Table of Contents
Diff Analysis Methodology
Overview
Structured method for analyzing changesets: categorize changes, assess risks, generate insights. Works for git diffs, configuration changes, API migrations, schema updates, or document revisions.
When To Use
- Extracting insights from raw change data
- Categorizing and prioritizing changes before code reviews
- Preparing release notes or changelogs
- Assessing migration scope and risk
When NOT To Use
- Quick context catchup - use catchup instead
- Full PR review - use review-core with pensive skills
Activation Patterns
Trigger Keywords: diff, changes, release notes, changelog, migration, impact, risk assessment
Auto-Load When: Git diffs present, change analysis requested, impact assessment needed.
Progressive Loading
Load modules based on workflow stage:
Always Load
modules/semantic-categorization.md for change categorization workflow
Conditional Loading
modules/risk-assessment-framework.md when risk assessment is neededmodules/git-diff-patterns.md when working with git repositories
Integration
- Use
sanctum:git-workspace-review for git data gathering
- Use
imbue:proof-of-work for capturing analysis evidence
- Use
imbue:structured-output for formatting final deliverables
Required TodoWrite Items
diff-analysis:baseline-establisheddiff-analysis:changes-categorizeddiff-analysis:risks-assesseddiff-analysis:summary-prepared
Mark each item complete as you finish the corresponding step.
4-Step Methodology
Step 1: Establish Baseline (diff-analysis:baseline-established)
Define comparison scope: what states are being compared, boundary of analysis, and scale metrics.
For git contexts, load modules/git-diff-patterns.md. For other contexts, compare relevant artifacts.
Step 2: Categorize Changes (diff-analysis:changes-categorized)
Group changes by semantic type. Load modules/semantic-categorization.md for change categories, semantic categories, and prioritization.
Step 3: Assess Risks (diff-analysis:risks-assessed)
Evaluate impact. Load modules/risk-assessment-framework.md for risk indicators, levels, and scoring methodology.
Step 4: Prepare Summary (diff-analysis:summary-prepared)
Synthesize findings: theme, scope with counts, risk level, review focus, dependencies. Format for downstream consumption (PR descriptions, release notes, reviews).
Exit Criteria
- All TodoWrite items completed with categorized changes and risk assessment
- Downstream workflows have semantic understanding of the changeset
- Summary ready for appropriate consumption (review, release notes, planning)
