From eb22afa3632dd0dc173b7bad33a405f9a2778583 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Molecule AI Triage Operator Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:27:41 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] docs(glossary): add GitHub Awesome Copilot disambiguation section Adds a dedicated section mapping the four overlapping terms (Skills, Plugins, Agents, Hooks) plus Instructions and Agentic Workflows between awesome-copilot and Molecule vocabulary. Closes #734. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 --- docs/glossary.md | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 20 insertions(+) diff --git a/docs/glossary.md b/docs/glossary.md index ac797a73..f0343a38 100644 --- a/docs/glossary.md +++ b/docs/glossary.md @@ -23,6 +23,26 @@ lands in the watch list with a colliding term, add a row here. | **channel** | An outbound/inbound social integration (Telegram, Slack, …) per-workspace, wired in `workspace_channels`. | Slack's "channel": the container for messages. We use "channel" for the adapter + credentials, not the conversation itself. | | **runtime** | The execution engine image tag for a workspace: one of `langgraph`, `claude-code`, `openclaw`, `crewai`, `autogen`, `deepagents`, `hermes`. | **LangGraph runtime**: the Python process running the graph. We use "runtime" for the Docker image + adapter pairing, not the inner process. | +## GitHub Awesome Copilot disambiguation + +[`github/awesome-copilot`](https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot) (30 k+ ★) uses +four terms that collide directly with Molecule vocabulary. The scopes are different +enough that reading Copilot documentation while working in this repo causes genuine +confusion. Use this table as a quick reference. + +| Term | Molecule meaning | awesome-copilot meaning | +|------|-----------------|------------------------| +| **Skills** | A directory under the harness with a `SKILL.md` file; injected into the agent's system prompt and invoked with the `Skill` tool (slash-command style). Teaches an agent a reusable recipe. | Instruction + asset bundles that extend GitHub Copilot Chat inside VS Code. Installed per-extension, not per-agent. Closer to our **hooks** + **CLAUDE.md** combined. | +| **Plugins** | A directory under `plugins/` with `plugin.yaml` + optional Python MCP tool modules. Installed per-workspace via the platform API. Extend what an agent can *do* at runtime. | Curated bundles of agent definitions, skill packs, and instructions distributed via the VS Code Marketplace. Higher-level packaging than our plugins — closer to our **org-templates**. | +| **Agents** | A persistent, containerized workspace running one role continuously. Has identity, memory, a git-pinned runtime image, and a scoped bearer token. Long-lived — provisioned once. | GitHub Copilot extensions connected via MCP or the Copilot extension API. Stateless per-session invocations; no persistent container or bearer-token-scoped identity. Closer to our **skills with MCP tools**. | +| **Hooks** | Scripts wired into `~/.claude/settings.json` under `PreToolUse`, `PostToolUse`, `PreCompact`, etc. Fire synchronously inside the Claude Code harness before/after tool calls. | Session-level lifecycle callbacks in GitHub Copilot extensions (e.g., on chat open, on request send). Conceptually similar name; completely different runtime and trigger model. | +| **Instructions** | `CLAUDE.md` (repo-committed) or `/configs/system-prompt.md` (per-workspace container). Shape agent behavior at startup and throughout sessions. | `.github/copilot-instructions.md` — a prompt-injection file that Copilot prepends to every chat context in the repo. Same intent (steer model behavior), different mechanism and scope. | +| **Agentic Workflows** | A2A delegation: one workspace fires `delegate_task` / `delegate_task_async` to peers; tasks route through the team hierarchy via the platform proxy. | Multi-step Copilot orchestrations inside VS Code where Copilot autonomously invokes tools across multiple turns. No persistent inter-agent communication channel. | + +**Rule of thumb:** if you are reading an awesome-copilot README and see one of these +terms, mentally substitute the row above before mapping it onto a Molecule concept. +The naming overlap is historical coincidence — the architectures are distinct. + ## Near-miss terms These don't appear in the table above because we don't use them in the