In depth
Plan-first reasoning is what makes coding agents like Claude Code feel deliberate. Before touching any file, the agent writes a multi-step plan, commits to it, then executes one step at a time. Without it, the agent meanders. With it, you get focused work and a paper trail you can read. On Digitorn plan-first is a runtime rule, not a prompt instruction, which means it survives compaction and sloppy prompt edits.
Related concepts
System promptThe instruction text the LLM sees before any user message. Sets the agent's role, constraints, and behaviour.Goal pinningA pattern where the original goal is auto-injected at the top of every turn so the LLM cannot lose the thread.Behaviour rulesFocused guards that protect against common agent failure modes (runaway loops, repeated tool calls, drift).
Read the deep dive
How to build a Claude Code clone in YAML
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Engineering notes from the Digitorn team. No marketing, no launch announcements, no "10 prompts that will change your life". Just the things we write that we'd want to read.