# Development Debrief — Channels Phase 1 & Gateway `accessControl`

**Date:** 2026-05-03  
**Scope:** `@reactive-agents/channels`, gateway config rename, runtime `.withChannels()`, tests and verification  
**Primary branch:** `feat/channels-package` (developed in git worktree `.worktrees/channels` until merged to `main`).  
**Note:** If this file exists on `main` before the branch merges, treat it as the plan-of-record for the initiative; reconcile file paths with the branch when cherry-picking.

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## 1. Objectives

1. **Ship Phase 1** of the external channel layer per `docs/superpowers/plans/2026-03-22-channels-package.md` and `docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-11-channels-design.md`.
2. **Bot-first messaging:** prefer Bot API tokens, HTTPS webhooks, and normalized `InboundMessage` shapes; avoid implying Telethon / user MTProto as the default Telegram story.
3. **Resolve naming collision:** gateway messaging allowlist / chat mode lived under `GatewayConfig.channels`, which conflicted with the new **`@reactive-agents/channels`** package name.
4. **Runtime integration:** expose `.withChannels()` on the builder and wire orchestration when the persistent gateway loop starts.

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## 2. What Shipped

### 2.1 New package: `@reactive-agents/channels`

| Deliverable | Notes |
|-------------|--------|
| **Types** (`types.ts`) | `MessageChannel`, `InboundMessage`, triggers, `ChannelsConfig`, `AgentSessionFactory`, etc. `platform` documented for ids like `telegram-bot` vs overloaded `telegram`. |
| **Errors** (`errors.ts`) | `ChannelConnectionError`, `ChannelSendError`, `SessionResolutionError` (no circular import with types). |
| **TriggerRegistry** | Keyword, slash_command, mention, custom matchers; permissions; `setDefaultAgent` / `getDefaultAgent`. |
| **SessionBridge** | Injected `AgentSessionFactory`; per `(platform, userId, channelId)` session; **FIFO** serialization via promise chains on `runChatTurn`. |
| **ChannelService** | Policy (`GatewayEvent` → `processEvent`) → trigger → `runChatTurn` → `adapter.sendMessage`; optional EventBus (`TriggerFired`, `ChannelMessageSent` with `unknown` cast where needed). |
| **WebhookChannelAdapter** | `MessageChannel` impl; optional HMAC-SHA256 of body; header `x-channels-signature` (hex); JSON → `InboundMessage`; outbound via `onResponse`. |
| **Tests** | 21 tests across registry, bridge, webhook, channel-service, **integration.test.ts** (package-local E2E). |
| **Changesets** | Package registered in `.changeset/config.json` fixed group. |

### 2.2 Gateway & runtime: `channels` → `accessControl`

- **`GatewayConfigSchema`** field renamed to **`accessControl`** (same inner shape: `accessPolicy`, `allowedSenders`, chat `mode`, `sessionTtlDays`, etc.).
- **`GatewayOptions`**, **`ReactiveAgent.start` chat-mode reads**, **runtime typings**, **examples**, **`main.ts`**, **Starlight docs** (`gateway.md`, `builder-api.md`, `configuration.md`), and **tests** updated.
- **Rationale:** keeps “channels” for the **product package**; “accessControl” for **gateway sender policy / chat knobs**.

### 2.3 Core events (already present on branch)

Four **`AgentEvent`** variants were present before this phase: `ChannelMessageSent`, `TriggerFired`, `SessionCreated`, `SessionEnded`. **`ChannelMessageReceived`** JSDoc was extended to point at normalized channel shapes and bot-oriented platform ids.

### 2.4 `.withChannels()` (runtime)

- **`ReactiveAgentBuilder.withChannels(ChannelsConfig)`** stores config.
- **`ReactiveAgent`** receives optional **`_channelsConfig`**; on **`start()`**, after `GatewayService` + `EventBus` resolve, builds **TriggerRegistry**, **SessionBridge** (factory → `agent.session({ id, persist })` + optional trigger `systemPrompt` / `persona.instructions` prefix), **ChannelService** (`evaluatePolicy` = `gw.processEvent`), registers adapters, logs success.
- **`stop()`** calls **`adapter.disconnect()`** for configured adapters.
- **Dependency:** `@reactive-agents/channels`: `workspace:*` on **`@reactive-agents/runtime`**.
- **Re-exports:** `ChannelsConfig` type from **`@reactive-agents/runtime`** and **`reactive-agents`** umbrella.

### 2.5 Integration tests

| Test file | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| `packages/runtime/tests/with-channels-gateway.test.ts` | Build with `.withGateway()` + `.withChannels()`; **E2E** webhook `handleRequest` → policy → session.chat (test provider) → `onResponse`. |
| `packages/channels/tests/integration.test.ts` | Package-local webhook → `ChannelService` without full runtime. |

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## 3. Design & trade-offs

| Decision | Rationale |
|----------|-----------|
| **No `@reactive-agents/runtime` import from `@reactive-agents/channels`** | Avoids circular dependency; **`AgentSessionFactory`** is injected from runtime at `start()`. |
| **Policy = `GatewayService.processEvent`** | Reuses existing gateway stats and access-control policies for `source: "channel"` events. |
| **Session = `agent.session()`** | Reuses existing chat/session semantics and persistence flags instead of duplicating chat state in the channels package. |
| **EventBus publishes use `as unknown as AgentEvent`** | DTS strictness on large `AgentEvent` union; narrow payloads are still structurally correct at runtime. |
| **Async adapter registration** | `start()` returns `GatewayHandle` immediately while an async IIFE attaches the gateway loop and channels; inbound traffic may need a **short delay** or a later tick (documented on `start()` JSDoc; E2E uses ~150ms). **Follow-up:** optional `ready` promise on `GatewayHandle`. |

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## 4. Verification performed

- `bun test ./packages/channels` — **21** passing.
- `bun test` on selected runtime files: gateway-builder, gateway-chat-mode, with-channels-gateway — **10** passing.
- `bun run build` on **`packages/runtime`**, **`packages/reactive-agents`**, **`packages/channels`** — success (including DTS).

Full monorepo `turbo` / global `bun test` was **not** run in this phase (per repo guidance for scoped verification); recommend before merge to `main`.

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## 5. Documentation & release hygiene

- User-facing **Starlight** and **README (channels package)** updated for `accessControl` vs `.withChannels()`.
- **CHANGELOG / changeset:** not added in this debrief session; for a merge to `main`, run **`bun run changeset`** (user-facing: new package + breaking `accessControl` rename).

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## 6. Follow-up backlog (non-blocking)

1. **`GatewayHandle.ready`** (or equivalent) so tests and production callers do not rely on `setTimeout` after `start()`.
2. **`agent-config` / `toConfig()`** — `ChannelsConfig` contains **non-serializable** `MessageChannel` instances; intentionally omitted from JSON round-trip until a serializable “adapter spec” exists.
3. **SQLite `channel_sessions`** table (plan Task 6 persistence) — current **SessionBridge** is in-memory + factory; optional persistence layer later.
4. **Discord / Telegram Bot API** first-class adapters (Phase 2) — types and webhook path are ready; concrete adapters can sit in `channels` or apps.

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## 7. Key file map

| Path | Role |
|------|------|
| `packages/channels/src/*.ts` | Package implementation |
| `packages/channels/tests/*.test.ts` | Unit + integration tests |
| `packages/gateway/src/types.ts` | `accessControl` schema |
| `packages/gateway/src/services/gateway-service.ts` | Wires `accessControl` into access-control policy |
| `packages/runtime/src/builder.ts` | `withChannels`, `start()` / `stop()` wiring, `GatewayOptions.accessControl` |
| `packages/runtime/package.json` | `@reactive-agents/channels` dependency |
| `packages/runtime/src/index.ts` | `ChannelsConfig` type re-export |
| `packages/reactive-agents/src/index.ts` | Umbrella type re-export |
| `apps/docs/.../features/gateway.md` | User-facing `accessControl` docs |

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## 8. Summary

Phase 1 delivered a **typed, tested channels package** with **webhook ingress**, **trigger matching**, **session bridging via the real agent session**, and **runtime integration** behind **`.withChannels()`** plus a **breaking but clearer** gateway field rename to **`accessControl`**. Remaining work is mainly **ergonomics** (`ready` promise), **persistence**, **changeset on merge**, and **Phase 2 platform adapters**.