cat-mode-default applies on every prompt, with no regex guess

docs/ecosystem.md

@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ again.
 | `bug-complaint-leak` | hook |
 | `publish-act-guard` | hook |
 | `categorical-scope-guard` | hook (PreToolUse on `Bash`; blocks a status-narrowed mutation when the live turn said all/every/each) |
-| `cat-mode-default` | hook (UserPromptSubmit + PreToolUse on `Agent`; applies `cat-mode` on work turns and subagent prompts when `CATSTACK_CAT_MODE_DEFAULT=1`) |
+| `cat-mode-default` | hook (UserPromptSubmit + PreToolUse on `Agent`; applies `cat-mode` on every prompt and on subagent prompts when `CATSTACK_CAT_MODE_DEFAULT=1`) |
 | `demo-freeze` | hook |
 | `explicit-failures` | hook (advisory; always on) |
 | `external-claim-gate` | hook (PreToolUse on `Bash`; blocks a gh issue/comment/release/api write whose body claims a cause or fix with no evidence; blocks as UNCHECKED when the body cannot be read) |

engine/hooks/cat-mode-default/README.md

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 # cat-mode-default
 
-Claude Code `UserPromptSubmit` hook. When the flag is on and the prompt is
-an investigation or execution, it injects one line of context telling the
-model to read and apply the installed `cat-mode` skill for that turn.
+Claude Code `UserPromptSubmit` hook. When the flag is on, it injects one line
+of context telling the model to read and apply the installed `cat-mode` skill
+for that turn.
 
 `cat-mode` ships with `disable-model-invocation: true`, so on its own it
-applies when typed as `/cat-mode`. This hook makes it the default for
-work turns without flipping that frontmatter flag.
+applies when typed as `/cat-mode`. This hook makes it the default for every
+prompt without flipping that frontmatter flag.
 
 ## Turning it on
 
@@ -30,11 +30,10 @@ tolerated). They are never sourced, and no other key is read or printed.
 
 ## When it fires
 
-Prompt is treated as work when it is longer than a short phrase or carries a
-work verb (why, how, fix, build, run, land, make, investigate, check, debug,
-...). It stays silent for a bare slash command (`/clear`), a one-word
-acknowledgement (`ok`, `thanks`), or any prompt that already contains
-`/cat-mode`, so the skill is not applied twice in one turn.
+With the flag on, every prompt gets the context unless it already contains a
+typed `/cat-mode`, so the skill is not applied twice in one turn. Other slash
+commands, acknowledgements, and short execution prompts all get the same
+default context.
 
 Injected text names the installed file (`~/.claude/skills/cat-mode/SKILL.md`)
 so the model reads the real skill. If that file is missing the line says
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ second copy). Same flag resolution as the prompt hook.
 
 ## Files
 
-- `detect.py`: flag resolution, prompt classification, context text.
+- `detect.py`: flag resolution, typed `/cat-mode` detection, context text.
 - `claude_prompt_submit.py`: the Claude entrypoint; fail-open, never denies.
 - `claude.prompt.hook.json`: settings fragment `install_claude_hook.py` merges.
 - `claude_pretooluse_agent.py` + `claude.agent.hook.json`: the `PreToolUse`
@@ -66,4 +65,5 @@ second copy). Same flag resolution as the prompt hook.
 Related but different: `CAT_MODE_AUTO_INVOKE=true` in catstack's own `.env`
 makes `install.sh` materialize a cat-mode copy with model invocation enabled,
 which leaves the choice to the model each turn. This hook is deterministic:
-flag on plus a work prompt means the context is injected.
+flag on means the context is injected unless the prompt already contains a
+typed `/cat-mode`.

engine/hooks/cat-mode-default/claude_prompt_submit.py

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 """Claude Code UserPromptSubmit: inject the cat-mode default context.
 
 Fail-open. No LLM. Never denies. Silent unless CATSTACK_CAT_MODE_DEFAULT
-resolves to on and the prompt is an investigation or execution.
+resolves to on and the prompt does not contain a typed /cat-mode.
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 

engine/hooks/cat-mode-default/detect.py

@@ -11,10 +11,8 @@
    Files are parsed as plain `KEY=VALUE` lines. They are never sourced, and
    no key other than the flag is read back or printed.
 
-2. Is the prompt an investigation or execution? A bare slash command, a
-   one-word acknowledgement ("ok", "thanks"), or a prompt that already
-   invokes /cat-mode is not. Anything longer than a short phrase, or that
-   carries a work verb (why, how, fix, build, run, ...), is.
+2. Does the prompt already contain a typed /cat-mode? Every other prompt gets
+   the context when the flag is on.
 
 The text injected names the installed cat-mode SKILL.md so the model reads
 the real file rather than a summary. When the skill is not installed the
@@ -31,19 +29,6 @@
 SKILL_RELPATH = os.path.join(".claude", "skills", "cat-mode", "SKILL.md")
 
 TRUE_VALUES = frozenset({"1", "true", "yes", "on"})
-MIN_WORK_LENGTH = 12
-ACKS = frozenset({
-    "ok", "okay", "k", "kk", "yes", "y", "yep", "yup", "no", "nope", "sure",
-    "thanks", "thank you", "thx", "ty", "cool", "great", "nice", "good",
-    "done", "go", "continue", "proceed", "got it", "lgtm", "np", "fine",
-})
-WORK_VERBS = (
-    "why", "how", "what", "where", "fix", "build", "run", "land", "make",
-    "investigate", "check", "debug", "test", "repro", "find", "explain",
-    "add", "remove", "delete", "refactor", "write", "implement", "deploy",
-    "ship", "merge", "open", "update", "review", "compare", "verify",
-)
-WORK_VERB_RE = re.compile(r"\b(?:" + "|".join(WORK_VERBS) + r")\b", re.IGNORECASE)
 CAT_MODE_COMMAND_RE = re.compile(r"(?:^|\s)/cat-mode\b")
 ENV_LINE_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*(?:export\s+)?([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)\s*=\s*(.*?)\s*$")
 
@@ -140,23 +125,6 @@ def typed_cat_mode(prompt: str) -> bool:
     return bool(CAT_MODE_COMMAND_RE.search(prompt or ""))
 
 
-def is_work_prompt(prompt: str) -> bool:
-    text = (prompt or "").strip()
-    if not text:
-        return False
-    if typed_cat_mode(text):
-        return False
-    tokens = text.split()
-    if text.startswith("/") and len(tokens) == 1:
-        return False
-    normalized = re.sub(r"[^a-z ]", "", text.lower()).strip()
-    if normalized in ACKS:
-        return False
-    if len(text) > MIN_WORK_LENGTH:
-        return True
-    return bool(WORK_VERB_RE.search(text))
-
-
 def installed_skill_path(home: str | None = None) -> str | None:
     home_dir = home or os.path.expanduser("~")
     path = os.path.join(home_dir, SKILL_RELPATH)
@@ -176,7 +144,7 @@ def decide(payload: dict, environ: dict | None = None, home: str | None = None)
     """Return the additionalContext to inject, or None to stay silent."""
     env = os.environ if environ is None else environ
     prompt = extract_prompt_text(payload if isinstance(payload, dict) else {})
-    if not is_work_prompt(prompt):
+    if typed_cat_mode(prompt):
         return None
     cwd = payload.get("cwd") if isinstance(payload, dict) else None
     if not flag_on(env, cwd or os.getcwd(), home):

engine/hooks/cat-mode-default/tests/fixtures/silent_ack_ok.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
-  "why": "flag on, but the prompt is a one-word acknowledgement, not work",
-  "expect": "silent",
+  "why": "flag on, so the prompt receives the default even though it is a one-word acknowledgement",
+  "expect": "fires",
   "environ": {"CATSTACK_CAT_MODE_DEFAULT": "1"},
   "env_file": null,
   "payload": {"hook_event_name": "UserPromptSubmit", "prompt": "ok"}

engine/hooks/cat-mode-default/tests/test_hooks.py

@@ -130,21 +130,33 @@ def test_silent_when_flag_off(self) -> None:
         self.assertEqual(fixture["payload"]["prompt"], REAL_PROMPT)
         self.assertIsNone(context)
 
-    def test_silent_on_one_word_ack(self) -> None:
+    def test_fires_on_one_word_ack(self) -> None:
         _fixture, context = self.run_fixture("silent_ack_ok.json")
-        self.assertIsNone(context)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(context)
 
     def test_silent_when_user_typed_cat_mode(self) -> None:
         _fixture, context = self.run_fixture("silent_typed_cat_mode.json")
         self.assertIsNone(context)
 
-    def test_effectiveness_same_prompt_flag_on_vs_off(self) -> None:
-        payload = {"prompt": REAL_PROMPT, "cwd": self.box.cwd}
-        on = injected_context(run_entrypoint(payload, self.box.environ({detect.FLAG: "1"}), self.box.home))
-        off = injected_context(run_entrypoint(payload, self.box.environ(), self.box.home))
-        self.assertIsNotNone(on)
-        self.assertIn("read and apply", on)
-        self.assertIsNone(off)
+    def test_effectiveness_prompt_matrix(self) -> None:
+        prompts = (
+            "ok",
+            "thanks",
+            "yes do it",
+            "go ahead",
+            "investigate why the build fails on main",
+            "/cat-mode fix this",
+        )
+        for prompt in prompts:
+            payload = {"prompt": prompt, "cwd": self.box.cwd}
+            on = injected_context(run_entrypoint(payload, self.box.environ({detect.FLAG: "1"}), self.box.home))
+            off = injected_context(run_entrypoint(payload, self.box.environ({detect.FLAG: "0"}), self.box.home))
+            if prompt == "/cat-mode fix this":
+                self.assertIsNone(on, prompt)
+            else:
+                self.assertIsNotNone(on, prompt)
+                self.assertIn("read and apply", on)
+            self.assertIsNone(off, prompt)
 
 
 class FlagResolutionCase(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -219,22 +231,7 @@ def test_true_values_turn_on(self) -> None:
             self.assertTrue(detect.flag_on(self.box.environ({detect.FLAG: value}), self.box.cwd, self.box.home), value)
 
 
-class PromptClassificationCase(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_fires_on_work_prompts(self) -> None:
-        for prompt in (
-            REAL_PROMPT,
-            "fix it",
-            "run tests",
-            "how do I land this stack",
-            "/loop 5m check the PR queue and repair failures",
-            "Investigate the flaky e2e on main",
-        ):
-            self.assertTrue(detect.is_work_prompt(prompt), prompt)
-
-    def test_silent_on_acks_and_bare_commands(self) -> None:
-        for prompt in ("ok", "OK!", "yes", "thanks", "Thank you.", "/clear", "/cat-mode", "", "   "):
-            self.assertFalse(detect.is_work_prompt(prompt), prompt)
-
+class PromptCommandCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_silent_when_cat_mode_typed_anywhere(self) -> None:
         self.assertTrue(detect.typed_cat_mode("/cat-mode fix it"))
         self.assertTrue(detect.typed_cat_mode("please /cat-mode fix it"))