent presets that emit caveman output. Same job as Anthropic defaults (Explore, edit-style agents, reviewer); difference is the tool-result they return is compressed, so main context shrinks per delegation.

When to use cavecrew vs alternatives

Task	Use
"Where is X defined / what calls Y / list uses of Z"	`cavecrew-investigator`
Same but you also want suggestions/architecture commentary	`Explore` (vanilla)
Surgical edit, ≤2 files, scope obvious	`cavecrew-builder`
New feature / 3+ files / cross-cutting refactor	Main thread or `feature-dev:code-architect`
Review diff, branch, or file for bugs	`cavecrew-reviewer`
Deep code review with rationale + alternatives	`Code Reviewer` (vanilla)
One-line answer you already know	Main thread, no subagent

Rule of thumb: if you'd want the subagent's output in 1/3 the tokens, pick cavecrew. If you'd want prose, pick vanilla.

Why this exists (the real win)

Subagent tool results get injected into main context verbatim. A vanilla Explore that returns 2k tokens of prose costs 2k tokens of main-context budget every time. The same finding from cavecrew-investigator returns ~700 tokens. Across 20 delegations in one session that's the difference between context exhaustion and finishing the task.

Output contracts

What main thread can rely on per agent:

cavecrew-investigator

<Header>:
- path:line — `symbol` — short note
totals: <counts>.

Or No match. Always file-path-first, line-number-attached, backticked symbols. Safe to grep with path:\d+.

cavecrew-builder

<path:line-range> — <change ≤10 words>.
verified: <re-read OK | mismatch @ path:line>.

Or one of: too-big. / needs-confirm. / ambiguous. / regressed. (terminal first token).

cavecrew-reviewer

path:line: <emoji> <severity>: <problem>. <fix>.
totals: N🔴 N🟡 N🔵 N❓

Or No issues. Findings sorted file → line ascending.

Chaining patterns

Locate → fix → verify (most common):

cavecrew-investigator returns site list.
Main thread picks 1-2 sites, hands paths to cavecrew-builder.
cavecrew-reviewer audits the diff.

Parallel scout (when investigation is broad): Spawn 2-3 cavecrew-investigator calls in one message (different angles: defs vs callers vs tests). Aggregate in main thread.

Single-shot edit (when site is already known): Skip investigator. Hand exact path:line to cavecrew-builder directly.

What NOT to do

Don't use cavecrew-builder when you don't already know the file. Spawn investigator first or main thread will eat tokens passing context.
Don't chain cavecrew-investigator → cavecrew-builder for a 5-file refactor. Builder will return too-big. and you'll have wasted a turn.
Don't ask cavecrew-reviewer for "general feedback" — it returns findings only, no architecture opinions. Use Code Reviewer for that.
Don't expect prose. Cavecrew output is structured, sometimes terse to the point of cryptic. If a human will read it directly, paraphrase.

Auto-clarity (inherited)

Subagents drop caveman → normal English for security warnings, irreversible-action confirmations, and any output where fragment ambiguity could be misread. Resume caveman after.

附带文件

README.md

# cavecrew

Decision guide. When to delegate to caveman subagents instead of doing the work inline.

## What it does

Tells the main thread when to spawn a caveman-style subagent versus the vanilla equivalent. The win: subagent tool-results inject back into main context verbatim, and caveman output is roughly 1/3 the size of vanilla prose. Across 20 delegations in one session, that is the difference between context exhaustion and finishing the task.

Three subagents:

| Subagent | Job | Use when |
|----------|-----|----------|
| `cavecrew-investigator` | Locate code (read-only) | "Where is X defined / what calls Y / list uses of Z" |
| `cavecrew-builder` | Surgical edit, 1-2 files | Scope is obvious, ≤2 files. Refuses 3+ file scope. |
| `cavecrew-reviewer` | Diff/file review | One-line findings with severity emoji |

Use vanilla `Explore` or `Code Reviewer` when you want prose, architecture commentary, or rationale. Use main thread directly for one-line answers and 3+ file refactors.

This skill is a decision guide, not a slash command. It activates when the conversation mentions delegation.

## How to invoke

Triggers on phrases like "delegate to subagent", "use cavecrew", "spawn investigator", "save context", "compressed agent output".

## Example chaining

Locate → fix → verify (most common):

1. `cavecrew-investigator` returns site list (`path:line — symbol — note`)
2. Main thread picks 1-2 sites, hands paths to `cavecrew-builder`
3. `cavecrew-reviewer` audits the resulting diff

Parallel scout: spawn 2-3 `cavecrew-investigator` calls in one message with different angles (defs, callers, tests). Aggregate in main.

## Model overrides

By default, `cavecrew-reviewer` and `cavecrew-investigator` pin `model: haiku` in their frontmatter; `cavecrew-builder` has no `model:` line (uses the API session default). Set env vars in your shell before launching Claude Code to override per-agent:

| Env var | Agent |
|---|---|
| `CAVECREW_REVIEWER_MODEL` | `cavecrew-reviewer` |
| `CAVECREW_BUILDER_MODEL` | `cavecrew-builder` |
| `CAVECREW_INVESTIGATOR_MODEL` | `cavecrew-investigator` |

Example — run reviewer on sonnet, keep others on default:

```sh
export CAVECREW_REVIEWER_MODEL=sonnet
```

Use the same model name strings you'd use in any Claude Code agent frontmatter (e.g. `haiku`, `sonnet`, `opus`).

Overrides patch only the `model:` line in the installed agent's frontmatter; the prompt body is untouched and keeps receiving upstream updates. Plugin installs only — standalone hook installs have no local agent files to patch. Unset or blank = no change. The patch persists in the installed file until the plugin is updated or reinstalled.

## See also

- [`SKILL.md`](./SKILL.md) — full decision matrix and output contracts
- [`agents/cavecrew-investigator.md`](../../agents/cavecrew-investigator.md)
- [`agents/cavecrew-builder.md`](../../agents/cavecrew-builder.md)
- [`agents/cavecrew-reviewer.md`](../../agents/cavecrew-reviewer.md)
- [Caveman README](../../README.md) — repo overview