Explore Plan Code

Explore-Plan-Code Skill

Trigger

Use when starting any non-trivial implementation task. This workflow prevents premature coding and significantly improves outcomes for complex problems.

The Insight

From Anthropic's Claude Code best practices: "Research and planning before implementation dramatically outperforms jumping to code."

The Anti-Pattern

Jumping straight to writing code without understanding:

• What files are involved
• How existing code works
• What patterns are already established
• What the full scope of changes will be

The Workflow

Phase 1: Explore

Read relevant files first without writing any code.

Read the authentication module and understand how sessions are currently handled.
Don't write any code yet.

Key activities:

• Read existing implementations of similar features
• Understand the data flow
• Identify all files that will need changes
• Note existing patterns and conventions

Phase 2: Plan

Request a detailed plan. Use "think" to trigger extended reasoning.

Think through how we should implement the new caching layer.
Consider:
- What components need to change
- What order to make changes
- What could go wrong
- How to test each part

Write out a detailed plan before any implementation.

The plan should include:

• Files to modify (in order)
• New files to create
• Key implementation decisions
• Testing strategy
• Rollback approach if something breaks

Phase 3: Approve

Review the plan. Ask questions. Identify risks.

Don't proceed until you're confident the plan is sound.

Questions to ask:

• Does this cover all edge cases?
• Is this the simplest approach?
• What could go wrong?
• How will we verify it works?

Phase 4: Code

Now implement, following the approved plan.

Implement the plan we discussed. Start with [first file] and work through the list.

Benefits of coding after planning:

• Fewer false starts
• Less context wasted on wrong approaches
• Clear stopping points
• Easier to course-correct

Phase 5: Commit

Review changes, write clear commit message, verify tests pass.

Template Prompt

## Task: [Description]

### Phase 1: Explore
Please read and understand these files before doing anything else:
- [file1]
- [file2]
- [relevant directory]

Summarize how [relevant system] currently works.

### Phase 2: Plan
Think through the implementation approach. Write a detailed plan including:
- Files to modify
- Order of changes
- Testing approach
- Potential risks

### Phase 3: Wait for Approval
Stop after the plan. I'll review before you implement.

When to Use Each Phase

Why This Works

• Exploration builds accurate mental model
• Planning catches issues before they're coded
• Approval creates checkpoint for course correction
• Coding becomes execution of known-good plan