| name | warm |
| description | 🌡️ Evaluate every dependency a branch pulls in — client or server, any language — against the WARM check (Worth it, Alive, Right-sized, Maintained securely). Diffs the branch against a base, finds newly added or upgraded direct dependencies across all manifests, and scores each one. Use when the user asks to "WARM check" a branch, vet new dependencies, or review what a PR adds to the dependency tree. |
| argument-hint | [base branch] |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
| allowed-tools | Bash(git diff:*), Bash(git log:*), Bash(git merge-base:*), Bash(git rev-parse:*), Bash(git status:*), Bash(git show:*), Bash(npm audit:*), Bash(npm view:*), Bash(composer audit:*), Bash(pip-audit:*), Bash(cat:*), Bash(find:*), Bash(ls:*), Bash(grep:*), Read, Grep, Glob, WebSearch, WebFetch |
WARM
Arguments
Raw arguments: $ARGUMENTS
Parse the arguments as the base branch to diff against. If empty, default to main.
Goal
Evaluate the dependencies this branch pulls in — added or upgraded since it diverged from the base — against the WARM check, and give each one a clear verdict. Cover both client-side and server-side dependencies, in any language. The output helps the user decide which new dependencies to keep, reconsider, or pin/patch before merge.
WARM stands for:
- Worth it? — could ~20 lines of your own code replace it? A dependency you'd write in an afternoon isn't worth the supply-chain surface.
- Alive? — recent commits, active maintenance, real release cadence. A package last touched years ago is a liability.
- Right-sized? — are you pulling a whole library for one function? Match the dependency's footprint to what you actually use.
- Maintained securely? — known vulnerabilities (CVEs/advisories), unpatched issues, or a maintainer with a poor security track record.
This is about direct dependencies you chose to add. The four questions are decisions you make about your dependency — they don't apply to transitive packages dragged in underneath. Evaluate direct additions; only mention transitive packages under M when they carry a known advisory.
Instructions
1. Find what the branch pulls in
Run git diff --name-status <base>...HEAD (three-dot — changes on this branch since it diverged) and identify changed dependency manifests. These declare direct dependencies and exist in every ecosystem:
- JS/TS (client & server):
package.json
- PHP:
composer.json
- Python:
requirements*.txt, pyproject.toml, Pipfile, setup.py, setup.cfg
- Ruby:
Gemfile, *.gemspec
- Go:
go.mod
- Rust:
Cargo.toml
- Java/Kotlin:
pom.xml, build.gradle, build.gradle.kts
- .NET:
*.csproj, Directory.Packages.props, packages.config
- Elixir:
mix.exs
- Dart/Flutter:
pubspec.yaml
- Swift:
Package.swift
Don't restrict yourself to this list — if a changed file is clearly a manifest for another ecosystem, treat it as one.
For each changed manifest, run git diff <base>...HEAD -- <manifest> and extract the added dependency lines (and version bumps). Use the lockfile diff (package-lock.json, composer.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml, go.sum, Cargo.lock, etc.) only to confirm resolved versions and to spot transitive packages with advisories — not as the source of which dependencies to judge.
Scope:
- New direct dependencies → full WARM evaluation.
- Version upgrades of existing direct dependencies → evaluate only A and M (Worth-it and Right-sized were already decided when it was first added); note the version delta.
- Removed dependencies → ignore.
If no manifests changed, output exactly:
✅ No dependencies added or upgraded on this branch.
…and stop.
2. Gather the facts for each dependency
Look up what you need to answer each letter honestly. Sources, in order of preference:
- W (Worth it): read how the branch actually uses the dependency (
Grep the import/require/use sites) and judge the surface area you depend on. A date-formatter used in one component is a different proposition than an HTTP client used everywhere.
- A (Alive): check the registry/repo for last release date and recent commit activity. Use
npm view <pkg> time.modified / WebFetch the registry or repo page. Note the latest release date and whether the repo is archived.
- R (Right-sized): compare the dependency's footprint (sub-dependencies, install size, breadth of API) against the slice the branch uses. Pulling a 40-dependency framework to call one helper is not right-sized.
- M (Maintained securely): check for known advisories. Prefer ecosystem tooling when available (
npm audit, composer audit, pip-audit), otherwise WebSearch the package name + "CVE"/"advisory" and check the advisory database. Report the resolved version and whether a fixed version exists.
Honesty rule: if you cannot verify something (no network, registry unreachable, ambiguous package), say what you checked and mark that letter unknown — never fabricate a release date, version, or CVE.
3. Score and decide
For each dependency, mark each letter:
- ✅ — fine on this dimension
- ⚠️ — a concern worth a second look
- ❌ — a real problem
? — couldn't verify
Then give a one-word verdict derived from the marks:
- Keep — no ❌, at most minor ⚠️.
- Reconsider — ❌ on W or R (you probably don't need this dependency, or not this much of it).
- Patch/Pin — ❌ on M only (the dependency is justified but has a security issue — upgrade to the fixed version or pin).
- Replace — ❌ on A (unmaintained) or multiple ❌s.
4. Output the report
Order dependencies by concern: ❌ verdicts first, then ⚠️, then clean Keeps. Use this format exactly:
## `dayjs` — added to package.json (client)
- ✅ **Worth it** — date parsing used across 6 components; non-trivial to hand-roll correctly
- ✅ **Alive** — last release 2 months ago, active repo
- ✅ **Right-sized** — 2KB, zero dependencies, tree-shakeable
- ✅ **Maintained securely** — no known advisories for 1.11.x
**Verdict: Keep**
## `left-pad` — added to package.json (client)
- ❌ **Worth it** — single use, pads a string; ~5 lines of your own code replaces it
- ⚠️ **Alive** — last release 4 years ago
- ✅ **Right-sized** — tiny, no sub-dependencies
- ✅ **Maintained securely** — no known advisories
**Verdict: Reconsider** — inline it rather than take the supply-chain surface.
## `guzzlehttp/guzzle` — upgraded 7.4.0 → 7.4.5 in composer.json (server)
- ✅ **Alive** — actively maintained
- ❌ **Maintained securely** — 7.4.0 affected by GHSA-xxxx (cookie leak); 7.4.5 fixes it
**Verdict: Patch/Pin** — the upgrade resolves the advisory; keep it.
End with a one-line summary: N dependencies evaluated — X keep, Y reconsider, Z replace/patch.
Rules
- Judge only what the branch pulls in. Don't audit the whole pre-existing dependency tree — only additions and upgrades since the base branch.
- Direct dependencies get the full WARM. Transitive packages appear only under M, and only when they carry a known advisory.
- Cover client and server. Label each dependency with which side it lives on (and which manifest) so the user can place it.
- Language-agnostic. Treat any manifest from any ecosystem the same way. Don't skip a dependency because it's in a language you'd handle differently.
- Don't fabricate facts. Release dates, versions, and advisories must come from a real lookup. If you can't verify, mark
? and say what you checked.
- One concern per bullet. Each WARM letter is one line; don't merge two findings.
- Be specific and quantified. "last release 4 years ago", "pulls 40 sub-dependencies", "GHSA-xxxx fixed in 7.4.5" — not "looks old" or "might have issues".
- The verdict follows from the marks. Don't soften a ❌ into a Keep, or hedge a clean dependency into a Reconsider. State the verdict plainly.
- No preamble. Start with the first
## dependency heading (or the no-dependencies line). No "Here's the WARM check…".
- Don't change any files. This skill evaluates and reports — it doesn't remove dependencies, edit manifests, or run installs.