ivp-behavior-builder

IvP Behavior Builder

Overview

Use this skill for custom IvP helm behavior development against the local MOOS-IvP checkout. Treat MOOS-IvP as the dependency and example source unless the user explicitly asks to patch core MOOS-IvP.

MOOS-IvP Checkout Resolution

When this skill needs a local MOOS-IvP checkout, resolve it in this order:

1. Path explicitly provided by the user.
2. MOOS_IVP_ROOT from the shell environment.
3. Active task workspace if it contains ivp/src.
4. Parent or sibling directories near the active task workspace.
5. Common home locations such as ~/moos-ivp, ~/src/moos-ivp, ~/repos/moos-ivp, and ~/projects/moos-ivp.
6. A bounded shallow home search for a directory named moos-ivp, excluding noisy folders.

Validate a candidate by confirming ivp/src exists and scripts/GenBehavior is executable.

If no valid checkout is found and the task requires behavior source generation, build wiring, examples, headers, or libraries, stop and ask the user for the checkout path before editing code, generating build files, or using placeholder paths.

Core Rules

• Default new behaviors to third-party dynamic shared libraries in the user project.
• Do not add new behavior source to core ivp/src/lib_behaviors* unless the user explicitly asks to modify core MOOS-IvP.
• Use $MOOS_IVP_ROOT/scripts/GenBehavior when there is no close existing behavior to copy.
• Run GenBehavior only in a clean behavior source location; it appends to BHV_<Name>.h/.cpp if those files already exist.
• Name behavior files and classes BHV_<Name>.h/.cpp and BHV_<Name>.
• Export createBehavior for dynamic loading.
• Build dynamic behaviors as shared libraries named so the output is libBHV_<Name>.dylib on macOS or libBHV_<Name>.so on Linux.
• Ensure pHelmIvP can find the library. Default to the user's shell convention: add the project lib directory to IVP_BEHAVIOR_DIRS, usually in .bashrc or the user's equivalent shell startup file when they ask for persistent setup. Use mission-local ivp_behavior_dir = <project>/lib only when the user explicitly wants a self-contained mission, non-interactive execution cannot assume shell setup, or an existing mission already uses that convention.
• Use .bhv blocks for mission configuration; do not bake mission-specific parameters into the constructor.
• Call IvPBehavior::setParam(param, val) first when the behavior should accept standard behavior parameters.
• Apply m_priority_wt to returned IvP functions.
• Use postWMessage() or postEMessage() for behavior warnings/errors instead of silent failure.
• Preserve the generator-style metadata comment box at the top of source files and update NAME, ORGN, FILE, and DATE to match the user project.
• Use short comments before non-obvious behavior logic; do not add comments that merely restate simple code.
• Reuse existing MOOS-IvP behavior, IvP build, geometry, contact, and utility libraries before writing custom parsers, objective-function machinery, or geometry math.
• Do not commit or present build directories/binaries as source changes unless the user's project already tracks generated artifacts.

Workflow

1. Choose the behavior shape.
   • Default to the simplest shape that matches the requested effect.
   • Posting-only behavior: use when the behavior should publish state/flags but not influence helm decisions.
   • Single decision variable objective: use ZAIC, for example speed-only, course-only, or depth-only.
   • Coupled multi-variable objective: use AOF plus Reflector only when utility genuinely depends on multiple decision variables together.
   • Contact-relative behavior: use IvPContactBehavior only for behaviors centered on another vehicle/contact.
2. Choose the starting point.
   • New simple behavior: create and enter the behavior library source directory, then run GenBehavior <Name> "<Author>" there.
   • Inspect similar behaviors as references. Copy a behavior when the user explicitly asks or when it is obviously the nearest local-project base.
3. Wire the build.
   • Read references/behavior-build.md.
   • Add or update an ADD_LIBRARY(BHV_<Name> SHARED ...) block.
4. Implement lifecycle.
   • Read references/behavior-patterns.md.
   • Constructor: descriptor/defaults, subDomain, addInfoVars.
   • setParam: replace the generator placeholder so standard params are accepted through IvPBehavior::setParam(param, val) before custom parsing.
   • onSetParamComplete: validate required and interdependent params.
   • onRunState: read info-buffer state, build/post output, return an IvPFunction* or 0.
5. Implement IvP function construction if needed.
   • Read references/ivp-function-patterns.md.
6. Add mission integration only when needed. Use moos-ivp-mission-builder when the task expands into ordinary mission launchers, ANTLER rosters, vehicle/shoreside layout, or pMarineViewer operator controls.
   • Add a Behavior = BHV_<Name> block in the relevant .bhv.
   • Ensure helm mission files have required geodesy context such as LatOrigin and LongOrigin; missing origins can put pHelmIvP in MALCONFIG before behavior loading is exercised.
   • Prefer adding the behavior library directory to IVP_BEHAVIOR_DIRS when persistent shell setup is in scope.
   • Add ivp_behavior_dir = <project>/lib to pHelmIvP config only for explicit self-contained, non-interactive, or existing-mission-convention cases.
7. Validate.
   • Configure/build the project.
   • Confirm the shared library lands in the project lib/.
   • Confirm the shared library exports createBehavior before runtime loading.
   • If mission config changed, verify pHelmIvP can load the behavior through a normal pAntler mission launch when feasible. Treat direct pHelmIvP execution as a narrow fallback only; if used, launch with app name pHelmIvP on PATH or pass --alias=pHelmIvP so the process reads ProcessConfig = pHelmIvP.
   • For isolated runtime tests, set IVP_BEHAVIOR_DIRS to only the generated project lib directory unless inherited behavior dirs are part of the test.

Reference Use

• Read references/behavior-build.md before writing behavior CMake or mission loading lines.
• Read references/behavior-patterns.md before implementing lifecycle methods.
• Read references/ivp-function-patterns.md before building an objective function.
• Read references/behavior-examples.md when choosing local examples to inspect.

Validation Checklist

• Shared library builds with the expected libBHV_* name.
• Standard behavior params still work.
• Required custom params are validated.
• addInfoVars() covers every info-buffer variable read by the behavior.
• onRunState() handles missing or stale info-buffer values explicitly.
• Returned IPF has m_priority_wt applied.
• Mission .bhv block uses behavior type BHV_<Name> and a unique name.
• Behavior library path is available to pHelmIvP.
• Shared library exposes createBehavior as a dynamic symbol.
• Runtime load checks look for explicit success such as About to load behavior library: BHV_<Name> ... SUCCESS, BehaviorSet: all_builds_ok: true, or equivalent appcast/console confirmation.