codebase-research

# Codebase Research ## Overview Perform systematic codebase exploration to understand how existing systems work. Follows the Iron Law: "Do NOT explore the codebase until the problem is understood." ## When to Use - Implementation direction is clear but codebase understanding is needed - Investigating how an existing feature works before modifying it - Understanding dependencies and data flows before planning - Gathering context for a known goal ## Process 1. **Understand the request** - Ask clarifying questions one at a time (purpose, specifics, scope, constraints, context). Do NOT read any files until confirmed. 2. **Explore the codebase** - Use file-finder agent, read in order, trace data flows, identify constraints. 3. **Document findings** - Write structured research document to `docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-research.md`. 4. **Transition** - Ask: plan, continue research, or conclude. ## Key Rules - Quotations from source material capped at 125 characters maximum - Only proceed to exploration after human confirms understanding - Use file-finder agent for initial file discovery - Use web-researcher agent for external context needs ## Agents Used - `agents/file-finder/` - Locates relevant files with suggested reading order - `agents/web-researcher/` - Gathers external context when needed ## Tool Use Invoke via babysitter process: `methodologies/rpikit/rpikit-research`