refactor: replace loaded_profile passthrough with skill_prompt string

Move skill catalog injection from pre-enriched AgentProfile objects to a
simple string passed through the provider chain. The service layer builds
the skill catalog text via _build_skill_catalog() and passes it as
skill_prompt to providers. Each provider appends it to the system prompt
using BaseProvider._apply_skill_prompt() during command construction.

This addresses PR #145 comment 3: providers no longer need to know about
AgentProfile enrichment or skill metadata. The contract is a plain string.

Changes:
- Add skill_prompt param and _apply_skill_prompt() helper to BaseProvider
- Replace loaded_profile with skill_prompt in all 7 providers and manager
- Remove _enrich_profile_with_skills from terminal_service
- Remove AgentProfile imports from providers that no longer need them

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: patricka3125

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/base.py

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def __init__(
         session_name: str,
         window_name: str,
         allowed_tools: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
         """Initialize provider with terminal context.
 
@@ -55,12 +56,15 @@ def __init__(
             session_name: Name of the tmux session
             window_name: Name of the tmux window
             allowed_tools: Optional list of CAO tool names the agent is allowed to use
+            skill_prompt: Optional skill catalog text built by the service layer.
+                Providers append this to the system prompt when building their CLI command.
         """
         self.terminal_id = terminal_id
         self.session_name = session_name
         self.window_name = window_name
         self._status = TerminalStatus.IDLE
         self._allowed_tools: Optional[List[str]] = allowed_tools
+        self._skill_prompt: Optional[str] = skill_prompt
 
     @property
     def status(self) -> TerminalStatus:
@@ -161,6 +165,22 @@ def mark_input_received(self) -> None:
         """
         pass
 
+    def _apply_skill_prompt(self, system_prompt: str) -> str:
+        """Append skill catalog text to a system prompt if available.
+
+        Args:
+            system_prompt: The base system prompt string.
+
+        Returns:
+            The system prompt with skill catalog appended, or unchanged if
+            no skill_prompt was provided.
+        """
+        if not self._skill_prompt:
+            return system_prompt
+        if system_prompt:
+            return f"{system_prompt}\n\n{self._skill_prompt}"
+        return self._skill_prompt
+
     def _update_status(self, status: TerminalStatus) -> None:
         """Update internal status."""
         self._status = status

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/claude_code.py

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 from typing import Optional
 
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.clients.tmux import tmux_client
-from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.agent_profile import AgentProfile
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.terminal import TerminalStatus
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.providers.base import BaseProvider
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.utils.agent_profiles import load_agent_profile
@@ -54,18 +53,12 @@ def __init__(
         window_name: str,
         agent_profile: Optional[str] = None,
         allowed_tools: Optional[list] = None,
-        loaded_profile: Optional[AgentProfile] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
-        """Initialize provider state.
-
-        ``loaded_profile`` lets terminal_service pass a pre-enriched profile
-        so providers reuse injected skill catalog content instead of reloading
-        the profile from disk.
-        """
-        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools)
+        """Initialize provider state."""
+        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools, skill_prompt)
         self._initialized = False
         self._agent_profile = agent_profile
-        self._loaded_profile = loaded_profile
 
     def _build_claude_command(self) -> str:
         """Build Claude Code command with agent profile if provided.
@@ -81,10 +74,11 @@ def _build_claude_command(self) -> str:
 
         if self._agent_profile is not None:
             try:
-                profile = self._loaded_profile or load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
+                profile = load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
 
                 # Add system prompt - escape newlines to prevent tmux chunking issues
                 system_prompt = profile.system_prompt if profile.system_prompt is not None else ""
+                system_prompt = self._apply_skill_prompt(system_prompt)
                 if system_prompt:
                     # Replace actual newlines with \n escape sequences
                     # This prevents tmux send_keys chunking from breaking the command

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/codex.py

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from typing import Optional
 
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.clients.tmux import tmux_client
-from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.agent_profile import AgentProfile
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.terminal import TerminalStatus
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.providers.base import BaseProvider
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.utils.agent_profiles import load_agent_profile
@@ -121,18 +120,12 @@ def __init__(
         window_name: str,
         agent_profile: Optional[str] = None,
         allowed_tools: Optional[list] = None,
-        loaded_profile: Optional[AgentProfile] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
-        """Initialize provider state.
-
-        ``loaded_profile`` lets terminal_service pass a pre-enriched profile
-        so providers reuse injected skill catalog content instead of reloading
-        the profile from disk.
-        """
-        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools)
+        """Initialize provider state."""
+        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools, skill_prompt)
         self._initialized = False
         self._agent_profile = agent_profile
-        self._loaded_profile = loaded_profile
 
     def _build_codex_command(self) -> str:
         """Build Codex command with agent profile if provided.
@@ -149,9 +142,10 @@ def _build_codex_command(self) -> str:
 
         if self._agent_profile is not None:
             try:
-                profile = self._loaded_profile or load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
+                profile = load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
 
                 system_prompt = profile.system_prompt if profile.system_prompt is not None else ""
+                system_prompt = self._apply_skill_prompt(system_prompt)
 
                 # Prepend security constraints for soft enforcement (Codex has no
                 # native tool restriction mechanism). Only applied when tool

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/copilot_cli.py

@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ def __init__(
         window_name: str,
         agent_profile: Optional[str] = None,
         allowed_tools: Optional[list] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
-        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools)
+        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools, skill_prompt)
         self._initialized = False
         self._agent_profile = agent_profile
         self._copilot_help_text_cache: Optional[str] = None

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/gemini_cli.py

@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 from typing import Optional
 
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.clients.tmux import tmux_client
-from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.agent_profile import AgentProfile
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.terminal import TerminalStatus
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.providers.base import BaseProvider
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.utils.agent_profiles import load_agent_profile
@@ -155,18 +154,12 @@ def __init__(
         window_name: str,
         agent_profile: Optional[str] = None,
         allowed_tools: Optional[list] = None,
-        loaded_profile: Optional[AgentProfile] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
-        """Initialize provider state.
-
-        ``loaded_profile`` lets terminal_service pass a pre-enriched profile
-        so providers reuse injected skill catalog content instead of reloading
-        the profile from disk.
-        """
-        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools)
+        """Initialize provider state."""
+        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools, skill_prompt)
         self._initialized = False
         self._agent_profile = agent_profile
-        self._loaded_profile = loaded_profile
         # Track whether -i (prompt-interactive) flag is used so initialize()
         # can wait for COMPLETED instead of IDLE. When -i is used, Gemini
         # processes the system prompt as the first user message and produces
@@ -223,7 +216,7 @@ def _build_gemini_command(self) -> str:
 
         if self._agent_profile is not None:
             try:
-                profile = self._loaded_profile or load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
+                profile = load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
 
                 # System prompt injection: write to GEMINI.md so Gemini loads it
                 # as persistent project context on startup.
@@ -238,6 +231,7 @@ def _build_gemini_command(self) -> str:
                 # A short ``-i`` role acknowledgment ensures the model adopts the role
                 # strongly without triggering exploration behavior.
                 system_prompt = profile.system_prompt if profile.system_prompt is not None else ""
+                system_prompt = self._apply_skill_prompt(system_prompt)
                 if system_prompt:
                     # Write full system prompt to GEMINI.md for persistent context.
                     working_dir = tmux_client.get_pane_working_directory(

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/kimi_cli.py

@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 from typing import Optional
 
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.clients.tmux import tmux_client
-from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.agent_profile import AgentProfile
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.terminal import TerminalStatus
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.providers.base import BaseProvider
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.utils.agent_profiles import load_agent_profile
@@ -142,18 +141,12 @@ def __init__(
         window_name: str,
         agent_profile: Optional[str] = None,
         allowed_tools: Optional[list] = None,
-        loaded_profile: Optional[AgentProfile] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
-        """Initialize provider state.
-
-        ``loaded_profile`` lets terminal_service pass a pre-enriched profile
-        so providers reuse injected skill catalog content instead of reloading
-        the profile from disk.
-        """
-        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools)
+        """Initialize provider state."""
+        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools, skill_prompt)
         self._initialized = False
         self._agent_profile = agent_profile
-        self._loaded_profile = loaded_profile
         # Track temp directory for cleanup (created when agent profile needs temp files)
         self._temp_dir: Optional[str] = None
         # Latching flag: set True when user input box (╭─) is detected in ANY
@@ -199,12 +192,13 @@ def _build_kimi_command(self) -> str:
 
         if self._agent_profile is not None:
             try:
-                profile = self._loaded_profile or load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
+                profile = load_agent_profile(self._agent_profile)
 
                 # Build agent file from profile's system prompt.
                 # Kimi uses YAML agent files with a system_prompt_path pointing
                 # to a markdown file. We create both in the temp directory.
                 system_prompt = profile.system_prompt if profile.system_prompt is not None else ""
+                system_prompt = self._apply_skill_prompt(system_prompt)
 
                 # Prepend security constraints for soft enforcement (Kimi CLI has no
                 # native tool restriction mechanism). Only applied when tool

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/kiro_cli.py

@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ def __init__(
         window_name: str,
         agent_profile: str,
         allowed_tools: Optional[list] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
         """Initialize Kiro CLI provider with terminal context.
 
@@ -90,8 +91,9 @@ def __init__(
             window_name: Name of the tmux window
             agent_profile: Name of the Kiro agent profile to use (e.g., "developer")
             allowed_tools: Optional list of CAO tool names the agent is allowed to use
+            skill_prompt: Optional skill catalog text (unused — Kiro uses native profiles)
         """
-        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools)
+        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools, skill_prompt)
         self._initialized = False
         self._agent_profile = agent_profile
 

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/manager.py

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional
 
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.clients.database import get_terminal_metadata
-from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.agent_profile import AgentProfile
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.models.provider import ProviderType
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.providers.base import BaseProvider
 from cli_agent_orchestrator.providers.claude_code import ClaudeCodeProvider
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ def create_provider(
         tmux_window: str,
         agent_profile: Optional[str] = None,
         allowed_tools: Optional[List[str]] = None,
-        loaded_profile: Optional[AgentProfile] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> BaseProvider:
         """Create and store provider instance."""
         try:
@@ -41,13 +40,15 @@ def create_provider(
                 if not agent_profile:
                     raise ValueError("Q CLI provider requires agent_profile parameter")
                 provider = QCliProvider(
-                    terminal_id, tmux_session, tmux_window, agent_profile, allowed_tools
+                    terminal_id, tmux_session, tmux_window, agent_profile, allowed_tools,
+                    skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
                 )
             elif provider_type == ProviderType.KIRO_CLI.value:
                 if not agent_profile:
                     raise ValueError("Kiro CLI provider requires agent_profile parameter")
                 provider = KiroCliProvider(
-                    terminal_id, tmux_session, tmux_window, agent_profile, allowed_tools
+                    terminal_id, tmux_session, tmux_window, agent_profile, allowed_tools,
+                    skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
                 )
             elif provider_type == ProviderType.CLAUDE_CODE.value:
                 provider = ClaudeCodeProvider(
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ def create_provider(
                     tmux_window,
                     agent_profile,
                     allowed_tools,
-                    loaded_profile,
+                    skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
                 )
             elif provider_type == ProviderType.CODEX.value:
                 provider = CodexProvider(
@@ -65,11 +66,12 @@ def create_provider(
                     tmux_window,
                     agent_profile,
                     allowed_tools,
-                    loaded_profile,
+                    skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
                 )
             elif provider_type == ProviderType.COPILOT_CLI.value:
                 provider = CopilotCliProvider(
-                    terminal_id, tmux_session, tmux_window, agent_profile, allowed_tools
+                    terminal_id, tmux_session, tmux_window, agent_profile, allowed_tools,
+                    skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
                 )
             elif provider_type == ProviderType.GEMINI_CLI.value:
                 provider = GeminiCliProvider(
@@ -78,7 +80,7 @@ def create_provider(
                     tmux_window,
                     agent_profile,
                     allowed_tools,
-                    loaded_profile,
+                    skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
                 )
             elif provider_type == ProviderType.KIMI_CLI.value:
                 provider = KimiCliProvider(
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@ def create_provider(
                     tmux_window,
                     agent_profile,
                     allowed_tools,
-                    loaded_profile,
+                    skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
                 )
             else:
                 raise ValueError(f"Unknown provider type: {provider_type}")

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/providers/q_cli.py

@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ def __init__(
         window_name: str,
         agent_profile: str,
         allowed_tools: Optional[list] = None,
+        skill_prompt: Optional[str] = None,
     ):
-        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools)
+        super().__init__(terminal_id, session_name, window_name, allowed_tools, skill_prompt)
         # TODO: remove the ._initialized if it's not referenced anywhere
         self._initialized = False
         self._agent_profile = agent_profile

src/cli_agent_orchestrator/services/terminal_service.py

@@ -91,20 +91,6 @@ def _build_skill_catalog(profile: AgentProfile) -> str:
     )
 
 
-def _enrich_profile_with_skills(profile: AgentProfile) -> AgentProfile:
-    """Append the declared skill catalog to the profile system prompt."""
-    skill_catalog = _build_skill_catalog(profile)
-    if not skill_catalog:
-        return profile
-
-    enriched_profile = profile.model_copy(deep=True)
-    base_prompt = enriched_profile.system_prompt or ""
-    enriched_profile.system_prompt = (
-        f"{base_prompt}\n\n{skill_catalog}" if base_prompt else skill_catalog
-    )
-    return enriched_profile
-
-
 def create_terminal(
     provider: str,
     agent_profile: str,
@@ -171,10 +157,10 @@ def create_terminal(
             terminal_id, session_name, window_name, provider, agent_profile, allowed_tools
         )
 
-        # Step 3b: Load the profile once for allowed tool resolution and optional
-        # skill catalog injection before provider initialization.
+        # Step 3b: Load the profile once for allowed tool resolution and
+        # skill catalog generation before provider initialization.
         profile = load_agent_profile(agent_profile)
-        enriched_profile = _enrich_profile_with_skills(profile)
+        skill_prompt = _build_skill_catalog(profile)
 
         # Step 3c: Resolve allowed_tools from profile if not explicitly provided
         if allowed_tools is None:
@@ -194,7 +180,7 @@ def create_terminal(
             window_name,
             agent_profile,
             allowed_tools,
-            loaded_profile=enriched_profile,
+            skill_prompt=skill_prompt,
         )
         provider_instance.initialize()