Researching codebase

Skill qte77/claude-code-plugins/plugins/codebase-tools/skills/researching-codebase

A Claude Code plugin marketplace providing skills, rules, and scripts extracted from a production development workflow.

Install

npx -y skills add qte77/claude-code-plugins --skill researching-codebase

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One thing to look at

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Investigates codebase before planning. Use before any non-trivial implementation task to gather context in isolation.

SKILL.md

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Codebase Research (ACE-FCA)

Query: $ARGUMENTS

Gathers codebase context in isolation before planning. Prevents search artifacts from polluting main context.

Core Principles

Documentation-only - Describe what exists, where, and how it works
No evaluations - Never suggest improvements or critique implementation
Evidence-based - Provide file paths, line numbers, and code references
Isolation - Research runs in fork context; return only distilled findings

When to Use

Before planning non-trivial implementations
When unfamiliar with relevant codebase areas
Before architectural decisions

Workflow

Read mentioned files first - If specific files mentioned, read completely before exploring
Decompose the question - Break query into researchable components
Explore codebase - Investigate architecture, patterns, constraints
Identify scope - Determine relevant areas based on findings
Distill - Return structured summary using output format below

Output Format

Follow ACE-FCA quality equation: Correct + Complete + Minimal noise

---
research_query: "<original question>"
timestamp: "<ISO 8601>"
files_examined: <count>
---

## Key Files

| File | Purpose | Key Lines |
|------|---------|-----------|
| `path/to/file.ext` | Brief purpose | L42-58 |

## Patterns

- **Pattern name**: Description with file reference (`path:line`)

## Constraints

- Constraint with evidence (`path:line`)

Evidence Requirements

Every claim must include:

File path: Exact location (src/auth/login.ts)
Line numbers: Specific lines (L42-58 or L127)
Code reference: Function/class name when relevant

Bad: "Authentication uses JWT tokens" Good: "Authentication uses JWT tokens (src/auth/jwt.ts:L23-45, verifyToken function)"

References

See references/context-management.md and references/core-principles.md.