chestertons-fencelisted

Investigate historical context of existing code, patterns, or constraints before proposing changes. Automates git archaeology, PR/ADR search, and dependency analysis to prevent removing structures without understanding their purpose. Use when you ask "why does this code/constraint exist", "is it safe to remove this". Do NOT use for forward-risk analysis (use pre-mortem).
rjmurillo/ai-agents · ★ 34 · AI & Automation · score 79

Install: claude install-skill rjmurillo/ai-agents

# Chesterton's Fence Investigation Enforce epistemic humility before changing existing systems. Understand original purpose before proposing changes. ## Quick Start ```text # Investigate why code exists before changing it /chestertons-fence "path/to/file.py" "remove unused validation" # Investigate an ADR before deprecating it /chestertons-fence ".agents/architecture/ADR-005.md" "allow bash scripts" ``` ## Triggers | Phrase | Context | |--------|---------| | `why does this exist` | Investigating existing code or patterns | | `chestertons fence` | Explicit investigation request | | `before removing` | Planning deletion or replacement | | `investigate history` | Researching original rationale | | `prior art investigation` | ADR-required investigation | ## Quick Reference | Input | Output | Destination | |-------|--------|-------------| | File path or ADR number | Investigation report | `.agents/analysis/NNN-chestertons-fence-TOPIC.md` | | Component description | Historical context summary | stdout (JSON) | ## When to Use Use this skill BEFORE proposing changes to existing: - Code patterns or architectural decisions - ADRs, constraints, or protocol rules - Workflow configurations or CI pipelines - Skills, hooks, or agent prompts ## Process ```text 1. Identify Structure What exists? Where is it defined? | v 2. Git Archaeology git log, git blame to find origin commit | v 3. PR/ADR Search Find the PR or ADR with ori