Codex compatibility note:
- Invoke repository skills with
$skill-name in Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude /skill-name references.
- Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes.
- User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex.
- Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear.
- Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written.
- Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required
spawn_agent subagent(s) for that task.
- Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first.
- For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence.
- If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting.
Codex Project-Reference Loading (No Hooks)
Codex uses static project-reference loading instead of runtime-injected project docs.
When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing.
Always read:
docs/project-config.json (project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings)
docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md (routes to the full docs/project-reference/* catalog)
docs/project-reference/lessons.md (always-on guardrails and anti-patterns)
Missing/stale context route: If docs/project-config.json, the docs index, lessons.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, or any task-required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init or the narrow setup route ($project-config, $docs-init, $scan-all, $scan --target=<key>, $claude-md-init) before ordinary project-specific work. If Codex mirrors or AGENTS.md are missing/stale, ask the user to run $sync-codex; do not auto-run it.
Situation-based docs:
- Project structure/architecture/tech-stack/deployment/setup (any layer — backend, frontend, or infra):
project-structure-reference.md
- Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes:
backend-patterns-reference.md, domain-entities-reference.md
- Frontend/UI/styling/design-system:
frontend-patterns-reference.md, scss-styling-guide.md, design-system/README.md
- Spec authoring,
docs/specs/ pathing, or TC format: feature-spec-reference.md, spec-system-reference.md, spec-principles.md
- Behavior/public-contract changes or spec-test-code sync:
workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md plus the spec docs above
- Derived spec indexes/ERDs/reimplementation guides:
spec-system-reference.md and source Feature Specs under docs/specs/
- Integration test implementation/review:
integration-test-reference.md
- E2E test implementation/review:
e2e-test-reference.md
- Code review/audit work:
code-review-rules.md plus domain docs above based on changed files
Do not read all docs blindly. Start from docs-index-reference.md, then open only relevant files for the task.
Quick Summary
Goal: Analyze and visualize dependencies between features, services, or work items to identify blockers and critical paths.
Workflow:
- Identify Scope — Single feature, module, or full release
- Classify Dependencies — Data, Service, UI, or Infrastructure types
- Build Graph — Create Mermaid dependency diagram
- Find Critical Path — Longest blocking chain; mark ready-to-start items
- Deliver Report — Summary, graph, critical path, risks
Key Rules:
- Respect microservice boundaries (cross-service = message bus only)
- Flag circular dependencies as errors
- Not for package/npm upgrades (use
package-upgrade instead)
Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).
Dependency Mapping
Purpose
Analyze and visualize dependencies between features, services, modules, or work items to identify blockers, critical paths, and safe execution order.
When to Use
- Planning feature implementation sequence across modules
- Identifying what blocks a specific feature or work item
- Mapping cross-service dependencies (backend-to-backend, frontend-to-backend)
- Understanding critical path for a release or milestone
- Analyzing impact of changing a shared module or entity
When NOT to Use
- Single-service code changes with no cross-boundary impact -- just implement directly
- Performance analysis -- use
performance instead
- Security dependency auditing -- use
security-review instead
- Package/npm dependency upgrades -- use
package-upgrade instead
Prerequisites
- Read the feature/PBI/plan files to understand scope
- Access to
docs/project-reference/project-structure-reference.md for service boundary reference
- Understand the project's microservice boundaries (read the project's structure reference /
docs/project-config.json for the service-root location, then list the services under it)
Workflow
Step 1: Identify Scope
Determine what to map:
- Single feature: Find all files, services, and entities it touches
- Module/service: Map all inbound and outbound dependencies
- Release/milestone: Map all features and their inter-dependencies
Step 2: Classify Dependencies
For each dependency found, classify by type:
| Type |
Direction |
Description |
Example |
| Data |
Entity A requires Entity B |
Foreign key, navigation property, shared ID |
Order requires Customer |
| Service |
Service A calls Service B |
Message bus, API call, event consumer |
Service A consumes entity events from Service B |
| UI |
Component A embeds Component B |
Shared component, library dependency |
Feature form uses shared component library select |
| Infrastructure |
Feature needs infra change |
Database migration, config, new queue |
New feature needs Redis cache key |
Step 3: Build Dependency Graph
Use Mermaid syntax for visualization:
graph TD
A[Feature A] -->|data| B[Feature B]
A -->|service| C[Feature C]
B -->|blocks| D[Feature D]
C -->|blocks| D
style D fill:#f96,stroke:#333
Step 4: Identify Critical Path
- Find the longest chain of blocking dependencies
- Mark items with no blockers as "ready to start"
- Flag circular dependencies as errors
Step 5: Deliver Report
Output structured dependency report (see Output Format).
Output Format
## Dependency Map: [Feature/Module Name]
### Summary
- Total items: N
- Ready to start: N (no blockers)
- Blocked: N
- Critical path length: N steps
### Dependency Graph
[Mermaid diagram]
### Critical Path
1. [Item A] -- no blockers, estimated: Xd
2. [Item B] -- blocked by: A, estimated: Xd
3. [Item C] -- blocked by: B, estimated: Xd
### Dependency Details
| Item | Type | Depends On | Blocks | Status |
| ---- | --------------------- | ---------- | ------ | ------------- |
| ... | data/service/UI/infra | ... | ... | ready/blocked |
### Risks
- [Circular dependency / tight coupling / single point of failure]
Examples
Example 1: Backend Cross-Service Feature
Input: "Map dependencies for adding a new Shipment feature in {ServiceA}"
Analysis:
graph TD
E[Order Entity - ServiceA] -->|data| C[Shipment Entity]
U[User Entity - AuthService] -->|service| C
C -->|service| N[Notification - ServiceB]
C -->|UI| CF[Shipment Form Component]
CF -->|UI| BC[shared-components select]
Critical path: Order Entity -> Shipment Entity -> Shipment API -> Shipment Form
Ready to start: Order Entity already exists, shared component select exists
Blocked: Shipment Entity creation, then API, then UI
Example 2: Frontend Module Dependency
Input: "What blocks the new Dashboard widget in {AnalyticsService}?"
Analysis:
graph TD
GA[Source API - ServiceA] -->|service| GE[Event Bus Message]
GE -->|service| GC[Consumer - AnalyticsService]
GC -->|data| GS[Summary Entity]
GS -->|UI| GW[Dashboard Widget]
GW -->|UI| DC[Dashboard Container]
Blockers identified:
- Event Bus Message producer must exist in ServiceA (exists: yes)
- Consumer must be created in AnalyticsService (exists: no -- BLOCKER)
- Summary Entity for aggregated data (exists: no -- BLOCKER)
Related Skills
project-manager -- for sprint planning and status tracking
workflow-feature -- for implementing features after dependency analysis
package-upgrade -- for npm/NuGet package dependency upgrades
[IMPORTANT] Use task tracking to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.
Prerequisites: MUST ATTENTION READ before executing:
AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:
Re-read files after context changes. Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting.
Verify generated content against source evidence. AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing.
Check downstream references before deleting or renaming. Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first.
Trace the full impact chain after edits. Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done.
Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect.
Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect. Before changing or reporting a constant, limit, flag, cutoff, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history, the CALLER's ordering, and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard.
Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently. Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk.
Assert the outcome your system owns, not the intermediate state your infrastructure owns. When verifying async work, assert the final business state — never the delivery/retry bookkeeping held in shared infrastructure that any co-running process can write. Such a check passes when run alone and flakes the moment anything else shares that infrastructure.
Keep shared guidance role-relevant. Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.
Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.
Understand Code First — HARD-GATE: Do NOT write, plan, or fix until you READ existing code.
- Search 3+ similar patterns (
grep/glob) — cite file:line evidence
- Read existing files in target area — understand structure, base classes, conventions
- Run
python .claude/scripts/code_graph trace <file> --direction both --json when .code-graph/graph.db exists
- Map dependencies via
connections or callers_of — know what depends on your target
- Write investigation to
.ai/workspace/analysis/ for non-trivial tasks (3+ files)
- Re-read analysis file before implementing — never work from memory alone. — why: long context drifts from the file; the file is ground truth
- NEVER invent new patterns when existing ones work — match exactly or document deviation. — why: divergent patterns fragment the codebase and slow every future reader
BLOCKED until: - [ ] Read target files - [ ] Grep 3+ patterns - [ ] Graph trace (if graph.db exists) - [ ] Assumptions verified with evidence
- MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search 3+ existing patterns and read code BEFORE any modification. Run graph trace when graph.db exists.
- MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite
file:line evidence for every claim. Confidence >80% to act, <60% = do NOT recommend.
MUST ATTENTION apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (file:line for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence.
MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting.
Project Protocol Overlay — Before executing this skill, resolve any PROJECT overlay rules layered onto it: match this skill's name against the Target column of the project's skill-protocol index (docs/project-reference/skill-protocols-reference.md by default; a referenceDocs entry in docs/project-config.json overrides the path), taking the most specific matching tier ONLY — exact name > glob > *. That precedence orders overlays against EACH OTHER, never against this skill. Read ONLY the matched bodies, resolved as <protocols-dir>/<Name>.md; a row's Body link is display text, never a read path. A matched body that is missing or malformed is REPORTED and skipped — never reconstructed from the index Description. No index, or no match -> proceed with no overlay, silently. Full contract: .claude/skills/project-skill-protocol/references/registry.md.
Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY: they ADD rules on top of this skill's own protocol and NEVER replace, override, disable, or reinterpret a rule it already states — removing every overlay must return this skill to exactly its documented behavior. An overlay is a BRIEF, not an authority escalation: it can NEVER waive a workflow gate, git discipline, a review gate, or a user-confirmation gate. A genuine overlay-vs-skill conflict, or two equally-specific overlays that directly contradict -> surface both to the user; NEVER resolve silently.
MUST ATTENTION resolve project protocol overlays for this skill BEFORE executing — most specific matching tier only (exact > glob > *, which ranks overlays against each other, NEVER against this skill), read only matched bodies at <protocols-dir>/<Name>.md; a missing or malformed body is reported, never reconstructed. Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY (they never replace this skill's own rules) and are a brief, NEVER an authority escalation; an equal-specificity contradiction goes to the user.
Closing Reminders
Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):
AI Mistakes: holistic-first debug, fix at responsible layer, surgical diff, verify all outputs.
Critical Thinking: traced proof per claim, confidence >80% to act, NEVER guess.
Understand Code: read code and grep 3+ patterns before any modification.
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION break work into small todo tasks using task tracking BEFORE starting
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite file:line evidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act)
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add a final review todo task to verify work quality
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION READ the following files before starting:
[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using task tracking.
Hookless Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced)
Source: .claude/.ck.json + .claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md (:full blocks) + .claude/scripts/lib/hookless-prompt-protocol.cjs
[WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason.
Generic portability boundary: Reusable skills and protocol text stay project-neutral; project-specific conventions are discovered from docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/. Apply shared AI-SDD from shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md. Read docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md, then open the project reference docs named there. For spec, test-case, behavior-change, public-contract, or docs/specs/ work, route through the local spec docs named by the docs index: feature-spec-reference.md, spec-system-reference.md, spec-principles.md, and workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md when specs/tests/code must stay synchronized. If either file or a required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init (or the narrow lower-level route such as $project-config, $docs-init, $scan-all, or $scan --target=<key>) before ordinary project-specific work. Any supported AI tool may execute when this shared context and local docs are available.
- DETECT: If the prompt starts with an explicit slash skill/workflow command, execute it directly. Otherwise match the prompt against the workflow catalog and skill list.
- ANALYZE: Choose the best option: execute directly, invoke a skill, activate a standard workflow, or compose a custom step combination.
- AUTO-SELECT: Pick the best option yourself. Do not ask the user to choose between direct execution, skill, standard workflow, or custom workflow.
- ACTIVATE: For a selected workflow, call
$start-workflow <workflowId>; for a selected skill, invoke that skill; for a custom workflow, sequence custom steps directly; for direct execution, proceed with the task.
- CREATE TASKS: task tracking for ALL workflow/skill/custom steps before execution when the selected path has multiple steps.
- PARALLELIZE: Before executing the task list, tag each task
PAR (independent inputs + write set disjoint from every other PAR task) or SEQ (name the blocking dependency), group PAR tasks into waves, declare the wave plan, and spawn each wave's sub-agents in ONE message — all-return barrier per wave, fan-out one level deep unless a sub-agent's own definition authorizes further fan-out. Sequential-by-default is a defect when tasks are independent; do not parallelize shared write targets, output-consuming tasks, trivial single-file work, ordering a skill or workflow explicitly fixes, or user-approval gates.
- EXECUTE: Advance per the Workflow Step Advancement & Parallel Phases rule in your context instructions — model-driven; a sub-agent completion advances a step identically to an inline call; a parallel-phase group is an all-return barrier (advance only after ALL members return, never serialize it)
Shared AI-SDD Protocol Markers
Source: .claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md
SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract
AI-SDD Artifact Contract — Shared spec-driven development rules stay portable and source-owned.
- Keep reusable AI-SDD principles in
.claude; put repository-specific paths, commands, owners, products, and formats in project config/reference docs.
- Preserve cycle:
spec -> plan -> tasks -> implement -> verify -> update spec/docs.
- Trace every requirement or invariant through decision, task, TC/test, source evidence, and docs/spec update.
- Treat code-to-spec extraction as reference-only until accepted by the canonical spec owner.
- Any supported AI tool may plan, implement, review, or verify with synced context; using multiple tools is optional.
- Update
.claude source first, then sync generated mirrors; do not manually edit .agents, .codex, or AGENTS.md. — why: mirrors are generated artifacts; hand-edits are overwritten on the next sync
- If
docs/project-config.json, root instruction files, or a required project-reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init or the narrow lower-level route before ordinary project-specific work.
Active reference: shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md in the active skills root.
SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract:reminder
- MANDATORY Apply
shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md; keep reusable AI-SDD in .claude and local rules in project docs.
- MANDATORY Code-to-spec extraction is reference-only until canonical acceptance; any supported AI tool may execute with synced context.
- MANDATORY Update
.claude source before syncing generated mirrors; do not manually edit .agents, .codex, or AGENTS.md.
- MANDATORY Missing or stale project config, root instruction files, or required reference docs route project-specific work through
$project-init or the narrow setup route automatically.
[TASK-PLANNING] [MANDATORY] BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all planned steps, then keep it synchronized as each step starts/completes.
[LESSON-LEARNED-REMINDER] [BLOCKING] Task Planning & Continuous Improvement — MANDATORY. Do not skip.
Break work into small tasks (task tracking) before starting. Add final task: "Analyze AI mistakes & lessons learned".
Extract lessons — ROOT CAUSE ONLY, not symptom fixes:
- Name the FAILURE MODE (reasoning/assumption failure), not symptom — "assumed API existed without reading source" not "used wrong enum value".
- Generality test: does this failure mode apply to ≥3 contexts/codebases? If not, abstract one level up.
- Write as a universal rule — strip project-specific names/paths/classes. Useful on any codebase.
- Consolidate: multiple mistakes sharing one failure mode → ONE lesson.
- Recurrence gate: "Would this recur in future session WITHOUT this reminder?" — No → skip
$learn.
- Auto-fix gate: "Could
$code-review/$code-simplifier/$security-review/$lint catch this?" — Yes → improve review skill instead.
- BOTH gates pass → ask user to run
$learn.
[CRITICAL-THINKING-MINDSET] Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
Anti-hallucination principle: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.
AI Attention principle (Primacy-Recency): Put the 3 most critical rules at both top and bottom of long prompts/protocols so instruction adherence survives long context windows.
Goal-driven execution: Define success criteria first, loop until verified, and stop only when observable checks pass.
Tests verify intent: Tests must protect business rules/invariants and fail when the protected intent breaks, not only mirror current behavior.
Common AI Mistake Prevention (System Lessons)
- Re-read files after context compaction. Edit requires prior Read in same context; compaction wipes read state. Re-read before editing.
- Grep for old terms after bulk replacements. AI over-trusts find/replace completeness. Grep full repo after bulk edits for missed refs in docs/configs/catalogs.
- Check downstream references before deleting. Deletions cascade doc/code staleness. Map referencing files before removal.
- After memory loss, check existing state before creating new. Compaction wipes prior-work memory. Query current state to resume — never blindly duplicate.
- Verify AI-generated content against actual code. AI hallucinates APIs, class names, method signatures. Grep to confirm existence before documenting/referencing.
- Trace full dependency chain after edits. Changing a definition misses downstream consumers. Trace the full chain.
- When renaming, grep ALL consumer file types. Some file types silently ignore missing refs (no compile error). Search code, templates, configs, generated files.
- Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness. Code existing ≠ code executing. Trace early exits, error branches, conditional skips — not just happy path.
- Update docs that embed canonical data when source changes. Docs inlining derived data (workflows, schemas, configs) go stale silently. Update all embedding docs alongside source.
- Verify sub-agent results after context recovery. Background agents may finish while parent compacted — grep-verify output, don't trust assumed completion.
- Cross-check full target list against sub-agent assignments. Parallel sub-agents by category miss boundary items. Reconcile union of assignments against target list before proceeding.
- Sub-agents inherit knowledge only from their agent .md definition — use custom agent types, not built-in Explore. Tool adoption = permission + knowledge + enforcement (numbered workflow step).
- Persist sub-agent findings incrementally, not as a final batch. Long sub-agents hit cutoffs before final write — findings lost. Instruct append-per-section to report file.
- When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing. Trace caller (wrong data) vs callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site.
- Test failure → record a provisional verdict before trace/edit, then investigate. Use the full five-way taxonomy: SOURCE-WRONG (production violates intent), TEST-WRONG (assertion/setup is stale), TEST-NOT-OPTIMAL (valid but fragile or low-signal test), ENVIRONMENT-BLOCKED (external state prevents a verdict), or AMBIGUOUS (intent/evidence cannot choose safely). Then trace root cause and triangulate against the governing spec (
docs/specs/** if one exists) AND source. NEVER weaken an assertion, add a skip, relax a timeout, or change source merely to force green.
- Grep ALL removed names after extraction/refactoring. Primary file "done" ≠ secondary files clean. Grep entire scope for every removed symbol before declaring complete.
- Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect. Pattern-matching as "wrong" skips context. Before changing or reporting any constant/limit/flag/cutoff: read comments, git blame, the CALLER's ordering (the guarantee that makes the value correct usually lives in code running immediately BEFORE the cited line), and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard — and in a validation pass, an accurate
file:line citation proves the transcription, never the defect.
- Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. One build green ≠ all green. Multi-stack changes (backend/frontend/tests/docs) require verifying EVERY output.
- Evaluate fit before copying a nearby pattern. Closest example ≠ matching preconditions — verify the new context shares the same constraints, base classes, scope, lifetime.
- Holistic-first debugging — resist nearest-attention trap. Don't dive into first plausible cause. List EVERY precondition (config, env vars, paths, DB, endpoints, creds, versions, DI, data). Verify each against evidence (grep/query — not reasoning). Ask "what would falsify this?" — if nothing, it's not a hypothesis. Most expensive failure: going deeper in "obvious" layer while bug sits in layer never questioned.
- Surgical changes — apply the diff test (context-aware). Two modes: (1) Bug fix → every line traces to the bug; no restyling; orphan cleanup only for imports YOUR changes made unused. (2) Review/enhancement → implement improvements AND announce as "Enhancement beyond main request: [what]". Never silently scope-creep. Diff test: "Would this line exist if I wasn't asked to do X?" — if no, delete or announce.
- Surface ambiguity before coding — don't pick silently. Multiple valid interpretations → present each with effort: "[Request] could mean (1) [N h], (2) [N h]. Which matters?" List scope/format/volume/constraints assumptions first. If simpler path exists, say so. Never silently pick.
- [MANDATORY FIRST ACTION] ALWAYS activate a suitable skill or workflow BEFORE responding. Match task against workflow catalog + skill list; invoke via skill invocation or
$start-workflow <workflowId>. NEVER answer or write code before checking. Skip = protocol violation.
- Why-Review adversarial mindset — apply when reviewing any plan, decision, or design. Default SKEPTIC not VALIDATOR: steel-man a rejected alternative, invert each stated reason ("what does it sacrifice?"), stress-test top 2-3 assumptions, run pre-mortem ("ships, fails in 3 months — what breaks?"), surface 1-2 alternatives author missed. Section presence ≠ quality; quality = causal reasoning + concrete mitigations + evidence, not "it's better" or "monitor closely".
- Front-load report-write in sub-agent prompts for large reviews. Many-file sub-agents hit budget before final write — findings lost. Design prompts so: (1) report-write is first explicit deliverable, (2) append per-file/section (not batched), (3) scope bounded so reads don't exhaust budget. Truncated mid-sentence with no report file → spawn narrower scope, don't retry same prompt.
- After context compaction, re-verify all prior phase outcomes before continuing. Summaries describe intent, not environment state (git index, filesystem, processes). On resume, FIRST audit: git status, re-read modified files, verify filesystem. Every "completed" claim is an untested hypothesis until evidence confirms.
- OOM/memory: check row count before row size. Triage: (1) Unbounded query — no DB filter for trigger? Push filter to DB; eliminates OOM. (2) Large rows? Projection reduces proportionally. Row reduction > projection in ROI.
- Assert the outcome your system OWNS, never the intermediate state your INFRASTRUCTURE owns. When testing anything asynchronous (queue/broker delivery, retries, background jobs, caches, replication), assert the final business/entity state. NEVER assert the delivery bookkeeping — consume/send status, attempt counts, last-error, row existence or counts in a broker, scheduler, or outbox/inbox table. That bookkeeping lives in shared infrastructure that ANY co-running process (a peer worker, a second replica, a leftover local container) can write, usually under a deterministic shared key, so the assertion silently tests the developer's environment instead of the system: green when run alone, flaky the instant anything else shares that broker + database. Gate question for every assertion: "would this hold no matter WHICH process did the work?" — if no, assert the converged data state instead. Corollary: process-local fault injection and in-process telemetry cannot gate work any process may perform — use them as stress amplifiers (arm → bounded window → disarm → assert convergence), never as preconditions.
- Keep domain concepts out of generic/shared/infrastructure layers. Reusable layer (shared library, framework, infra module) must reference NO consumer-specific domain concept — tenant/customer/product IDs, business entities, feature rules. Leak compiles + runs → passes review silently while coupling the "reusable" layer to one consumer. Keep shared type domain-free; push domain fields/logic down into the consumer via subclass/composition. — why: a layer coupled to one consumer's domain is no longer reusable.
1---2name: dependency3description: [Project Management] Use when you need to map and visualize feature dependencies between modules, services, and work items.4---5
6> Codex compatibility note:
7>
8> - Invoke repository skills with `$skill-name` in Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude `/skill-name` references.
9> - Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes.
10> - User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex.
11> - Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear.
12> - Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written.
13> - Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required `spawn_agent` subagent(s) for that task.
14> - Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first.
15> - For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence.
16> - If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting.
17
18<!-- CODEX:PROJECT-REFERENCE-LOADING:START -->
19
20## Codex Project-Reference Loading (No Hooks)
21
22Codex uses static project-reference loading instead of runtime-injected project docs.
23When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing.
24
25**Always read:**
26
27- `docs/project-config.json` (project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings)
28- `docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md` (routes to the full `docs/project-reference/*` catalog)
29- `docs/project-reference/lessons.md` (always-on guardrails and anti-patterns)
30
31**Missing/stale context route:** If `docs/project-config.json`, the docs index, `lessons.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, or any task-required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` or the narrow setup route (`$project-config`, `$docs-init`, `$scan-all`, `$scan --target=<key>`, `$claude-md-init`) before ordinary project-specific work. If Codex mirrors or `AGENTS.md` are missing/stale, ask the user to run `$sync-codex`; do not auto-run it.
32
33**Situation-based docs:**
34
35- Project structure/architecture/tech-stack/deployment/setup (any layer — backend, frontend, or infra): `project-structure-reference.md`
36- Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes: `backend-patterns-reference.md`, `domain-entities-reference.md`
37- Frontend/UI/styling/design-system: `frontend-patterns-reference.md`, `scss-styling-guide.md`, `design-system/README.md`
38- Spec authoring, `docs/specs/` pathing, or TC format: `feature-spec-reference.md`, `spec-system-reference.md`, `spec-principles.md`
39- Behavior/public-contract changes or spec-test-code sync: `workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md` plus the spec docs above
40- Derived spec indexes/ERDs/reimplementation guides: `spec-system-reference.md` and source Feature Specs under `docs/specs/`
41- Integration test implementation/review: `integration-test-reference.md`
42- E2E test implementation/review: `e2e-test-reference.md`
43- Code review/audit work: `code-review-rules.md` plus domain docs above based on changed files
44
45Do not read all docs blindly. Start from `docs-index-reference.md`, then open only relevant files for the task.
46
47<!-- CODEX:PROJECT-REFERENCE-LOADING:END -->
48
49## Quick Summary
50
51**Goal:** Analyze and visualize dependencies between features, services, or work items to identify blockers and critical paths.
52
53**Workflow:**
54
551. **Identify Scope** — Single feature, module, or full release
562. **Classify Dependencies** — Data, Service, UI, or Infrastructure types
573. **Build Graph** — Create Mermaid dependency diagram
584. **Find Critical Path** — Longest blocking chain; mark ready-to-start items
595. **Deliver Report** — Summary, graph, critical path, risks
60
61**Key Rules:**
62
63- Respect microservice boundaries (cross-service = message bus only)
64- Flag circular dependencies as errors
65- Not for package/npm upgrades (use `package-upgrade` instead)
66
67**Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).**
68
69# Dependency Mapping
70
71## Purpose
72
73Analyze and visualize dependencies between features, services, modules, or work items to identify blockers, critical paths, and safe execution order.
74
75## When to Use
76
77- Planning feature implementation sequence across modules
78- Identifying what blocks a specific feature or work item
79- Mapping cross-service dependencies (backend-to-backend, frontend-to-backend)
80- Understanding critical path for a release or milestone
81- Analyzing impact of changing a shared module or entity
82
83## When NOT to Use
84
85- Single-service code changes with no cross-boundary impact -- just implement directly
86- Performance analysis -- use `performance` instead
87- Security dependency auditing -- use `security-review` instead
88- Package/npm dependency upgrades -- use `package-upgrade` instead
89
90## Prerequisites
91
92- Read the feature/PBI/plan files to understand scope
93- Access to `docs/project-reference/project-structure-reference.md` for service boundary reference
94- Understand the project's microservice boundaries (read the project's structure reference / `docs/project-config.json` for the service-root location, then list the services under it)
95
96## Workflow
97
98### Step 1: Identify Scope
99
100Determine what to map:
101
102- **Single feature**: Find all files, services, and entities it touches
103- **Module/service**: Map all inbound and outbound dependencies
104- **Release/milestone**: Map all features and their inter-dependencies
105
106### Step 2: Classify Dependencies
107
108For each dependency found, classify by type:
109
110| Type | Direction | Description | Example |
111| ------------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
112| **Data** | Entity A requires Entity B | Foreign key, navigation property, shared ID | Order requires Customer |
113| **Service** | Service A calls Service B | Message bus, API call, event consumer | Service A consumes entity events from Service B |
114| **UI** | Component A embeds Component B | Shared component, library dependency | Feature form uses shared component library select |
115| **Infrastructure** | Feature needs infra change | Database migration, config, new queue | New feature needs Redis cache key |
116
117### Step 3: Build Dependency Graph
118
119Use Mermaid syntax for visualization:
120
121```mermaid
122graph TD
123 A[Feature A] -->|data| B[Feature B]
124 A -->|service| C[Feature C]
125 B -->|blocks| D[Feature D]
126 C -->|blocks| D
127 style D fill:#f96,stroke:#333
128```
129
130### Step 4: Identify Critical Path
131
132- Find the longest chain of blocking dependencies
133- Mark items with no blockers as "ready to start"
134- Flag circular dependencies as errors
135
136### Step 5: Deliver Report
137
138Output structured dependency report (see Output Format).
139
140## Output Format
141
142```markdown
143## Dependency Map: [Feature/Module Name]
144
145### Summary
146
147- Total items: N
148- Ready to start: N (no blockers)
149- Blocked: N
150- Critical path length: N steps
151
152### Dependency Graph
153
154[Mermaid diagram]
155
156### Critical Path
157
1581. [Item A] -- no blockers, estimated: Xd
1592. [Item B] -- blocked by: A, estimated: Xd
1603. [Item C] -- blocked by: B, estimated: Xd
161
162### Dependency Details
163
164| Item | Type | Depends On | Blocks | Status |
165| ---- | --------------------- | ---------- | ------ | ------------- |
166| ... | data/service/UI/infra | ... | ... | ready/blocked |
167
168### Risks
169
170- [Circular dependency / tight coupling / single point of failure]
171```
172
173## Examples
174
175### Example 1: Backend Cross-Service Feature
176
177**Input**: "Map dependencies for adding a new Shipment feature in {ServiceA}"
178
179**Analysis**:
180
181```mermaid
182graph TD
183 E[Order Entity - ServiceA] -->|data| C[Shipment Entity]
184 U[User Entity - AuthService] -->|service| C
185 C -->|service| N[Notification - ServiceB]
186 C -->|UI| CF[Shipment Form Component]
187 CF -->|UI| BC[shared-components select]
188```
189
190**Critical path**: Order Entity -> Shipment Entity -> Shipment API -> Shipment Form
191**Ready to start**: Order Entity already exists, shared component select exists
192**Blocked**: Shipment Entity creation, then API, then UI
193
194### Example 2: Frontend Module Dependency
195
196**Input**: "What blocks the new Dashboard widget in {AnalyticsService}?"
197
198**Analysis**:
199
200```mermaid
201graph TD
202 GA[Source API - ServiceA] -->|service| GE[Event Bus Message]
203 GE -->|service| GC[Consumer - AnalyticsService]
204 GC -->|data| GS[Summary Entity]
205 GS -->|UI| GW[Dashboard Widget]
206 GW -->|UI| DC[Dashboard Container]
207```
208
209**Blockers identified**:
210
2111. Event Bus Message producer must exist in ServiceA (exists: yes)
2122. Consumer must be created in AnalyticsService (exists: no -- BLOCKER)
2133. Summary Entity for aggregated data (exists: no -- BLOCKER)
214
215## Related Skills
216
217- `project-manager` -- for sprint planning and status tracking
218- `workflow-feature` -- for implementing features after dependency analysis
219- `package-upgrade` -- for npm/NuGet package dependency upgrades
220
221---
222
223> **[IMPORTANT]** Use task tracking to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.
224
225**Prerequisites:** **MUST ATTENTION READ** before executing:
226
227<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->
228
229> **AI Mistake Prevention** — Failure modes to avoid on every task:
230>
231> **Re-read files after context changes.** Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting.
232> **Verify generated content against source evidence.** AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing.
233> **Check downstream references before deleting or renaming.** Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first.
234> **Trace the full impact chain after edits.** Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done.
235> **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect.
236> **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Before changing or reporting a constant, limit, flag, cutoff, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history, the CALLER's ordering, and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard.
237> **Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk.
238> **Assert the outcome your system owns, not the intermediate state your infrastructure owns.** When verifying async work, assert the final business state — never the delivery/retry bookkeeping held in shared infrastructure that any co-running process can write. Such a check passes when run alone and flakes the moment anything else shares that infrastructure.
239> **Keep shared guidance role-relevant.** Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.
240
241<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->
242
243<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->
244
245> **Critical Thinking Mindset** — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
246> **Anti-hallucination:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.
247
248<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->
249
250<!-- SYNC:understand-code-first -->
251
252> **Understand Code First** — HARD-GATE: Do NOT write, plan, or fix until you READ existing code.
253>
254> 1. Search 3+ similar patterns (`grep`/`glob`) — cite `file:line` evidence
255> 2. Read existing files in target area — understand structure, base classes, conventions
256> 3. Run `python .claude/scripts/code_graph trace <file> --direction both --json` when `.code-graph/graph.db` exists
257> 4. Map dependencies via `connections` or `callers_of` — know what depends on your target
258> 5. Write investigation to `.ai/workspace/analysis/` for non-trivial tasks (3+ files)
259> 6. Re-read analysis file before implementing — never work from memory alone. — why: long context drifts from the file; the file is ground truth
260> 7. NEVER invent new patterns when existing ones work — match exactly or document deviation. — why: divergent patterns fragment the codebase and slow every future reader
261>
262> **BLOCKED until:** `- [ ]` Read target files `- [ ]` Grep 3+ patterns `- [ ]` Graph trace (if graph.db exists) `- [ ]` Assumptions verified with evidence
263
264<!-- /SYNC:understand-code-first -->
265
266<!-- SYNC:understand-code-first:reminder -->
267
268- **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** search 3+ existing patterns and read code BEFORE any modification. Run graph trace when graph.db exists.
269 <!-- /SYNC:understand-code-first:reminder -->
270
271<!-- SYNC:evidence-based-reasoning:reminder -->
272
273- **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** cite `file:line` evidence for every claim. Confidence >80% to act, <60% = do NOT recommend.
274 <!-- /SYNC:evidence-based-reasoning:reminder -->
275
276<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder -->
277
278**MUST ATTENTION** apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (`file:line` for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence.
279
280<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder -->
281
282<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention:reminder -->
283
284**MUST ATTENTION** apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting.
285
286<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention:reminder -->
287
288<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->
289
290> **Project Protocol Overlay** — Before executing this skill, resolve any PROJECT overlay rules layered onto it: match this skill's name against the `Target` column of the project's skill-protocol index (`docs/project-reference/skill-protocols-reference.md` by default; a `referenceDocs` entry in `docs/project-config.json` overrides the path), taking the most specific matching tier ONLY — exact name > glob > `*`. **That precedence orders overlays against EACH OTHER, never against this skill.** Read ONLY the matched bodies, resolved as `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a row's Body link is display text, never a read path. A matched body that is missing or malformed is REPORTED and skipped — never reconstructed from the index Description. No index, or no match -> proceed with no overlay, silently. Full contract: `.claude/skills/project-skill-protocol/references/registry.md`.
291>
292> Overlays are **ADDITIVE ONLY**: they ADD rules on top of this skill's own protocol and NEVER replace, override, disable, or reinterpret a rule it already states — removing every overlay must return this skill to exactly its documented behavior. An overlay is a BRIEF, not an authority escalation: it can NEVER waive a workflow gate, git discipline, a review gate, or a user-confirmation gate. A genuine overlay-vs-skill conflict, or two equally-specific overlays that directly contradict -> surface both to the user; NEVER resolve silently.
293
294<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->
295
296<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->
297
298**MUST ATTENTION** resolve project protocol overlays for this skill BEFORE executing — most specific matching tier only (exact > glob > `*`, which ranks overlays against each other, NEVER against this skill), read only matched bodies at `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a missing or malformed body is reported, never reconstructed. Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY (they never replace this skill's own rules) and are a brief, NEVER an authority escalation; an equal-specificity contradiction goes to the user.
299
300<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->
301
302## Closing Reminders
303
304**Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):**
305
306- **AI Mistakes:** holistic-first debug, fix at responsible layer, surgical diff, verify all outputs.
307- **Critical Thinking:** traced proof per claim, confidence >80% to act, NEVER guess.
308- **Understand Code:** read code and grep 3+ patterns before any modification.
309
310- **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** break work into small todo tasks using task tracking BEFORE starting
311- **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code
312- **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** cite `file:line` evidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act)
313- **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** add a final review todo task to verify work quality
314 **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** READ the following files before starting:
315
316**[TASK-PLANNING]** Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using task tracking.
317
318<!-- CODEX:SYNC-PROMPT-PROTOCOLS:START -->
319
320## Hookless Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced)
321
322Source: `.claude/.ck.json` + `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md` (`:full` blocks) + `.claude/scripts/lib/hookless-prompt-protocol.cjs`
323
324## [WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason.
325
326**Generic portability boundary:** Reusable skills and protocol text stay project-neutral; project-specific conventions are discovered from docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/. Apply shared AI-SDD from `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md`. Read `docs/project-config.json` and `docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md`, then open the project reference docs named there. For spec, test-case, behavior-change, public-contract, or `docs/specs/` work, route through the local spec docs named by the docs index: `feature-spec-reference.md`, `spec-system-reference.md`, `spec-principles.md`, and `workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md` when specs/tests/code must stay synchronized. If either file or a required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` (or the narrow lower-level route such as `$project-config`, `$docs-init`, `$scan-all`, or `$scan --target=<key>`) before ordinary project-specific work. Any supported AI tool may execute when this shared context and local docs are available.
327
3281. **DETECT:** If the prompt starts with an explicit slash skill/workflow command, execute it directly. Otherwise match the prompt against the workflow catalog and skill list.
3292. **ANALYZE:** Choose the best option: execute directly, invoke a skill, activate a standard workflow, or compose a custom step combination.
3303. **AUTO-SELECT:** Pick the best option yourself. Do not ask the user to choose between direct execution, skill, standard workflow, or custom workflow.
3314. **ACTIVATE:** For a selected workflow, call `$start-workflow <workflowId>`; for a selected skill, invoke that skill; for a custom workflow, sequence custom steps directly; for direct execution, proceed with the task.
3325. **CREATE TASKS:** task tracking for ALL workflow/skill/custom steps before execution when the selected path has multiple steps.
3336. **PARALLELIZE:** Before executing the task list, tag each task `PAR` (independent inputs + write set disjoint from every other `PAR` task) or `SEQ` (name the blocking dependency), group `PAR` tasks into waves, declare the wave plan, and spawn each wave's sub-agents in ONE message — all-return barrier per wave, fan-out one level deep unless a sub-agent's own definition authorizes further fan-out. Sequential-by-default is a defect when tasks are independent; do not parallelize shared write targets, output-consuming tasks, trivial single-file work, ordering a skill or workflow explicitly fixes, or user-approval gates.
3347. **EXECUTE:** Advance per the **Workflow Step Advancement & Parallel Phases** rule in your context instructions — model-driven; a sub-agent completion advances a step identically to an inline call; a parallel-phase group is an all-return barrier (advance only after ALL members return, never serialize it)
335
336## Shared AI-SDD Protocol Markers
337
338Source: `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md`
339
340## SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract
341
342> **AI-SDD Artifact Contract** — Shared spec-driven development rules stay portable and source-owned.
343>
344> 1. Keep reusable AI-SDD principles in `.claude`; put repository-specific paths, commands, owners, products, and formats in project config/reference docs.
345> 2. Preserve cycle: `spec -> plan -> tasks -> implement -> verify -> update spec/docs`.
346> 3. Trace every requirement or invariant through decision, task, TC/test, source evidence, and docs/spec update.
347> 4. Treat code-to-spec extraction as reference-only until accepted by the canonical spec owner.
348> 5. Any supported AI tool may plan, implement, review, or verify with synced context; using multiple tools is optional.
349> 6. Update `.claude` source first, then sync generated mirrors; do not manually edit `.agents`, `.codex`, or `AGENTS.md`. — why: mirrors are generated artifacts; hand-edits are overwritten on the next sync
350> 7. If `docs/project-config.json`, root instruction files, or a required project-reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` or the narrow lower-level route before ordinary project-specific work.
351>
352> **Active reference:** `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md` in the active skills root.
353
354---
355
356## SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract:reminder
357
358- **MANDATORY** Apply `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md`; keep reusable AI-SDD in `.claude` and local rules in project docs.
359- **MANDATORY** Code-to-spec extraction is reference-only until canonical acceptance; any supported AI tool may execute with synced context.
360- **MANDATORY** Update `.claude` source before syncing generated mirrors; do not manually edit `.agents`, `.codex`, or `AGENTS.md`.
361- **MANDATORY** Missing or stale project config, root instruction files, or required reference docs route project-specific work through `$project-init` or the narrow setup route automatically.
362 **[TASK-PLANNING] [MANDATORY]** BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all planned steps, then keep it synchronized as each step starts/completes.
363
364## [LESSON-LEARNED-REMINDER] [BLOCKING] Task Planning & Continuous Improvement — MANDATORY. Do not skip.
365
366Break work into small tasks (task tracking) before starting. Add final task: "Analyze AI mistakes & lessons learned".
367
368**Extract lessons — ROOT CAUSE ONLY, not symptom fixes:**
369
3701. Name the FAILURE MODE (reasoning/assumption failure), not symptom — "assumed API existed without reading source" not "used wrong enum value".
3712. Generality test: does this failure mode apply to ≥3 contexts/codebases? If not, abstract one level up.
3723. Write as a universal rule — strip project-specific names/paths/classes. Useful on any codebase.
3734. Consolidate: multiple mistakes sharing one failure mode → ONE lesson.
3745. **Recurrence gate:** "Would this recur in future session WITHOUT this reminder?" — No → skip `$learn`.
3756. **Auto-fix gate:** "Could `$code-review`/`$code-simplifier`/`$security-review`/`$lint` catch this?" — Yes → improve review skill instead.
3767. BOTH gates pass → ask user to run `$learn`.
377 **[CRITICAL-THINKING-MINDSET]** Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
378 **Anti-hallucination principle:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.
379 **AI Attention principle (Primacy-Recency):** Put the 3 most critical rules at both top and bottom of long prompts/protocols so instruction adherence survives long context windows.
380 **Goal-driven execution:** Define success criteria first, loop until verified, and stop only when observable checks pass.
381 **Tests verify intent:** Tests must protect business rules/invariants and fail when the protected intent breaks, not only mirror current behavior.
382
383## Common AI Mistake Prevention (System Lessons)
384
385- **Re-read files after context compaction.** Edit requires prior Read in same context; compaction wipes read state. Re-read before editing.
386- **Grep for old terms after bulk replacements.** AI over-trusts find/replace completeness. Grep full repo after bulk edits for missed refs in docs/configs/catalogs.
387- **Check downstream references before deleting.** Deletions cascade doc/code staleness. Map referencing files before removal.
388- **After memory loss, check existing state before creating new.** Compaction wipes prior-work memory. Query current state to resume — never blindly duplicate.
389- **Verify AI-generated content against actual code.** AI hallucinates APIs, class names, method signatures. Grep to confirm existence before documenting/referencing.
390- **Trace full dependency chain after edits.** Changing a definition misses downstream consumers. Trace the full chain.
391- **When renaming, grep ALL consumer file types.** Some file types silently ignore missing refs (no compile error). Search code, templates, configs, generated files.
392- **Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness.** Code existing ≠ code executing. Trace early exits, error branches, conditional skips — not just happy path.
393- **Update docs that embed canonical data when source changes.** Docs inlining derived data (workflows, schemas, configs) go stale silently. Update all embedding docs alongside source.
394- **Verify sub-agent results after context recovery.** Background agents may finish while parent compacted — grep-verify output, don't trust assumed completion.
395- **Cross-check full target list against sub-agent assignments.** Parallel sub-agents by category miss boundary items. Reconcile union of assignments against target list before proceeding.
396- **Sub-agents inherit knowledge only from their agent .md definition — use custom agent types, not built-in Explore.** Tool adoption = permission + knowledge + enforcement (numbered workflow step).
397- **Persist sub-agent findings incrementally, not as a final batch.** Long sub-agents hit cutoffs before final write — findings lost. Instruct append-per-section to report file.
398- **When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing.** Trace caller (wrong data) vs callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site.
399- **Test failure → record a provisional verdict before trace/edit, then investigate.** Use the full five-way taxonomy: SOURCE-WRONG (production violates intent), TEST-WRONG (assertion/setup is stale), TEST-NOT-OPTIMAL (valid but fragile or low-signal test), ENVIRONMENT-BLOCKED (external state prevents a verdict), or AMBIGUOUS (intent/evidence cannot choose safely). Then trace root cause and triangulate against the governing spec (`docs/specs/**` if one exists) AND source. NEVER weaken an assertion, add a skip, relax a timeout, or change source merely to force green.
400- **Grep ALL removed names after extraction/refactoring.** Primary file "done" ≠ secondary files clean. Grep entire scope for every removed symbol before declaring complete.
401- **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Pattern-matching as "wrong" skips context. Before changing or reporting any constant/limit/flag/cutoff: read comments, git blame, the CALLER's ordering (the guarantee that makes the value correct usually lives in code running immediately BEFORE the cited line), and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard — and in a validation pass, an accurate `file:line` citation proves the transcription, never the defect.
402- **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One build green ≠ all green. Multi-stack changes (backend/frontend/tests/docs) require verifying EVERY output.
403- **Evaluate fit before copying a nearby pattern.** Closest example ≠ matching preconditions — verify the new context shares the same constraints, base classes, scope, lifetime.
404- **Holistic-first debugging — resist nearest-attention trap.** Don't dive into first plausible cause. List EVERY precondition (config, env vars, paths, DB, endpoints, creds, versions, DI, data). Verify each against evidence (grep/query — not reasoning). Ask "what would falsify this?" — if nothing, it's not a hypothesis. Most expensive failure: going deeper in "obvious" layer while bug sits in layer never questioned.
405- **Surgical changes — apply the diff test (context-aware).** Two modes: (1) Bug fix → every line traces to the bug; no restyling; orphan cleanup only for imports YOUR changes made unused. (2) Review/enhancement → implement improvements AND announce as "Enhancement beyond main request: [what]". Never silently scope-creep. Diff test: "Would this line exist if I wasn't asked to do X?" — if no, delete or announce.
406- **Surface ambiguity before coding — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations → present each with effort: "[Request] could mean (1) [N h], (2) [N h]. Which matters?" List scope/format/volume/constraints assumptions first. If simpler path exists, say so. Never silently pick.
407- **[MANDATORY FIRST ACTION] ALWAYS activate a suitable skill or workflow BEFORE responding.** Match task against workflow catalog + skill list; invoke via skill invocation or `$start-workflow <workflowId>`. NEVER answer or write code before checking. Skip = protocol violation.
408- **Why-Review adversarial mindset — apply when reviewing any plan, decision, or design.** Default SKEPTIC not VALIDATOR: steel-man a rejected alternative, invert each stated reason ("what does it sacrifice?"), stress-test top 2-3 assumptions, run pre-mortem ("ships, fails in 3 months — what breaks?"), surface 1-2 alternatives author missed. Section presence ≠ quality; quality = causal reasoning + concrete mitigations + evidence, not "it's better" or "monitor closely".
409- **Front-load report-write in sub-agent prompts for large reviews.** Many-file sub-agents hit budget before final write — findings lost. Design prompts so: (1) report-write is first explicit deliverable, (2) append per-file/section (not batched), (3) scope bounded so reads don't exhaust budget. Truncated mid-sentence with no report file → spawn narrower scope, don't retry same prompt.
410- **After context compaction, re-verify all prior phase outcomes before continuing.** Summaries describe intent, not environment state (git index, filesystem, processes). On resume, FIRST audit: git status, re-read modified files, verify filesystem. Every "completed" claim is an untested hypothesis until evidence confirms.
411- **OOM/memory: check row count before row size.** Triage: (1) Unbounded query — no DB filter for trigger? Push filter to DB; eliminates OOM. (2) Large rows? Projection reduces proportionally. Row reduction > projection in ROI.
412- **Assert the outcome your system OWNS, never the intermediate state your INFRASTRUCTURE owns.** When testing anything asynchronous (queue/broker delivery, retries, background jobs, caches, replication), assert the final business/entity state. NEVER assert the delivery bookkeeping — consume/send status, attempt counts, last-error, row existence or counts in a broker, scheduler, or outbox/inbox table. That bookkeeping lives in shared infrastructure that ANY co-running process (a peer worker, a second replica, a leftover local container) can write, usually under a deterministic shared key, so the assertion silently tests the developer's environment instead of the system: green when run alone, flaky the instant anything else shares that broker + database. Gate question for every assertion: "would this hold no matter WHICH process did the work?" — if no, assert the converged data state instead. Corollary: process-local fault injection and in-process telemetry cannot gate work any process may perform — use them as stress amplifiers (arm → bounded window → disarm → assert convergence), never as preconditions.
413- **Keep domain concepts out of generic/shared/infrastructure layers.** Reusable layer (shared library, framework, infra module) must reference NO consumer-specific domain concept — tenant/customer/product IDs, business entities, feature rules. Leak compiles + runs → passes review silently while coupling the "reusable" layer to one consumer. Keep shared type domain-free; push domain fields/logic down into the consumer via subclass/composition. — why: a layer coupled to one consumer's domain is no longer reusable.
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