Introduction
NikCLI’s agent system is a sophisticated, multi-layered architecture that enables autonomous AI-driven development. Agents can analyze code, make decisions, execute complex tasks, and coordinate with each other to accomplish goals.Architecture Overview
Agent Hierarchy
Base Agent
Abstract foundation providing core functionality for all agents
Universal Agent
Single comprehensive agent with 64+ capabilities for general tasks
Specialized Agents
Domain-specific agents (Frontend, Backend, DevOps, etc.)
Autonomous Orchestrator
Coordinates multiple agents for complex multi-step workflows
Core Components
1. Agent Factory
Creates and manages agent instances:- Dynamic Creation: Instantiate agents on-demand
- Lifecycle Management: Handle agent initialization and cleanup
- Resource Pooling: Reuse agents for efficiency
- Configuration: Customize agent behavior per instance
2. Agent Orchestrator
Coordinates multi-agent workflows:- Task Decomposition: Break complex tasks into subtasks
- Agent Selection: Choose optimal agents for each subtask
- Parallel Execution: Run independent tasks concurrently
- Conflict Resolution: Handle competing agent actions
- Progress Tracking: Monitor and report execution status
3. Tool Registry
Manages tools available to agents:- 40+ Built-in Tools: File ops, Git, search, Web3, etc.
- Security Levels: safe, confirmed, dangerous
- Access Control: Tool permissions per agent type
- Context Awareness: Tools understand project context
4. Context Manager
Provides agents with project understanding:- Project Structure: File tree, dependencies, architecture
- Code Understanding: Semantic search via RAG
- Framework Detection: React, Vue, Express, etc.
- Coding Patterns: Project conventions and styles
- Historical Context: Previous changes and decisions
5. Streaming Provider
Manages real-time output:- Real-time Updates: Stream agent thoughts and actions
- Progress Tracking: Visual indicators for long tasks
- Interactive Prompts: Request user input during execution
- Error Handling: Graceful failure recovery
Agent Capabilities
Universal Agent (64+ Capabilities)
Code Generation (12 capabilities)
Code Generation (12 capabilities)
- Component creation (React, Vue, Angular)
- Function/class generation
- API endpoint creation
- Database schema design
- Configuration file generation
- Boilerplate scaffolding
- Type definitions
- Interface design
- Module structure
- Package setup
- Script creation
- Documentation generation
Code Analysis (10 capabilities)
Code Analysis (10 capabilities)
- Quality assessment
- Security vulnerability scanning
- Performance profiling
- Dependency analysis
- Dead code detection
- Code smell identification
- Complexity metrics
- Test coverage analysis
- Architecture review
- Best practices verification
Code Modification (8 capabilities)
Code Modification (8 capabilities)
- Refactoring
- Bug fixing
- Optimization
- Modernization
- Type safety improvements
- Error handling enhancement
- Accessibility improvements
- Internationalization
Testing (8 capabilities)
Testing (8 capabilities)
- Unit test generation
- Integration test creation
- E2E test development
- Test fixing
- Coverage improvement
- Mock generation
- Test refactoring
- Snapshot testing
Documentation (6 capabilities)
Documentation (6 capabilities)
- README creation
- API documentation
- Inline comments
- JSDoc/TSDoc generation
- Architecture diagrams
- Usage examples
DevOps (8 capabilities)
DevOps (8 capabilities)
- Docker configuration
- CI/CD pipeline creation
- Environment setup
- Deployment scripts
- Monitoring setup
- Infrastructure as Code
- Build optimization
- Dependency management
Debugging (6 capabilities)
Debugging (6 capabilities)
- Error diagnosis
- Stack trace analysis
- Performance debugging
- Memory leak detection
- Logic error identification
- Regression analysis
Web3/Blockchain (6 capabilities)
Web3/Blockchain (6 capabilities)
- Smart contract generation
- DeFi integration
- Wallet operations
- Token management
- Transaction handling
- Web3 testing
Specialized Agents
- Frontend Agent
- Backend Agent
- DevOps Agent
- Code Review Agent
Expertise:
- React, Vue, Angular, Svelte
- CSS, Tailwind, styled-components
- State management (Redux, Zustand, Recoil)
- Component libraries
- Responsive design
- Accessibility (WCAG)
- Performance optimization
- SEO best practices
- UI component creation
- Layout implementation
- State management setup
- Styling and theming
- Animation and transitions
- Form handling and validation
Execution Modes
Interactive Mode (Default)
- Agent analyzes task
- Generates execution plan
- Requests approval from user
- Executes approved plan
- Reports results
- Learning how agents work
- Critical or sensitive tasks
- When you want control
- Exploratory development
Autonomous Mode
- Agent analyzes task
- Generates execution plan
- Executes immediately (no approval)
- Reports results
- Trusted, routine tasks
- When you’re confident in the request
- Batch operations
- CI/CD automation
Autonomous mode skips approval prompts. Review results carefully.
Planning Mode
- Agent generates detailed plan
- User reviews and edits plan
- User approves modified plan
- Agents execute plan step-by-step
- User approves each critical step
- Complex multi-phase projects
- When you want fine-grained control
- Learning and education
- High-stakes changes
Agent Communication
Agents can communicate through an event bus:- Task Handoff: One agent completes task, hands off to another
- Help Requests: Agent requests assistance from specialist
- Conflict Resolution: Agents negotiate conflicting changes
- Status Updates: Agents broadcast progress
Agent State Management
- Idle: Agent available for tasks
- Analyzing: Understanding the task
- Planning: Creating execution plan
- Executing: Performing actions
- Waiting: Awaiting user input
- Error: Encountered failure
Performance & Optimization
Parallel Execution
Multiple agents work simultaneously on independent tasks
Intelligent Caching
Reuse analysis results and context across sessions
Token Optimization
Minimize API costs through smart context management
Streaming Output
Real-time updates reduce perceived latency
Security Model
Tool Security Levels
1
Safe Tools
No approval required:
- File reading
- Code analysis
- Search operations
- Documentation generation
2
Confirmed Tools
Require approval:
- File writing
- File modification
- Git operations
- Package installation
3
Dangerous Tools
Require explicit approval with warning:
- File deletion
- System commands
- Environment modification
- Deployment operations
Access Control
Monitoring & Observability
Track agent performance:Enable monitoring to track agent performance and optimize your workflows