Analyze an unfamiliar repository
Build a mental model of an inherited codebase in under an hour, with an explicit unknowns list.
Beginner20 minCOMMUNITY ANALYSISGitAny language
Prompt
Analyse this repository and produce: 1. A one-paragraph purpose statement 2. Entry points with file paths 3. A step-by-step walkthrough of the primary request/data flow 4. The five files most likely to change for a typical feature 5. Open questions you cannot answer from the code Cite file paths throughout. Do not guess at business intent.
Problem
Tribal knowledge lives in one person's head.
Goal
An ONBOARDING.md that the next person can trust.
Context
Any inherited repository.
Expected Output
Purpose statement, entry points, flow walkthrough, hotspot files, open questions.
Steps
- Run the analysis
- Verify the traced flow with one log line
- Commit the result as ONBOARDING.md
- Take the open questions to a human
Validation
- Confirm the traced path by running it
- Check each cited file exists
Security Considerations
- Confirm your organisation allows the repository content to be processed by the tool you use
Lessons Learned
- The open questions list is the most valuable output
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