STATE AND CONTROL FLOW

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING • Why must a harness keep state if the model already sees a conversation? ◦ Answer: the model remembers nothing between calls, and state includes facts the model never sees, such as cost totals and approval flags. • When are good moments to write a checkpoint? ◦ Answer: after completed steps, after expensive tool calls, before risky actions, and when approval is requested. • What should happen if a human reviewer never responds? ◦ Answer: a pre-decided timeout rule applies, usually cancelling or waiting and notifying someone, not proceeding silently. • Why can rollback not undo a sent email? ◦ Answer: the email left the harness's control, so only prevention, approval, or a compensating action can address it. • What does a consistent checkpoint mean? ◦ Answer: it describes a state that made sense as a whole, not a half-saved moment.