Files
ai-workflow-course/modules/23-working-with-existing-codebases/lab/skills/map-this-repo.md
T
claude f925fd9645 fix(M7-27+capstone): apply AI-drives-git reframe, lesson=theory, de-slop course-wide
Phase 2 sweep — all modules are post-pivot, so the learner directs the AI agent
(Claude Code as the worked example) to do the git/setup work and verifies, instead
of typing commands by hand; no re-teaching basics. Lesson sections are theory with
example output; all execution lives in the labs. De-slopped ("prose" etc. gone
course-wide, em-dash density thinned). /path/to placeholders -> ~/ai-workflow-course.

Every deliberate teaching device verified intact: M10 ai-change.patch trap,
M12 bad-clear-snippet, M13/M27 planted pending_count bug, M15 secret+typosquat+MD5,
M18 BREAK=1, M21 absent-.gitignore, M22 poisoned skill, M24 no-op patch, M25 --simulate.
Labs compile/parse (py/sh/yaml/json); no junk.

Closes #83
Closes #86
Closes #89

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01TfzV5QvtPDz8LJS3Pu5VLT
2026-06-22 21:58:17 -04:00

1.8 KiB

Skill: Map this repo

A navigation playbook (a Module 21 skill) for orienting in a codebase you didn't write. Point Claude Code (or sub your own agent) at this file as a skill, or paste it in as instructions. The goal is a read-only mental model — no edits happen here.

When to use

At the start of any session on an unfamiliar repo, before any change is discussed.

Rules

  • Read only. Do not edit, create, or delete files while mapping. No exceptions.
  • Cite real paths. Every claim about the code must point to a file and, ideally, a line range. If you can't cite it, say "unverified" instead of guessing.
  • Breadth before depth. Establish the whole shape before going deep on any one area.
  • No conclusions from file names alone. A file called auth.py may not be where auth lives.

Steps

  1. Read the orientation pack (from orient.py), the README, and any CONTRIBUTING, ARCHITECTURE, or committed AI-instructions file. Treat these as claims to verify, not truth.
  2. Identify the entry points: how does this thing start? (CLI main, web server, library exports.) Name the exact file(s).
  3. Trace one representative request/command end to end — from entry point to where it does its real work and back. List the files it passes through, in order.
  4. Produce an architecture summary (max ~1 page):
    • One paragraph: what this project does and how it's structured.
    • A "where things live" table: concern -> directory/file.
    • The build/test/run commands, confirmed against the README or CI config.
    • 3-5 things that surprised you or look risky to touch.
  5. List open questions you could not resolve from the code. Do not paper over them.

Output

A single Markdown summary. End with: "Verified against: ."