Code mapping
Creates and navigates hierarchical code maps (L0/L1/L2/L3) for AI agent and human orientation. Use when bootstrapping codebase understanding, creating navigation documentation, exploring architecture, or validating map integrity.From its SKILL.md
npx -y skills add durandom/skills --skill code-mappingAssembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.
One thing to look at
- 5 stars5 stars. Stars are a popularity signal and not a quality one, but at this level it is likely that nobody has read this closely except its author, and you would be relying on your own review.
SKILL.md
4.2 KB, as published. Nobody here has run it
<essential_principles>
Maps are hierarchical: L0 (architecture) links to L1 (domains) which link to L2 (modules) which link to L3 (source code). Always start at L0 and drill down as needed.
Anchors enable grep navigation: Headings contain [Lx:identifier] markers. Find any section with grep "\[L1:auth\]" docs/map/.
Size limits enforce abstraction:
- L0: 500 lines max (system overview)
- L1: 300 lines max (domain docs)
- L2: 200 lines max (module docs)
If a doc exceeds its limit, split it into the next level down.
Code is truth, map is derivative: When code and map conflict, the code wins. Update the map to reflect reality.
Bootstrap pattern: Agents read README.md first, then ARCHITECTURE.md, then relevant domain docs based on task.
</essential_principles>
<auto_routing>
Route based on user intent (match first):
| User says | Action |
|---|---|
| "explore", "read", "understand", "navigate", "find", "where is" | Read workflows/explore.md, then follow it |
| "create", "generate", "new", "build", "document", "map" | Read workflows/create.md, then follow it |
| "validate", "check", "verify", "lint" | Run: uv run python scripts/code_map.py validate <map-dir> (path relative to this SKILL.md) |
If intent is ambiguous, ask:
What would you like to do?
- Explore - Navigate existing map to understand codebase
- Create - Generate a new code map
- Validate - Check map integrity
</auto_routing>
<quick_reference>
Directory structure:
docs/map/
├── README.md # Entry point + domains index
├── ARCHITECTURE.md # L0: System overview
└── domains/ # L1: Domain docs
├── auth.md
└── api.md
Anchor format: ## [L1:identifier] Heading Text
Code link format: [`symbol`](path/to/file.py#L42)
Cross-reference format: [Domain Name](domains/name.md)
</quick_reference>
<reference_index>
Domain Knowledge (references/):
| Reference | Purpose |
|---|---|
| format-spec.md | Format rules for anchors, links, and size limits |
| examples/ | Input/output examples (l0-architecture.md, l1-domain.md, l2-module.md, readme.md) |
| domains.md | What domain docs should capture |
</reference_index>
<cli>Running the Scripts
The scripts use Python 3.11+ stdlib only (no external dependencies).
Script paths are relative to this SKILL.md file (not the working directory). Derive the absolute script path from this file's location:
- If this SKILL.md is at
/path/to/code-mapping/SKILL.md - Then the script is at
/path/to/code-mapping/scripts/code_map.py
# Validate an existing map
uv run python scripts/code_map.py validate <map-dir>
# Generate map skeletons from source
uv run python scripts/code_map.py generate <src-dir> <map-dir>
Generate command features:
- Creates one
.mdfile per source file (1:1 mapping) - Uses
<!-- TODO: description -->placeholders - Preserves filled descriptions on subsequent runs
- Reports new sections, removed sections, and unfilled placeholders
<workflows_index>
Workflows (workflows/):
| Workflow | Purpose | Status |
|---|---|---|
| explore.md | Navigate existing map to understand codebase | Ready |
| create.md | Generate new map for a codebase | Ready |
Scripts (scripts/):
| Script | Purpose | Status |
|---|---|---|
| code_map.py | CLI entry point (validate, generate) | Ready |
| generate/ | Map skeleton generation from source | Ready |
| validate/ | Map validation (links, sizes, symbols) | Ready |
</workflows_index>
<success_criteria> A well-executed code map:
- Has valid L0 ARCHITECTURE.md under 500 lines
- Has L1 domain docs under 300 lines each
- All file links resolve to existing files
- All code links have valid file + line number
- All anchors are unique across the map
- No orphan documents (everything linked from parent level) </success_criteria>