Oracle — Second-Model Review
Bundle your prompt + relevant files into one "one-shot" request and send to another model. Treat all outputs as advisory: verify against the codebase and tests before acting.
When to use
- Stuck on a hard bug and want a second opinion without sharing full context
- Architecture decision that benefits from a fresh model's read
- Refactor plan you want cross-validated before executing
- Any situation where model A is too familiar with the problem to see it clearly
Approaches
Option A: code2prompt (recommended)
Rust CLI — single binary, token counting, git integration, Handlebars templates.
cargo install code2prompt
# Bundle dir → clipboard (default)
code2prompt src/
# Save to file
code2prompt src/ --output-file /tmp/bundle.txt
# Include/exclude patterns (glob)
code2prompt src/ --include "*.rs" --exclude "*.test.rs"
# Show token count before sending
code2prompt src/ --tokens
# Include git diff in bundle
code2prompt . --diff
# Custom Handlebars template
code2prompt src/ --template templates/review.hbs
Project-level config: .c2pconfig at repo root.
Run code2prompt --help for full flag reference. TUI available for interactive selection.
Option B: Agent tool with model override
Within Claude Code, spawn a subagent on a different model tier:
// In a Workflow script
const review = await agent(
`Review this design: <context>. Question: <question>`,
{ model: 'opus', label: 'second-opinion' }
)
Writing a high-signal prompt
Any second-model review starts with zero project knowledge. Include everything needed to answer cold:
- Project briefing — stack, build/test commands, platform constraints
- Where things live — key directories, entrypoints, config files
- Exact question — what you tried, the error text verbatim
- Constraints — "don't change X", "must keep public API", "perf budget"
- Desired output — "return patch plan", "list risky assumptions", "give 3 options with tradeoffs"
Exhaustive prompt pattern (long investigations)
When the problem may need multiple rounds, write a prompt that stands alone:
- Top: 6–30 sentence project briefing + current goal
- Middle: concrete repro steps + exact errors + what you already tried
- Bottom: all context files needed (entrypoints, configs, key modules, docs)
Make the prompt re-runnable — the model has no memory of prior exchanges.
Discipline
- Tight file set: fewest files that contain the truth. Whole-repo dumps add noise, not signal.
- No secrets: never attach
.env, key files, auth tokens. Redact before sending. - Advisory only: verify outputs against the actual codebase before acting. The model cannot run your tests.