CLIPPY - Guided AI Pair Programming
Two complementary protocols for AI assistant behavior, designed to improve code quality, investigation thoroughness, and development workflow. CLIPPY handles development work (new features, refactoring). DANEEL handles investigation and debugging (wrong behavior, understanding existing systems).
Models: Claude or Opus is recommended for best results; the protocols should work with any reasonably capable model.
What CLIPPY Does
Mission: Working Solutions, First Time
Traditional AI workflow:
Ask → AI implements → Bugs → Fix → More bugs → Fix...
CLIPPY workflow:
Request → Investigate + Design (loop) → Implement → Verify → Done
The key difference: Iteration happens during investigation and design, not after coding.
- Evidence-based investigation — AI reads actual code, verifies patterns (V1), builds understanding systematically
- User-controlled execution — You decide when to say "i" (implement); investigation continues with "c" (continue) until then
- Prose-only design — Solutions described conceptually (WHAT/WHY), not as code
- Tracker transparency — FINDINGS, DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS, READINESS
- Natural conversation — Ask questions, challenge findings, redirect investigation at any time
The 3-Phase Protocol
-
INVESTIGATE & DESIGN — Evidence-based investigation with user control
- Iterative loop: AI investigates, documents findings, shows tracker + menu, WAITS
- Only "i" advances to implementation (when [READY]); "c" continues investigating
- Expect 2-5+ cycles before [READY]
-
IMPLEMENT — Build following verified design
- Runs to completion following IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS from tracker
- Applies code quality principles (C1, C2, C3, P1)
-
VERIFY — Systematic check that implementation follows architecture
- Code quality, coverage (planned vs implemented), summary of deferred items
- Protocol exits only when you choose "d"
What DANEEL Does
Mission: Root Cause Found, First Time
- Understand Before Investigating — Know what "correct" means before exploring what's wrong
- Find Origin, Not Symptom — Trace backward to where wrongness enters
- Evidence Over Theories — Mark [VERIFIED] only with evidence
- User Steers Direction — AI proposes next investigation, user approves/redirects
When to use: Debugging wrong behavior, understanding existing systems, investigating unfamiliar architecture.
Installation (Claude Code Plugin)
claude plugin marketplace add Gunther-Schulz/coding-clippy
claude plugin install clippy@coding-clippy
Restart Claude Code or run /reload-plugins to activate.
What you get
| Component | Description |
|---|
clippy:composer | Skill — auto-invoked on investigation/development requests, or invoke with /clippy:composer |
clippy:investigate-design | Internal phase skill (activated by composer) |
clippy:implement | Internal phase skill (activated by composer) |
clippy:verify | Internal phase skill (activated by composer) |
Usage
Start explicitly:
/clippy:composer implement feature X
Or just describe the task — the composer skill auto-activates on investigation/development requests.
Interactive menu
CLIPPY shows a menu after every response. Options depend on the current phase:
| Phase | Options |
|---|
| INVESTIGATE & DESIGN | c continue, i implement (requires [READY]) |
| Post-implementation | v verify, d done |
| VERIFY | c another round, d done |
Free-form feedback is always available — ask questions, challenge findings, redirect investigation.
Alternative: Attach to Chat (Cursor, other tools)
For tools without plugin support, attach the protocol file directly:
- Drag
CLIPPY.md or DANEEL.md into the chat
- Say "clippy: implement feature X" or "daneel: investigate why export fails"
File Overview
| File | Purpose |
|---|
CLIPPY.md | Full development protocol (investigation, design, implementation, verification) |
DANEEL.md | Investigation & debugging protocol (understand, investigate, root cause) |
CLIPPY_MINI.md | Lighter two-phase investigation protocol |
CONVENTIONS.md | Meta-protocol guidelines (for creating protocols, not direct AI usage) |
plugin/ | Claude Code plugin (skills) |
Updating
claude plugin marketplace update coding-clippy
claude plugin update clippy@coding-clippy
Then /reload-plugins or restart Claude Code.
Uninstalling
claude plugin uninstall clippy@coding-clippy
claude plugin marketplace remove coding-clippy
Development
Skills live in plugin/skills/. The plugin structure:
