BMAD-METHOD/src/core-skills/bmad-brainstorming/references/in-chat-techniques.md

Choosing Techniques In Chat

Loaded only when the user won't use the composer page (no browser, headless, or they declined). Here you pick the batch in conversation. 3–4 is the sweet spot. Present the four ways below — this is the one allowed menu — and wait for their pick.

• Facilitator Chosen (default) — from the goal, your {workflow.favorite_techniques}, and the categories map, name a batch of 3–4. Confirm exact names with a targeted list --category on only the categories you're drawing from; never enumerate the library to choose.
• Browse — send them to the composer page after all (## Run a Session in SKILL.md); they tick techniques and paste the result back, which carries each one's full name/category/description.
• Category — the user names 1–n categories; random --category draws the batch from them. No listing needed.
• Inventive Flow — invent at least 3 techniques, announce the order before the first, touch no script. Log each one's name + description so you can offer to save a keeper to {workflow.additional_techniques} (via bmad-customize) at wrap-up.

The library is large — never pull it whole into context. The only way in is the helper, always passing --file {workflow.brain_methods}. Subcommands of uv run {skill-root}/scripts/brain.py --file {workflow.brain_methods}:

• categories — names + counts; the cheap survey map.
• list --category X [--category Y] — the index (name + gist) for those categories. Bare list is refused by the script.
• random --category X [...] -n 4 — draw a batch blind, listing nothing.
• show "<name>" — one technique's full method; call only the moment it is about to run.
• html --out <path> — write the composer page to a file (the Browse option above).

Treat {workflow.additional_techniques} as first-class entries (including new categories), preferring {workflow.favorite_techniques} where they fit. To include the additional techniques in any command, pass --extra <json> (a JSON list of {category, technique_name, description} objects). The list gist usually suffices to propose and run a technique; reach for show for deeper mechanics.