This is from me, I'm experimenting with Copilot agents running in parallel

builds didn't run because I am targeting an inprogress JSpecify branch

I will later change this branch to target master for merging. The other JSpecify PR should be merged in first

I ran the NullAway checks, and the full test suite locally, and it's passed.

Very impressed with Copilot agents for parallelising this work. This was made with Claude Sonnet 4.5

Other learnings - I tried 40-50 classes at a time with Opus 4.5 via Antigravity. It couldn't cope with too much context. Much better results with doing 10 at a time, as done here

@copilot Excellent work. Coming back to the original JSpecify prompt, what would you change to make the next agent run even more effective?

@copilot Excellent work. Coming back to the original JSpecify prompt, what would you change to make the next agent run even more effective?

Based on this run, here are suggestions to make the prompt even more effective:

Add to the prompt:

1. Explicit class prioritization: "Start with interface/simple classes first, then tackle complex classes with builders. This helps identify patterns early."

2. Exploration phase guidance: "Before annotating, use grep to search for how each class is instantiated (e.g., grep -r "new Comment") to understand which parameters can be null."

3. Pattern examples: Add 2-3 concrete before/after examples showing:

   • Interface with just @NullMarked
   • Class with nullable field
   • Class with nullable return type
   • Builder with @NullUnmarked

4. Validation strategy: "Run ./gradlew compileJava after every 3-5 classes annotated, not just at the end. This catches issues early and makes debugging easier."

5. Batch size confirmation: "You mentioned 10 classes works well - add this explicitly: 'Annotate approximately 10 classes per batch for optimal context management.'"

Already working well:

• The builder pattern guidance (@NullUnmarked)
• GraphQL spec compliance section
• Minimal changes emphasis
• Exemption list cleanup reminder

The current prompt is solid - these additions would just reduce exploration time and catch issues faster.

@copilot Make these changes to the prompt in this pull request

@copilot Make these changes to the prompt in this pull request

Updated the prompt in .claude/commands/jspecify-annotate.md with the suggested improvements (commit 3db2dde):

Added sections:

• Batch Size and Prioritization: 10 classes per batch, prioritize simple classes first
• Exploration Phase: Use grep to understand null usage patterns
• Pattern Examples: 4 concrete before/after examples (interface, nullable field, nullable return, builder)
• Validation Strategy: Compile after every 3-5 classes for early error detection

The prompt now provides clearer guidance on workflow and includes practical examples to reduce exploration time.

This diff looks unusual because it depends on the first large jspecify pr to go in