Manifesto

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When You Need Approval or History ​

Do not start here unless the base runtime already makes sense.

Most projects should begin with @manifesto-ai/sdk and stay there. This page is for the moment when direct action submission is no longer enough.

Stay On The Base Runtime When ​

Do not add approval/history just because the packages exist. Stay with the SDK runtime when the product only needs:

  • a UI, route, script, or trusted agent that can submit actions immediately
  • current-state reads through snapshot() or subscriptions
  • ordinary server logs, analytics, or database persistence outside Manifesto
  • local undo/redo or draft UI state that does not need sealed continuity
  • simple allow/deny checks that MEL or app code can enforce before calling an action

Those are app concerns. They do not require proposal records, approval decision records, or branch history.

Typical Signals ​

Open the advanced runtime only when one or more of these become true:

  • writes need human review or approval before they commit
  • the team needs actor attribution or explicit decision records
  • state changes need durable audit history, not just the current snapshot
  • branch/head continuity matters after commits
  • an agent or workflow should propose work rather than execute it directly

If none of those are true, stay on the base SDK runtime.

What Changes ​

The domain model stays the same. What changes is the runtime shape around it.

text
createManifesto(schema, effects)
  -> withLineage(...)
  -> withGovernance(...)
  -> activate()
  -> action.x.submit(...)
  -> waitForSettlement(...)

That adds:

  • continuity through @manifesto-ai/lineage
  • review and decision flow through @manifesto-ai/governance
  • durable audit history on top of the same domain model

What Does Not Change ​

  • Keep the same MEL domain.
  • Keep the same app-owned action names.
  • Keep UI and agent code reading snapshots and calling action helpers.
  • Keep effect handlers returning patches.

The approval/history runtime changes what submit() means. It does not ask React components, route handlers, or agent tools to learn low-level package internals.

  1. Tutorial 05: Approval and History Setup
  2. Tutorial 06: Review And Durable History Flow
  3. Advanced Runtime Assembly when you want the compact setup guide
  4. @manifesto-ai/lineage and @manifesto-ai/governance for package-level details

Good Defaults ​

  • Keep app onboarding, UI wiring, and simple agents on the base SDK runtime until reviewability is an actual requirement.
  • Introduce the advanced runtime because of an operational need, not because the architecture exists.
  • Use tooling like @manifesto-ai/studio-cli and @manifesto-ai/studio-mcp to inspect the model before deciding that approval/history layers are necessary.

See Also ​