OpenProse Skill

---

name: prose

description: OpenProse VM skill pack. Activate on any `prose` command, .prose files, or OpenProse mentions; orchestrates multi-agent workflows.

metadata: { "openclaw": { "emoji": "🪶", "homepage": "https://www.prose.md" } }

---

# OpenProse Skill

OpenProse is a programming language for AI sessions. LLMs are simulators—when given a detailed system description, they don't just describe it, they _simulate_ it. The `prose.md` specification describes a virtual machine with enough fidelity that a Prose Complete system reading it _becomes_ that VM. Simulation with sufficient fidelity is implementation. **You are the Prose Complete system.**

OpenClaw Runtime Mapping

When to Activate

Activate this skill when the user:

Command Routing

When a user invokes `prose <command>`, intelligently route based on intent:

| Command | Action |

| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |

| `prose help` | Load `help.md`, guide user to what they need |

| `prose run <file>` | Load VM (`prose.md` + state backend), execute the program |

| `prose run handle/slug` | Fetch from registry, then execute (see Remote Programs below) |

| `prose compile <file>` | Load `compiler.md`, validate the program |

| `prose update` | Run migration (see Migration section below) |

| `prose examples` | Show or run example programs from `examples/` |

| Other | Intelligently interpret based on context |

Important: Single Skill

There is only ONE skill: `open-prose`. There are NO separate skills like `prose-run`, `prose-compile`, or `prose-boot`. All `prose` commands route through this single skill.

Resolving Example References

**Examples are bundled in `examples/` (same directory as this file).** When users reference examples by name (e.g., "run the gastown example"):

1. Read `examples/` to list available files

2. Match by partial name, keyword, or number

3. Run with: `prose run examples/28-gas-town.prose`

**Common examples by keyword:**

| Keyword | File |

|---------|------|

| hello, hello world | `examples/01-hello-world.prose` |

| gas town, gastown | `examples/28-gas-town.prose` |

| captain, chair | `examples/29-captains-chair.prose` |

| forge, browser | `examples/37-the-forge.prose` |

| parallel | `examples/16-parallel-reviews.prose` |

| pipeline | `examples/21-pipeline-operations.prose` |

| error, retry | `examples/22-error-handling.prose` |

Remote Programs

You can run any `.prose` program from a URL or registry reference:

# Direct URL — any fetchable URL works
prose run https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openprose/prose/main/skills/open-prose/examples/48-habit-miner.prose

# Registry shorthand — handle/slug resolves to p.prose.md
prose run irl-danb/habit-miner
prose run alice/code-review

**Resolution rules:**

| Input | Resolution |

| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |

| Starts with `http://` or `https://` | Fetch directly from URL |

| Contains `/` but no protocol | Resolve to `https://p.prose.md/{path}` |

| Otherwise | Treat as local file path |

**Steps for remote programs:**

1. Apply resolution rules above

2. Fetch the `.prose` content

3. Load the VM and execute as normal

This same resolution applies to `use` statements inside `.prose` files:

use "https://example.com/my-program.prose"  # Direct URL
use "alice/research" as research             # Registry shorthand

---

File Locations

**Do NOT search for OpenProse documentation files.** All skill files are co-located with this SKILL.md file:

| File | Location | Purpose |

| -------------------------- | --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |

| `prose.md` | Same directory as this file | VM semantics (load to run programs) |

| `help.md` | Same directory as this file | Help, FAQs, onboarding (load for `prose help`) |

| `state/filesystem.md` | Same directory as this file | File-based state (default, load with VM) |

| `state/in-context.md` | Same directory as this file | In-context state (on request) |

| `state/sqlite.md` | Same directory as this file | SQLite state (experimental, on request) |

| `state/postgres.md` | Same directory as this file | PostgreSQL state (experimental, on request) |

| `compiler.md` | Same directory as this file | Compiler/validator (load only on request) |

| `guidance/patterns.md` | Same directory as this file | Best practices (load when writing .prose) |

| `guidance/antipatterns.md` | Same directory as this file | What to avoid (load when writing .prose) |

| `examples/` | Same directory as this file | 37 example programs |

**User workspace files** (these ARE in the user's project):

| File/Directory | Location | Purpose |

| ---------------- | ------------------------ | --------------------------------- |

| `.prose/.env` | User's working directory | Config (key=value format) |

| `.prose/runs/` | User's working directory | Runtime state for file-based mode |

| `.prose/agents/` | User's working directory | Project-scoped persistent agents |

| `*.prose` files | User's project | User-created programs to execute |

**User-level files** (in user's home directory, shared across all projects):

| File/Directory | Location | Purpose |

| ------------------ | --------------- | --------------------------------------------- |

| `~/.prose/agents/` | User's home dir | User-scoped persistent agents (cross-project) |

When you need to read `prose.md` or `compiler.md`, read them from the same directory where you found this SKILL.md file. Never search the user's workspace for these files.

---

Core Documentation

| File | Purpose | When to Load |

| -------------------------- | ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| `prose.md` | VM / Interpreter | Always load to run programs |

| `state/filesystem.md` | File-based state | Load with VM (default) |

| `state/in-context.md` | In-context state | Only if user requests `--in-context` or says "use in-context state" |

| `state/sqlite.md` | SQLite state (experimental) | Only if user requests `--state=sqlite` (requires sqlite3 CLI) |

| `state/postgres.md` | PostgreSQL state (experimental) | Only if user requests `--state=postgres` (requires psql + PostgreSQL) |

| `compiler.md` | Compiler / Validator | **Only** when user asks to compile or validate |

| `guidance/patterns.md` | Best practices | Load when **writing** new .prose files |

| `guidance/antipatterns.md` | What to avoid | Load when **writing** new .prose files |

Authoring Guidance

When the user asks you to **write or create** a new `.prose` file, load the guidance files:

Do **not** load these when running or compiling—they're for authoring only.

State Modes

OpenProse supports three state management approaches:

| Mode | When to Use | State Location |

| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- |

| **filesystem** (default) | Complex programs, resumption needed, debugging | `.prose/runs/{id}/` files |

| **in-context** | Simple programs (<30 statements), no persistence needed | Conversation history |

| **sqlite** (experimental) | Queryable state, atomic transactions, flexible schema | `.prose/runs/{id}/state.db` |

| **postgres** (experimental) | True concurrent writes, external integrations, team collaboration | PostgreSQL database |

**Default behavior:** When loading `prose.md`, also load `state/filesystem.md`. This is the recommended mode for most programs.

**Switching modes:** If the user says "use in-context state" or passes `--in-context`, load `state/in-context.md` instead.

**Experimental SQLite mode:** If the user passes `--state=sqlite` or says "use sqlite state", load `state/sqlite.md`. This mode requires `sqlite3` CLI to be installed (pre-installed on macOS, available via package managers on Linux/Windows). If `sqlite3` is unavailable, warn the user and fall back to filesystem state.

**Experimental PostgreSQL mode:** If the user passes `--state=postgres` or says "use postgres state":

**⚠️ Security Note:** Database credentials in `OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL` are passed to subagent sessions and visible in logs. Advise users to use a dedicated database with limited-privilege credentials. See `state/postgres.md` for secure setup guidance.

1. **Check for connection configuration first:**

```bash

# Check .prose/.env for OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL

cat .prose/.env 2>/dev/null | grep OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL

# Or check environment variable

echo $OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL

```

2. **If connection string exists, verify connectivity:**

```bash

psql "$OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL" -c "SELECT 1" 2>&1

```

3. **If not configured or connection fails, advise the user:**

```

⚠️ PostgreSQL state requires a connection URL.

To configure:

1. Set up a PostgreSQL database (Docker, local, or cloud)

2. Add connection string to .prose/.env:

echo "OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/prose" >> .prose/.env

Quick Docker setup:

docker run -d --name prose-pg -e POSTGRES_DB=prose -e POSTGRES_HOST_AUTH_METHOD=trust -p 5432:5432 postgres:16

echo "OPENPROSE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://postgres@localhost:5432/prose" >> .prose/.env

See state/postgres.md for detailed setup options.

```

4. **Only after successful connection check, load `state/postgres.md`**

This mode requires both `psql` CLI and a running PostgreSQL server. If either is unavailable, warn and offer fallback to filesystem state.

**Context warning:** `compiler.md` is large. Only load it when the user explicitly requests compilation or validation. After compiling, recommend `/compact` or a new session before running—don't keep both docs in context.

Examples

The `examples/` directory contains 37 example programs:

Start with `01-hello-world.prose` or try `37-the-forge.prose` to watch AI build a web browser.

Execution

When first invoking the OpenProse VM in a session, display this banner:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│         ◇ OpenProse VM ◇            │
│       A new kind of computer        │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

To execute a `.prose` file, you become the OpenProse VM:

1. **Read `prose.md`** — this document defines how you embody the VM

2. **You ARE the VM** — your conversation is its memory, your tools are its instructions

3. **Spawn sessions** — each `session` statement triggers a Task tool call

4. **Narrate state** — use the narration protocol to track execution ([Position], [Binding], [Success], etc.)

5. **Evaluate intelligently** — `**...**` markers require your judgment

Help & FAQs

For syntax reference, FAQs, and getting started guidance, load `help.md`.

---

Migration (`prose update`)

When a user invokes `prose update`, check for legacy file structures and migrate them to the current format.

Legacy Paths to Check

| Legacy Path | Current Path | Notes |

| ------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------- |

| `.prose/state.json` | `.prose/.env` | Convert JSON to key=value format |

| `.prose/execution/` | `.prose/runs/` | Rename directory |

Migration Steps

1. **Check for `.prose/state.json`**

- If exists, read the JSON content

- Convert to `.env` format:

```json

{ "OPENPROSE_TELEMETRY": "enabled", "USER_ID": "user-xxx", "SESSION_ID": "sess-xxx" }

```

becomes:

```env

OPENPROSE_TELEMETRY=enabled

USER_ID=user-xxx

SESSION_ID=sess-xxx

```

- Write to `.prose/.env`

- Delete `.prose/state.json`

2. **Check for `.prose/execution/`**

- If exists, rename to `.prose/runs/`

- The internal structure of run directories may also have changed; migration of individual run state is best-effort

3. **Create `.prose/agents/` if missing**

- This is a new directory for project-scoped persistent agents

Migration Output

🔄 Migrating OpenProse workspace...
  ✓ Converted .prose/state.json → .prose/.env
  ✓ Renamed .prose/execution/ → .prose/runs/
  ✓ Created .prose/agents/
✅ Migration complete. Your workspace is up to date.

If no legacy files are found:

✅ Workspace already up to date. No migration needed.

Skill File References (for maintainers)

These documentation files were renamed in the skill itself (not user workspace):

| Legacy Name | Current Name |

| ----------------- | -------------------------- |

| `docs.md` | `compiler.md` |

| `patterns.md` | `guidance/patterns.md` |

| `antipatterns.md` | `guidance/antipatterns.md` |

If you encounter references to the old names in user prompts or external docs, map them to the current paths.