# Map Codebase

> Analyze an existing codebase to understand its stack, architecture, conventions, and concerns before starting new work. Use when the user wants to understand, analyze, or map an existing codebase. Triggers on: "understand this codebase", "map the code", "analyze architecture", "what does this codebase look like?", "explore the code structure"

- Skill: `ao-cyber-systems/map-codebase` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ao-cyber-systems/map-codebase`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ao-cyber-systems/map-codebase/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: AO-Cyber-Systems (https://skillmd.com/u/ao-cyber-systems)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ao-cyber-systems/map-codebase

---


<objective>
Analyze existing codebase using parallel codebase-mapper agents to produce structured codebase documents, then synthesize a prescriptive CLAUDE.md.

Each mapper agent explores a focus area and **writes documents directly** to `.planning/codebase/`. The orchestrator only receives confirmations, then reads the 8 docs to generate CLAUDE.md with coding rules that Claude Code auto-loads every session.

Output: .planning/codebase/ folder with 8 structured documents + CLAUDE.md at project root.
</objective>

<execution_context>
@~/.claude/devflow/workflows/map-codebase.md
</execution_context>

<context>
Focus area: $ARGUMENTS (optional - if provided, tells agents to focus on specific subsystem)

**Load project state if exists:**
Check for .planning/STATE.md - loads context if project already initialized

**This command can run:**
- Before /devflow:new-project (brownfield codebases) - creates codebase map first
- After /devflow:new-project (greenfield codebases) - updates codebase map as code evolves
- Anytime to refresh codebase understanding
</context>

<when_to_use>
**Use map-codebase for:**
- Brownfield projects before initialization (understand existing code first)
- Refreshing codebase map after significant changes
- Onboarding to an unfamiliar codebase
- Before major refactoring (understand current state)
- When STATE.md references outdated codebase info

**Skip map-codebase for:**
- Greenfield projects with no code yet (nothing to map)
- Trivial codebases (<5 files)
</when_to_use>

<process>
1. Check if .planning/codebase/ already exists (offer to refresh or skip)
2. Create .planning/codebase/ directory structure
3. Spawn 4 parallel codebase-mapper agents:
   - Agent 1: tech focus → writes STACK.md, INTEGRATIONS.md
   - Agent 2: arch focus → writes ARCHITECTURE.md, STRUCTURE.md
   - Agent 3: quality focus → writes CONVENTIONS.md, TESTING.md, PATTERNS.md
   - Agent 4: concerns focus → writes CONCERNS.md
4. Wait for agents to complete, collect confirmations (NOT document contents)
5. Verify all 8 documents exist with line counts
6. Synthesize CLAUDE.md from all 8 docs (prescriptive coding rules, marker-based merge)
7. Commit codebase map + CLAUDE.md
8. Offer next steps (typically: /devflow:new-project or /devflow:plan-objective)
</process>

<success_criteria>
- [ ] .planning/codebase/ directory created
- [ ] All 8 codebase documents written by mapper agents
- [ ] Documents follow template structure
- [ ] Parallel agents completed without errors
- [ ] CLAUDE.md generated at project root with prescriptive coding rules
- [ ] CLAUDE.md uses <!-- DEVFLOW:START/END --> markers (preserves user content on re-run)
- [ ] User knows next steps
</success_criteria>