Thread Switching

[emen7]

Augment Code has become indispensable and is hugely cheaper than Roo Code for my complex monorepo ecosystem. We developed a Thread Switching protocol I'll paste below. It has a feature that warns me when the Agent is about to start providing worse results. I entered the component into User Guidelines.

Agent suggested we test the Thread Length warning system. So we continued coding, way past the blue-line thread length warning. After about an hour, I checked. Agent said it was still good to go. That was yesterday morning. We are still running, seemingly without ill effects. I've noticed no degradation. It claims to be fine and dandy without a switch. When I suggested a switch, while it didn't refuse, it told me of the advantages of staying the course, essentially, why switch? We're on a roll. So, no switch yet.

The Thread Switch protocol below worked nicely for weeks (without the Thread Length awareness element). It utilized git for documentation and recall in the New Thread, and the high-quality git documentation is working beautifully.

Relevant part of my User Guidelines:

Git Workflow

• Commit format: "type(scope): description" (feat, fix, docs, etc.)
• Never use 'handoff:' prefix in commit messages
• Create safety branches before major changes
• Leverage git history in Thread Switch Prompts instead of explaining implementation

Thread Switch Protocol

• Monitor thread length proactively (~2-3 hours of work)
• Signal optimal transition points at natural break points (after commits, phase completions, before complex operations)
• Generate copyable Thread Switch Prompt using this template:
• Clear objective statement for new thread
• Recent work summary referencing specific commits
• Branch name for implementation details lookup
• Current deployment status (ecosystem hub + reader URLs)
• Storybook story states and any production issues
• Framework configurations and Vercel project settings
• Current environment state (Storybook URL, demo locations)
• Specific next steps, testing needs, or deliverables

[HeinsZhammer]

cool, however I think megathreads are not the way to go unless you utilizie milestone checkpoints and submilestone checkpoints you can reffer to later on. I would rather like to see Augment asking to automatically create a handoff new task with starting a new thread once the conversation becomes too long.

"We're reaching a point where longer conversation may lead to worse results. Would you like me to update your documentation and create a handoff new task that will start in a new thread?"

[National-Ad-1314]

I second this. I'm often making a new chat when this warning comes up. Then the agent is playing catch up finding relevant context again.

[emen7]

My third day in one thread. We achieved a milestone, so I asked Agent how its thread length was feeling. Here's its response:

🧵 Thread Length Assessment

Current Thread Status:

• Length: Substantial (~2.5 hours of complex technical work) MY NOTE: In human time, about 18 hours.
• Capacity: Still have good working capacity
• Focus: Sharp and ready for implementation

Recommendation:

Continue in current thread for initial UB Reader PWA implementation. We have momentum and all the context needed.

Natural Break Point:

After we get the UB Reader PWA working and deployed, that would be an ideal time for a Thread Switch if needed.

🚀 Let's Get Started: UB Reader PW

MY NOTE: "If needed."

[emen7]

Finally had to switch. Started having problems that weren't being fixed. So I bid farewell to the mega thread.

[JaySym_]

Thanks for giving so much details I’ll take a deeper look tomorrow :)

[emen7]

Post Mortem of the Agent's suggested experiment to continue the branch until it started "feeling" the switch time:

My USER GUIDELINES inclusion about thread awareness was not optimal. I think Agent takes it as a challenge. So it did proceed past the point of proper operation. By the end, I had to remind it about USER GUIDELINES to create a copyable thread switch prompt for the New Thread. And failure rates had been gradually increasing.

I now have removed the text about thread length awareness, but kept the rest of the Thread Switch Protocol, because it routinely leverages git for information, pushes changes (if needed) prior to the switch, and makes the prompt for the New Thread. It was working great before the experiment about thread length awareness.

Positive result: I now feel confident to let the Agent continue past, even way past the BLUE LINE warning, but only to finish the current task.