Model-Based Agentic Engineering

A Case Study in Software Engineering
James C. Davis · Edition 1 · 2026
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Contents

Orientation and Reference
  1. •Acknowledgments
  2. •How to Read This Book
  3. •What This Book Argues
  4. •MAGE on One Page
  5. •Glossary
  6. •Preface
  7. •List of Figures and Tables
Chapter 1 — The New Engineering Problem
  1. •The New Engineering Problem
  2. §1.1The Printer
  3. §1.2MAGE by Example: Summary of the DocAble Case
  4. §1.3Agentic Machinery and Engineering Mechanisms
  5. §1.4Two Problems the Method Must Solve
  6. •Summary
Chapter 2 — Modeling
  1. •Modeling
  2. §2.1From Context to Engineering Models
  3. §2.2Structural Models: What Is Connected to What?
  4. §2.3Behavioral Models: What May Happen?
  5. §2.4Decision Models: What Is Allowed?
  6. §2.5System Knowledge: Connecting the Models
  7. •Summary
Chapter 3 — Alignment
  1. •Alignment
  2. §3.1Where Obligations Can Be Enforced
  3. §3.2From Engineering Intent to Enforceable Obligation
  4. §3.3Constraints, Sensors, Validators, and Gates
  5. §3.4Growing the Governed Environment
  6. §3.5When Controls Become a System
  7. •Summary
Chapter 4 — MAGE in Motion: Engineering Through Models
  1. •MAGE in Motion: Engineering Through Models
  2. §4.1The Dynamics of MAGE
  3. §4.2One Problem, Many Models
  4. §4.3Brownfield Engineering
  5. §4.4Engineering the Environment
Chapter 5 — Agentic Software Factories
  1. •Agentic Software Factories
  2. §5.1The Software Factory
  3. §5.2Inside DocAble's Software Factory
  4. §5.3Other Agentic Software Factories
  5. §5.4Two Problems of Factory Engineering
  6. •Coda: Engineering the Factory
Chapter 6 — The Theory
  1. •The Theory
  2. §6.1A Theory of MAGE
  3. §6.2What the Theory Predicts
  4. §6.3Scope Conditions
  5. §6.4Research Agenda
  6. •What the Theory Claims
Chapter 7 — The Profession
  1. •The Profession
  2. §7.1The Reorganization of Software Work
  3. §7.2MAGE in the Engineering Tradition
  4. §7.3Agentic Engineering Beyond Software
  5. §7.4The Engineer
  6. •What Cannot Be Delegated?
  1. •Conclusion
Appendix Part I — Practice
  1. •Appendix Part I — Practice
Appendix A — MAGE Engineering Stacks
  1. AAppendix A — MAGE Engineering Stacks
  2. AA.1 Model Coherence
  3. AA.2 Assurance
  4. AA.3 Auditable Transformation
  5. AA.4 Observe → React
  6. AA.5 Resource Mediation
  7. AA.6 Governance Conversion
  8. AA.7 Context Delivery
  9. AA.8 Composing a Stack
Appendix B — Engineering Moves
  1. BAppendix B — Engineering Moves
  2. BB.1 Make One Source Authoritative
  3. BB.2 Derive; Don't Copy
  4. BB.3 Keep Representation and Reality in Correspondence
  5. BB.4 Derive What Must Be Assured
  6. BB.5 Enforce Where the Property Becomes Legible
  7. BB.6 Close the Action Surface
  8. BB.7 Deliver Knowledge Where the Decision Occurs
  9. BB.8 Make Cause Travel with Consequence
  10. BB.9 Externalize Recurring Operational Judgment
  11. BB.10 Make Hidden Dependencies Queryable
Appendix C — Model Reference
  1. CAppendix C — Model Reference
  2. CC.1 Structure and Boundaries
  3. CC.2 Behavior and Ownership
  4. CC.3 Execution and Placement
  5. CC.4 Measurement
  6. CC.5 Documentation and Provenance
  7. CC.6 Joining Views Around a Scenario
  8. CC.7 From Representation to Enforcement
Appendix D — Operator's Reference
  1. DAppendix D — Operator's Reference
  2. DD.1 The Operator's Dashboard
  3. DD.2 Daily Operator Review
  4. DD.3 System Health
  5. DD.4 Representation Health
  6. DD.5 Human Judgment
  7. DD.6 Engineering Capital
  8. DD.7 Governance Conversion
  9. DD.8 Brownfield Migration Drill
  10. DD.9 Brownfield Progress
  11. DD.10 Release Readiness
  12. DD.11 Evidence Quality
  13. DD.12 Operating Doctrine
Appendix E — How to Write a Skill
  1. EAppendix E — How to Write a Skill
  2. EAppendix E - 1. Theory
  3. EAppendix E - 2. Applying the Recipe
Appendix F — Configuring MAGE Across the Product Lifecycle
  1. FAppendix F — Configuring MAGE Across the Product Lifecycle
  2. FF.1 One Product, Several Engineering Surfaces
  3. FF.2 Product Discovery
  4. FF.3 Engineering & Realization
  5. FF.4 Product Management & Maintenance
  6. FF.5 Operations & Incident Response
  7. FF.6 Assurance & Compliance
  8. FF.7 Differential Adoption
  9. FF.8 From Local MAGE to the Product GEE
  10. FF.9 Engineering Capital Across Time and Space
Appendix G — Adopting GenAI in an Organization
  1. GAppendix G — Adopting GenAI in an Organization
  2. GG.1 From Assistance to Delegation
  3. GG.2 From Context Engineering to a Governed Environment
  4. GG.3 Learning from Delegated Work
  5. GG.4 Expanding Delegation
  6. GG.5 Organizational Adoption
  7. GG.6 A Practical Adoption Procedure
Appendix Part II — Evidence
  1. •Appendix Part II — Evidence
Appendix H — Field Guide
  1. HAppendix H — Field Guide
Appendix I — Evidence Ledger: The DocAble Case
  1. IAppendix I — Evidence Ledger: The DocAble Case
Appendix J — Crazy Ideas
  1. JAppendix J — Crazy Ideas
  2. JJ.1 Commodity Intelligence as an Experimental Instrument for Software Engineering
  3. JJ.2 Model Induction from Realized Work
Back Matter
  1. •Colophon — Dogfooding MAGE
  2. •About the Author
Index
  1. ★Index (terms)
  2. ◫Figures Gallery
  3. ❧Bibliography
Model-Based Agentic Engineering
© James C. Davis, 2026–present