# Ring:pre Dev Research

> Gate 0 research phase for pre-dev workflow. Dispatches 3 parallel research agents to gather codebase patterns, external best practices, and framework documentation BEFORE creating PRD/TRD. Outputs research.md with file:line references.

- Skill: `majiayu000/ring-pre-dev-research` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add majiayu000/ring-pre-dev-research`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/ring-pre-dev-research/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/ring-pre-dev-research

---


# Pre-Dev Research Skill (Gate 0)

**Purpose:** Gather comprehensive research BEFORE writing planning documents, ensuring PRDs and TRDs are grounded in codebase reality and industry best practices.

## The Research-First Principle

```
Traditional:  Request → PRD → Discover problems during implementation
Research-First:  Request → Research → Informed PRD → Smoother implementation

Research prevents: Reinventing existing patterns, ignoring conventions, missing framework constraints, repeating solved problems
```

## Step 1: Determine Research Mode

**BLOCKING GATE:** Before dispatching agents, determine the research mode.

| Mode | When to Use | Example |
|------|-------------|---------|
| **greenfield** | No existing patterns | "Add GraphQL API" (when project has none) |
| **modification** | Extending existing functionality | "Add pagination to user list API" |
| **integration** | Connecting external systems | "Integrate Stripe payments" |

**If unclear, ask:**
> Before starting research: Is this (1) Greenfield - new capability, (2) Modification - extends existing, or (3) Integration - connects external systems?

**Mode affects agent priority:**
- Greenfield → Web research primary (best-practices, framework-docs)
- Modification → Codebase research primary (repo-research)
- Integration → All agents equally weighted

## Step 2: Dispatch Research Agents

**Run 3 agents in PARALLEL** (single message, 3 Task calls):

| Agent | Prompt Focus |
|-------|--------------|
| `ring:repo-research-analyst` | Codebase patterns for [feature]. Search docs/solutions/ knowledge base. Return file:line references. If modification mode: PRIMARY focus. |
| `ring:best-practices-researcher` | External best practices for [feature]. Use Context7 + WebSearch. Return URLs. If greenfield mode: PRIMARY focus. |
| `ring:framework-docs-researcher` | Tech stack docs for [feature]. Detect versions from manifests. Use Context7. Return version constraints. If integration mode: focus on SDK/API docs. |

## Step 3: Aggregate Research Findings

**Output:** `docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md`

| Section | Content |
|---------|---------|
| **Metadata** | date, feature, research_mode, agents_dispatched |
| **Executive Summary** | 2-3 sentences synthesizing key findings |
| **Research Mode** | Why selected, what it means for focus |
| **Codebase Research** | Agent output (file:line references) |
| **Best Practices Research** | Agent output (URLs) |
| **Framework Documentation** | Agent output (version constraints) |
| **Synthesis** | Key patterns to follow (file:line, URL, doc ref); Constraints identified; Prior solutions from docs/solutions/; Open questions for PRD |

## Step 4: Gate 0 Validation

**BLOCKING CHECKLIST:**

| Check | Required For |
|-------|--------------|
| Research mode documented | All modes |
| All 3 agents returned | All modes |
| research.md created | All modes |
| At least one file:line reference | modification, integration |
| At least one external URL | greenfield, integration |
| docs/solutions/ searched | All modes |
| Tech stack versions documented | All modes |
| Synthesis section complete | All modes |

**If validation fails:**
- Missing agent output → Re-run that agent
- No codebase patterns (modification) → May need mode change
- No external docs (greenfield) → Try different search terms

## Integration with Pre-Dev Workflow

**ring:pre-dev-full (9-gate):** Gate 0 Research → Gate 1 PRD (reads research.md) → ... → Gate 3 TRD (reads research.md)

**ring:pre-dev-feature (4-gate):** Gate 0 Research → Gate 1 PRD → Gate 2 TRD → Gate 3 Tasks

## Research Document Usage

**In Gate 1 (PRD):** Reference existing patterns with file:line; cite docs/solutions/; include external URLs; note framework constraints

**In Gate 3 (TRD):** Reference implementation patterns; use version constraints; cite similar implementations

## Anti-Patterns

1. **Skipping research for "simple" features** - Even simple features benefit from convention checks
2. **Wrong research mode** - Greenfield with heavy codebase research wastes time; modification without codebase research misses patterns
3. **Ignoring docs/solutions/** - Prior solutions are gold; prevents repeating mistakes
4. **Vague references without file:line** - "There's a pattern somewhere" is not useful; exact locations enable quick reference