The Frontier Query

The Frontier Query A data-flow diagram generated by Archify. 01 / Tracker fields 02 / Query 03 / Board 04 / Consume Open Tickets · all tracker items · 01 / Tracker fields Open Tickets all tracker items Blocking Edges · blocked_by graph · 01 / Tracker fields Blocking Edges blocked_by graph Assignee Field · empty or held · 01 / Tracker fields Assignee Field empty or held Frontier Query · asks what is ready · 02 / Query · not remembered Frontier Query asks what is ready not remembered Claimable Board · claimable, unclaimed · 03 / Board Claimable Board claimable, unclaimed Thomas · reruns after merge/handback · 04 / Consume Thomas reruns after merge/handback Builder · claims and works the ticket · 04 / Consume Builder claims and works the ticket Owner · looks at the board · 04 / Consume Owner looks at the board every open ticket state read blockers all done? graph read assignee empty? state read answer written derived session start + ticket closes polled reviews readiness read-only claim, then dispatch writes assignee issue found → new ticket writes Legend data store data flow

Ready, Not Remembered

  • • The frontier is every ticket whose blockers are all done and whose assignee is empty
  • • Thomas asks the tracker, instead of remembering what used to be ready
  • • The query re-runs at session start and again when a ticket closes

State Lives on the Tracker

  • • Open tickets, blocking edges, and the assignee field are the only inputs
  • • The board is written to the tracker's claimable-and-unclaimed state
  • • Promotion after a spec still needs Thomas's judgement — edges are over-inclusive
  • • A Builder claims from the board, and an issue found while working goes back as a new ticket

The Owner Reads the Board

  • • The owner looks at what Thomas wrote, not at a live query
  • • A readiness label at creation time is never revisited by this query
  • • Read edges and state, never the readiness label