Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.compose.market/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
The Manowar harness runs Manowar Agent Loop (MAL) plans. A MAL plan is YAML or JSON with a closed set of operations. The interpreter validates the plan, executes each step, stores saved values, resolves references, and returns a structured run result.
Use the harness when a task needs multiple steps, parallel branches, registered subagents, direct tool calls, checkpoints, proof bundles, scratch state, or shared swarm state.
Why MAL Exists
Prompt-only agent loops spend tokens re-explaining how to act. MAL makes execution a typed runtime concern:
| Concern | Prompt-only loop | MAL harness |
|---|
| Step dispatch | Model decides from prose. | Interpreter dispatches a typed op. |
| References | Model copies text around. | Runtime resolves {{stepId.path}}. |
| Budgets | Usually prompt-instructed. | Runtime enforces token, tool batch, wall time, and depth budgets. |
| Parallelism | Model describes it. | Runtime runs fanout branches with concurrency controls. |
| Resume | App-specific. | Redis checkpoint store can resume by composeRunId. |
Minimal Plan
description: "Summarize a source and stop"
steps:
- op: tool
saveAs: source
toolName: search_call
args:
query: "Compose.Market Manowar memory"
- op: synthesize
saveAs: summary
from: ["source"]
model: "gpt-5.5"
instruction: "Summarize the result in five bullets."
- op: stop
output: "{{summary}}"
Ops
| Op | Runtime behavior |
|---|
task | Spawn a focused registered subagent. |
delegate | Call a registered deployed agent. |
fanout | Run branches in parallel. |
tool | Call a tool directly. |
if | Branch on a safe condition. |
loop | Repeat a bounded block. |
scratch | Read/write private run state. |
synthesize | Combine saved artifacts with an explicit model. |
stop | Return a final output. |
ask_user | Ask the host for input. |
Comparison
| System | Multi-step control | Manowar harness |
|---|
| LangGraph | State graph with nodes and durable execution. | Typed plan interpreted inside the Compose runtime. |
| Google ADK | Workflow agents and runner services. | Registered Compose agents plus MAL ops. |
| AutoGen | Event-driven agent teams and messages. | Runtime-level plan dispatch, budgets, and proof/checkpoint hooks. |
