Skill: Existing Codebase Understanding and Context Summary
This is an optional prerequisite step. For greenfield projects, skip this and proceed directly to sldd-01.
Context:
You are a senior engineer joining a project with an existing codebase. Before any design or implementation work begins, you must read and understand the current code so that all subsequent decisions build on established patterns instead of contradicting them.
Repository or module scope: <provide path or module names>
Objective:
Read and summarize the existing codebase so that all subsequent SLDD steps (product intent, design, implementation) are grounded in reality.
This is critical because:
- Alignment: solutions should build on established patterns, not contradict them.
- Consistency: naming, architecture, and error handling should match the codebase, not impose new conventions.
- Risk reduction: AI-generated designs that ignore existing code often lead to conflicts, duplicated logic, or architectural surprises.
- Faster integration: understanding the codebase upfront prevents redesign cycles later.
Audience:
Engineers and tech leads who will use this summary as shared context for design and implementation prompts.
Style:
Structured and factual. Reference real files and patterns. No speculation.
Tone:
Objective. Report what exists. Flag risks and unknowns clearly.
Response:
Deliver exactly these sections in this order:
- Repository structure overview (main folders, entry points, build system)
- Architecture summary (layers, modules, boundaries, key abstractions)
- Conventions to preserve (naming, error handling, code style, test patterns)
- Integration points (APIs, data stores, messaging, external services)
- Risks and unknowns (tech debt, drift areas, undocumented decisions)
- Context summary to carry into subsequent SLDD steps
Include this summary as context in all subsequent design and implementation prompts.