# Alternatives: Choosing the Right Approach

Not every approach fits every pipeline. These comparisons help you choose.

The skills and patterns in this repository draw from multiple sources -- Anthropic's harness design research, the Proof Loop protocol, Memento's deterministic orchestration, Karpathy's autoresearch, and more. Each solves real problems, but none is universally best. Context matters: team size, task complexity, cost tolerance, and infrastructure all affect which approach wins.

Each document below compares 2-4 approaches to the same problem, with pros, cons, and concrete "when to choose" guidance.

## Comparison Documents

| File | Problem | Approaches Compared |
|------|---------|-------------------|
| [orchestration.md](orchestration.md) | Orchestrating multi-step processes | Harness Design, Proof Loop, Memento, Prompt-only |
| [code-review.md](code-review.md) | Code review strategies | Sequential checklist, Parallel competency, Cross-model adversarial, LLM + static analysis |
| [optimization.md](optimization.md) | Iterative code/prompt optimization | Autoresearch, HyperAgent, Manual iteration, Eval-driven development |
| [context-management.md](context-management.md) | Managing context in long sessions | JIT Loading, Full Context Upfront, Compaction + Re-injection, Fresh Sessions |
| [codebase-map-scoping.md](codebase-map-scoping.md) | Scoping code reads before changes | Belief Map / Code Graph, Symbol Index / LSP, Targeted `rg`, Full Context Upfront |
| [session-handoff.md](session-handoff.md) | Seamless transitions between sessions | Manual HANDOFF.md, Stop Hook, Session Journal, ContextHarness, Memory Only |
| [design-md-pattern.md](design-md-pattern.md) | Brand identity for AI-generated UI / decks / design | Claude Design (canvas, first-party), getdesign.md (69 brand files), bluzir/claude-code-design (CLI reproduction) |
| [skill-management-tools.md](skill-management-tools.md) | Syncing skills/rules/agents across machines and projects | ai-dotfiles (Python CLI, symlink-based, vendor system), Skiller (Electron GUI, 30+ agent tools), manual cp + git push (this repo's current approach) |

> Note: this table currently lists 8 entries but the directory contains more comparison files. Adding entries to the table when new alternatives are added is a manual step.

## How to Use These

1. **Identify your problem category** from the table above.
2. **Read the comparison table** at the top of each document for a quick overview.
3. **Check the "When to Choose" section** for each approach to find your match.
4. **Read the Recommendation** at the bottom for the default progression path.

## Contributing

If you discover a new approach or find that one of these comparisons is missing an important trade-off, update the relevant file. Keep the structure consistent: Source, Core Idea, Pros, Cons, When to Choose.
