--- title: HVE Core Documentation description: Documentation hub for HVE Core, a prompt engineering framework that brings AI-powered agents, prompts, instructions, and skills to your GitHub Copilot workflow sidebar_position: 1 author: Microsoft ms.date: 2026-03-11 ms.topic: overview keywords: - hve core - documentation - copilot customizations - agents - prompt engineering estimated_reading_time: 3 --- HVE Core gives your team production-ready agents, reusable prompts, coding instructions, and executable skills for GitHub Copilot. You get structured workflows (Research → Plan → Implement), schema-enforced quality gates, and role-specific tooling across 10 engineering disciplines. Install from the VS Code Marketplace and start shipping with AI-assisted engineering in minutes. ## Choose Your Extension | | HVE Core All | HVE Installer | |--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | What you get | Every agent, prompt, instruction, and skill in the framework | Pick only the collections you need | | Best for | Teams that want the full toolkit out of the box | Teams that prefer a curated, lightweight setup | | Install | [Install HVE Core All](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-core-all) | [Install HVE Installer](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ise-hve-essentials.hve-installer) | > Not sure which to choose? See the [installation methods comparison](getting-started/methods/comparison.md) for a detailed breakdown. ## Find Your Path ### New to HVE Core? Get up and running with installation, configuration, and your first AI-assisted workflow. * [Install HVE Core](getting-started/install.md) covers three setup paths from marketplace extension to developer clone * [Run your first workflow](getting-started/first-workflow.md) walks through an end-to-end RPI example * [Browse available collections](getting-started/collections.md) to see what each bundle includes ### Leading a Team? Set up HVE Core for your team with governance, collections, and customization options. * [Team adoption guide](customization/team-adoption.md) covers governance, naming conventions, and onboarding * [Collections overview](getting-started/collections.md) explains how to bundle and distribute artifacts * [Customization guide](customization/README.md) covers the full spectrum from lightweight instructions to fork-and-extend ### Contributing to HVE Core? Create and maintain agents, prompts, instructions, and skills for the framework. * [Contributing guide](contributing/) explains artifact authoring standards * [Templates](templates/) provide starting points for ADRs, BRDs, and security plans * [Architecture overview](architecture/) documents system design, components, and build pipelines ### Going Deeper? Explore advanced capabilities including Design Thinking coaching, security planning, and methodology reference. * [Design Thinking](design-thinking/README.md) guides teams through nine methods across three spaces * [Project Planning](agents/project-planning/) covers ADR creation, BRD/PRD building, architecture diagrams, and security plan generation * [Security documentation](security/README.md) covers threat modeling and security planning * [RPI methodology](rpi/) explains the Research, Plan, Implement agent coordination pattern ## Roles HVE Core provides dedicated tooling for 10 engineering roles, each with curated agents, prompts, and starter workflows. Find your role guide on the [Role Guides](hve-guide/roles/) page. ## AI-Assisted Project Lifecycle HVE Core supports a 9-stage lifecycle from initial setup through ongoing operations. Each stage maps to specific agents, prompts, and role-specific guidance. * [Stage overview](hve-guide/lifecycle/) provides a full lifecycle map * [Implementation (Stage 6)](hve-guide/lifecycle/implementation.md) is the highest-density stage with 30+ assets * [Discovery (Stage 2)](hve-guide/lifecycle/discovery.md) covers research, requirements, and BRD creation **[Explore the full lifecycle →](hve-guide/lifecycle/)** ## Agent Systems Specialized agents are organized into functional groups that combine agents, prompts, and instruction files into cohesive workflows. * [RPI Orchestration](rpi/) separates complex tasks into research, planning, implementation, and review phases * [Project Planning](agents/project-planning/) creates ADRs, BRDs, PRDs, architecture diagrams, and security plans through guided AI workflows * [GitHub Backlog Manager](agents/github-backlog/) automates issue discovery, triage, sprint planning, and execution * Additional systems are documented in the [Agent Catalog](agents/) **[Browse the Agent Catalog →](agents/)** ## RPI Methodology Research, Plan, Implement (RPI) decomposes complex engineering tasks into three specialized agents that collaborate through structured handoffs. * [Why RPI?](rpi/why-rpi.md) explains the problem statement and design rationale * [Task Researcher](rpi/task-researcher.md), [Task Planner](rpi/task-planner.md), and [Task Implementor](rpi/task-implementor.md) cover each agent * [Using Together](rpi/using-together.md) describes agent coordination patterns **[RPI Documentation →](rpi/)** ## Design Thinking The dt-coach agent guides teams through nine Design Thinking methods across problem space, solution space, and validation. * [Design Thinking Guide](design-thinking/README.md) provides the overview and method catalog * [Why Design Thinking?](design-thinking/why-design-thinking.md) explains when to reach for DT * [Using the DT Coach](design-thinking/dt-coach.md) covers agent usage **[Browse all Design Thinking docs →](design-thinking/)** ## Prompt Engineering HVE Core structures AI artifacts with protocol patterns, input variables, and a four-stage maturity lifecycle. * [Prompt Builder Agent](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/blob/main/.github/agents/hve-core/prompt-builder.agent.md) provides interactive artifact creation with sandbox testing * [AI Artifacts Overview](contributing/ai-artifacts-common.md) covers common patterns across artifact types * [Activation Context](architecture/ai-artifacts.md#activation-context) explains when artifacts activate within workflows ## Quick Links | Resource | Description | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------| | [Customization Guide](customization/) | Adapt HVE Core to your workflow | | [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) | Release history and version notes | | [CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) | Repository contribution guidelines | | [Scripts README](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/blob/main/scripts/README.md) | Automation script reference | | [Extension README](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/blob/main/extension/README.md) | VS Code extension documentation | *🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.*