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inven/skills/software/repo-exploration.md
2026-03-23 15:29:14 -05:00

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Repository Exploration

Purpose

Rapidly build accurate context before implementation, debugging, or planning by identifying the right files, flows, conventions, and constraints in the repository.

When to use

  • Starting in an unfamiliar repository
  • Locating the right implementation area for a request
  • Understanding current architecture before proposing changes
  • Reducing ambiguity in a vague task

Inputs to gather

  • Repository layout, entrypoints, and key modules
  • Build, test, and dependency configuration
  • Existing patterns for similar features or workflows
  • Any local instructions, docs, or conventions already in the repo

How to work

  • Start broad, then narrow quickly to the files and flows relevant to the task.
  • Favor authoritative sources in the repo such as configs, types, interfaces, docs, and existing implementations.
  • Identify where decisions are already made by the codebase so you do not reinvent them.
  • Summarize findings in terms of how they affect the next action.
  • Stop exploring once the path to execution is clear enough.

Output expectations

  • Concise map of the relevant code paths and conventions
  • Recommended starting points for changes or further investigation
  • Key unknowns that still require validation

Quality checklist

  • Exploration answers practical implementation questions rather than producing generic architecture prose.
  • Findings are tied to concrete files, modules, or workflows.
  • Enough context is gathered to act confidently without over-reading the entire repo.

Handoff notes

  • Mention the most relevant files, commands, and repo conventions discovered.
  • Flag ambiguous areas where multiple plausible implementation paths exist.