/distill

Usage

/distill                                    # full pipeline on default files
/distill ai-workspace/rules/*.md            # specific targets
/distill --stage imperatives                # run only extraction
/distill --stage compose                    # run only policy algebra (requires prior extraction)
/distill --stage visualize                  # run only visualization (requires prior composition)

Pipeline

  ┌─────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
  │ /imperatives │────▶│/policy-algebra│────▶│ /visualize  │
  │  extract     │     │  compose     │     │  render     │
  └─────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └─────────────┘
        │                    │                    │
    JSONL file         Starlark block      Mermaid diagrams

Stage 1 — Extract (

/imperatives

)

1. Invoke

   /imperatives

   with the target files (or defaults:

   ai-workspace/rules/*.md

   +

   AGENTS.md

   ).
2. Save output to

   ai-workspace/research/<name>-imperatives.jsonl

   .
3. Present the summary (count, level breakdown, scope breakdown).

• If yes: present the JSONL for review, wait for feedback, re-extract if needed.
• If continue: proceed to Stage 2.

Stage 2 — Compose (

/policy-algebra

)

1. Project the JSONL to natural-language bullets:

   <level>[ NOT] <subject> <predicate>[ when <when>]

   — one bullet per imperative.
2. Invoke

   /policy-algebra

   with the projected bullets.
3. Save the Starlark composition to

   ai-workspace/research/<name>-policy.md

   .
4. Present the surfaced structure (decision functions, branching points).

Stage 3 — Visualize (

/visualize

)

1. For each major decision function in the Starlark output, invoke

   /visualize

   .
2. Content shape is typically graph (decision trees) → Mermaid flowcharts.
3. Append diagrams to the policy doc.

Naming

<name>

2026-05-04-distill

--name <slug>

Output

ai-workspace/research/

• <name>-imperatives.jsonl

  — structured extraction

• <name>-policy.md

  — Starlark composition + diagrams

Failure modes

--stage

When to use

• AGENTS.md or rules/ grew past a size threshold and needs trimming
• Before a major restructuring of agent instruction files
• To audit what rules actually exist vs what you think exists
• As input to a plan that modifies the rule system