HexBen123 code-recon
The fast-context (semantic) + codegraph (structural) combined code-intelligence workflow. Use the two MCP tools together to locate, trace, and understand code — instead of defaulting to Grep/Glob/Read-around or stopping after one tool.
Always Read
Read this first — it applies to every code-understanding task:
rules/using-the-tools.md— which tool for which question, how to combine them, the handoff contract, and when NOT to tool at all
Session Discipline
- Re-match the route every task. A new question in the same session may need a different route than the last one — a "where is X" lookup and a "what breaks if I change X" impact check are different routes.
- Re-read the rule only when the route changed or context was compacted (a fresh SKILL.md injection from the SessionStart hook is the signal). Otherwise it's still in context.
- A single tool's empty/negative result is a hypothesis, not a verdict — see Known Gotchas before concluding "X has no callers / doesn't exist."
Common Tasks
Every route reads the same one rule (rules/using-the-tools.md) and runs the matching section of one playbook:
| Task | Read | Workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Explore unfamiliar code / "where is X" / natural-language intent, no symbol name yet (探索/这个功能在哪) | rules/using-the-tools.md |
workflows/recon-playbook.md §A |
| Trace a flow / "how does X work" / "who triggers this event/callback" (追流程/怎么跑的/谁触发) | rules/using-the-tools.md; ref references/gotchas.md |
workflows/recon-playbook.md §B |
| Find callers / impact / "what breaks if I change X" (谁调用/改动影响面) | rules/using-the-tools.md; ref references/gotchas.md |
workflows/recon-playbook.md §C |
| Known-symbol lookup / "get me the source/signature of X" (已知符号取源码/签名) | rules/using-the-tools.md |
workflows/recon-playbook.md §D |
| Other / unlisted (其他) | rules/using-the-tools.md |
match the closest workflows/recon-playbook.md section; else follow the matrix in rules/using-the-tools.md |
Known Gotchas
One-liners; full detail + verified evidence in references/gotchas.md.
- codegraph misses dynamic-dispatch inbound edges —
@SubscribeEvent/ events / callbacks / reflection show "No callers" though live →references/gotchas.md#dynamic-dispatch-callers - codegraph only sees its index — patch / generated / vendored / out-of-index code is invisible; fast-context covers it →
references/gotchas.md#index-scope - There is no
codegraph_trace— for a flow/path, usecodegraph_explorenaming the spanning symbols →references/gotchas.md#no-trace-tool - fast-context grep-expansion adds noise (
[grep expanded]≠ AI hit) andtree_depthauto-downgrades on big repos →references/gotchas.md#fast-context-noise - codegraph drifts when concept ≠ naming (same-named-but-unrelated symbols) →
references/gotchas.md#concept-vs-naming
Core Principles
- Route understanding through the tools, not hand-search. Any non-trivial "where/how/who/impact" question on an existing codebase goes through fast-context + codegraph first, not Grep/Glob/Read-around. ✓ Check: before answering, did you call at least one of the two MCP tools? Answering a where/how/who question from only Grep+Read means you skipped this skill.
- Recon before precision; both before answering. Lead with fast-context when you lack exact symbol names; switch to codegraph the moment you have one. Most non-trivial questions need both halves. ✓ Check: can you name the symbol fast-context surfaced AND the codegraph call that confirmed its structure? Used only one? Justify why the other half was genuinely unnecessary — don't just skip it.
- A tool's "nothing found" is a hypothesis. codegraph "No callers"/"not found" may be a dynamic-dispatch or out-of-index blind spot; cross-check before concluding. ✓ Check: when a tool returned empty/negative, did you verify with the other tool (or grep) before stating it as fact?
- Don't re-Read what a tool already printed.
codegraph_exploreand fast-context (include_code_snippets:true) return verbatim source — treat them as Reads already done. ✓ Check: did you Read a file whose body a tool already returned this task? That Read was wasted.
Rule Priority
SKILL.md(this file) → 2.rules/→ 3.workflows/→ 4.references/→ 5. thin shells (shells/*, compatibility only)
Scope
- Owns: when/how to drive fast-context + codegraph for code understanding; the combine discipline; the verified pitfalls of each tool.
- Does NOT own: the codebase's own rules/conventions (that's a project skill); writing/editing code; running builds/tests. This skill ends when you understand the code well enough to act.