kb-lua

Lua implementation of the kb kanban tool.

Part of the Language Choice as Superpower research spike.

What This Is

A text-first, CLI kanban board tool. Same spec implemented in 6 languages to evaluate which languages give AI agents the best leverage. Lua tests whether a small, embeddable scripting language with tables-as-everything offers a pragmatic middle ground between exotic and conventional.

The Spec

See SPEC.md for the full specification. Key points:

• Text-first: The data file is the source of truth — human-readable, git-diffable, agent-friendly
• CLI interface: kb add, kb move, kb ls, kb board, kb show, etc.
• Methodology-agnostic: Lanes and flow, not Scrum opinions
• Format freedom: If Lua suggests a more natural data format, propose it
• Extension exercise: After core works, add blocked status (auto-derived from deps) and kb blocked command

Runtime

• Language: Lua 5.4
• Dependencies: Standard library only
• Run: lua kb.lua <command> [args]

Why Lua

• Small grammar, embeddable, fast — designed to be hosted inside other systems
• Tables as the universal data structure — flexible, low-ceremony
• Metatables for OO-like behavior without OO weight
• Strong presence in game engines, embedded systems — proven in constrained environments
• Pragmatic middle ground between the exotic (Forth/Smalltalk/Racket) and conventional (Python/Go)

Status

• Core: parser, serializer, internal model
• CLI: add, move, ls, board, show
• Extension: blocked status + kb blocked command
• Evaluation notes captured