technical-context-discovery

Technical Context Discovery

This skill provides a systematic approach for understanding a project's technical context before making any code changes. It ensures consistency with existing patterns and prevents introducing conflicting conventions.

When to Use

• Before implementing any feature or fix
• Before writing tests (unit, integration, E2E)
• Before making architectural decisions that affect existing code
• When onboarding to a new area of the codebase

Technical Context Discovery Process

Use the checklist below and track your progress:

Discovery progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Check project instruction files
- [ ] Step 2: Analyze existing codebase patterns
- [ ] Step 3: Consult external documentation (if needed)
- [ ] Step 4: Apply the implementation rule

Step 1: Check Project Instruction Files

ALWAYS check first for existing project instructions in the repository:

• Search for AGENTS.md — check .codex/AGENTS.md first (primary location in bootstrapped projects), then repo root as fallback.
• If AGENTS.md contains a Skill Routing table, also read the skills/routing/*.md branch files (relative to AGENTS.md's directory) to understand the full routing tree.
• Search for *.instructions.md files in relevant directories (e.g., src/, tests/, e2e/, backend/, feature-specific folders).
• Search for Codex-related project guidance folders or files if present.

If instructions files exist, they are the primary source of truth for:

• Coding standards and conventions
• Architecture patterns and project structure
• Technology stack specifics and version requirements
• Testing strategies and patterns
• Naming conventions and file organization
• Locator strategies (for E2E tests)
• Test data management approaches
• Environment configuration

Step 2: Analyze Existing Codebase Patterns

If no project instructions are found, or if they don't cover specific aspects, analyze the existing codebase to understand and replicate established patterns: