coaia-pde

🧠 Prompt Decomposition Engine with Structural Tension Charts

Transforms complex prompts into Structural Tension Charts rather than TODO lists. Based on Robert Fritz's creative orientation methodology.

Why Not TODO Lists?

Traditional TODO lists:

• Lose implicit intentions
• Treat action steps as independent tasks
• Focus on problem-solving (oscillating patterns)
• Miss the creative tension that drives advancement

Structural Tension Charts:

• Preserve the creative orientation (what you want to CREATE)
• Action steps are strategic secondary choices understood in context
• Current reality is factual (not aspirational)
• The tension between desired outcome and current reality naturally resolves through advancement

Installation

npm install
npm run build

CLI Usage

# Initialize a new session from a prompt
coaia-pde init "Create an MCP server that transforms prompts into charts"

# List all sessions
coaia-pde list
coaia-pde list --status active

# Show session progress
coaia-pde show <session-id>

# Start MCP server (stdio transport)
coaia-pde serve

MCP Tools

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | init_pde_session | Create a new session from a prompt, decomposing it into an STC | | get_session | Get current session state with chart and action steps | | list_sessions | List all PDE sessions | | update_action_progress | Add a progress observation to an action step | | mark_action_complete | Complete an action (flows into current reality) | | add_action_step | Add a new strategic action step | | update_current_reality | Add observations to current reality | | complete_session | Mark the session as completed | | init_llm_guidance | Get methodology guidance for LLMs |

MCP Configuration

Add to your MCP config (e.g., Claude Desktop):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "coaia-pde": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/src/coaia-pde/dist/index.js", "serve"]
    }
  }
}

Session Storage

Sessions are stored in .coaia/pde/<UUID>.jsonl files in the current working directory. The JSONL format is compatible with coaia-narrative and coaia-visualizer.

Each session file contains:

• pde_session - Session metadata
• entity - Chart components (structural_tension_chart, desired_outcome, current_reality, action_step)
• relation - Relationships between components

Structural Tension Methodology

Desired Outcome (What you want to CREATE)

• Describes RESULTS, not PROCESS
• Avoid comparative terms (better, more, improved)
• Be specific and quantifiable where possible
• Example: "Completed MCP server with 9 tools" (not "Build an MCP")

Current Reality (Where you are NOW)

• Objective facts only
• No aspirations or assumptions
• Present state, not process
• Example: "No existing code" (not "Ready to start coding")

Action Steps (Strategic Secondary Choices)

• NOT tasks to check off
• Understood in the context of structural tension
• Each step is a telescoped chart (can be expanded)
• Ask: "If we took these steps, would we achieve the result?"

Integration with coaia-visualizer

Session JSONL files can be opened directly in coaia-visualizer for web-based chart viewing and editing:

# Start visualizer with a session file
coaia-visualizer --memory-path .coaia/pde/<session-id>.jsonl

License

MIT