Harness

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.	ValKey checkpoint store can resume by `runId`.

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.

Overview

Memory

Tools

Harness

Why MAL Exists

Minimal Plan

Ops

Comparison

​Why MAL Exists

​Minimal Plan

​Ops

​Comparison

​Related

Why MAL Exists

Minimal Plan

Ops

Comparison

Related