research

/karimo:research

KARIMO Research Command

Purpose

Conduct research to discover codebase patterns, identify gaps, recommend libraries, and provide implementation guidance. This is the REQUIRED first step before planning.

Three research modes:

1. Feature Init — /karimo:research "feature-name" creates PRD folder and runs initial research
2. PRD-Scoped — /karimo:research --prd {slug} adds research to existing PRD (iterate loop)
3. Refinement — /karimo:research --refine --prd {slug} processes annotations

Command Syntax

# Start new feature (REQUIRED first step)
# Creates PRD folder and runs research
/karimo:research "feature-name"

# Add research to existing PRD (iterate loop after planning)
/karimo:research --prd {slug}

# Refine research based on annotations
/karimo:research --refine --prd {slug}

# Research with constraints
/karimo:research "feature-name" --internal-only
/karimo:research "feature-name" --external-only
/karimo:research --prd {slug} --internal-only
/karimo:research --prd {slug} --external-only

Feature Init Mode (Default)

When invoked with a bare feature name (no --prd flag), this is the first step in the KARIMO workflow.

Workflow

1. Sanitize Feature Name

   • Convert "My Feature Name" to my-feature-name (slug)
   • Validate slug format (lowercase, hyphens, no special chars)

2. Create PRD Folder Structure

   • Create .karimo/prds/{slug}/ (no NNN prefix yet — plan adds it)
   • Create research subfolder structure:

     .karimo/prds/{slug}/
     ├── assets/                    # Flat folder for screenshots/mockups
     ├── research/
     │   ├── internal/
     │   │   ├── patterns.md        # Evidence
     │   │   ├── errors.md          # Evidence
     │   │   ├── dependencies.md    # Evidence
     │   │   ├── structure.md       # Evidence
     │   │   └── findings.md        # Consolidated output
     │   ├── external/
     │   │   ├── best-practices.md  # Evidence
     │   │   ├── libraries.md       # Evidence
     │   │   ├── references.md      # Evidence
     │   │   ├── sources.yaml       # Attribution
     │   │   └── findings.md        # Consolidated output
     │   ├── summary.md             # Combined executive summary
     │   └── meta.json              # Research metadata
     └── status.json                # Initial status