Task 4: Guardrails and Error Message Implementation

Tinker

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Description

**OBJECTIVE:**
Implement comprehensive guardrails with helpful error messages that guide agents back to their designated roles when they attempt to perform tasks outside their boundaries.

**ERROR SCENARIOS AND MESSAGES:**

1. **Orchestrator Attempts Implementation:**
   ```
   ROLE VIOLATION: As an Orchestrator, you cannot directly implement code.
   
   INSTEAD, you should:
   - Create a task for a Worker to implement this feature
   - Provide clear requirements and acceptance criteria
   - Delegate the implementation to an appropriate agent
   
   SUGGESTED ACTION: Use 'create_ticket' to assign this work to a Worker
   ```

2. **Worker Attempts Planning:**
   ```
   ROLE VIOLATION: As a Worker, you cannot create new tasks or plan work.
   
   INSTEAD, you should:
   - Focus on implementing your assigned task
   - If you discover additional work needed, add a comment to your ticket
   - Request the Orchestrator to create new tasks
   
   SUGGESTED ACTION: Add a comment to your ticket describing the additional work needed
   ```

3. **Reviewer Attempts Implementation:**
   ```
   ROLE VIOLATION: As a Reviewer, you cannot implement new features.
   
   INSTEAD, you should:
   - Review the code changes
   - Identify issues and provide feedback
   - Return the ticket to the Worker with specific guidance
   
   SUGGESTED ACTION: Use 'add_comment' to provide review feedback and 'transition_ticket' to return for fixes
   ```

**GUARDRAIL FEATURES:**

1. **Soft Warnings:**
   - Detect potential role violations before they happen
   - Provide gentle reminders about role boundaries
   - Offer suggested correct actions

2. **Hard Blocks:**
   - Prevent execution of clearly prohibited actions
   - Clear, immediate error feedback
   - No ambiguity about what's allowed

3. **Helpful Redirection:**
   - Always suggest the correct approach
   - Provide the exact tool/command to use
   - Include examples when helpful

**TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION:**

1. **Create guardrail module:**
   - `/lib/tinker/guardrails.rb`
   - Define error templates for each violation type
   - Implement detection logic for role violations

2. **Integration points:**
   - Hook into command parsing
   - Intercept before tool execution
   - Provide contextual help

3. **Message formatting:**
   - Use consistent error message format
   - Include action suggestions
   - Add links to documentation when relevant

**FILES TO CREATE/MODIFY:**
- `/lib/tinker/guardrails.rb` (new)
- `/config/tinker/error_messages.yml` (config)
- Integrate with validation logic from Task 2

**ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA:**
- All role violations have clear, helpful error messages
- Error messages suggest correct actions
- No ambiguous or confusing error messages
- Guardrails work for all role boundary violations
- Messages are consistently formatted and professional