Gate 0 research phase for pre-dev workflow. Dispatches 4 parallel research agents
to gather codebase patterns, external best practices, framework documentation,
and UX/product research BEFORE creating PRD/TRD. Outputs research.md with
file:line references and user research findings.
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Gate 0 research phase for pre-dev workflow. Dispatches 4 parallel research agents
to gather codebase patterns, external best practices, framework documentation,
and UX/product research BEFORE creating PRD/TRD. Outputs research.md with
file:line references and user research findings.
trigger
- Before any pre-dev workflow (Gate 0)
- When planning new features or modifications
- Invoked by /ring:pre-dev-full and /ring:pre-dev-feature
skip_when
- Trivial changes that don't need planning
- Research already completed (research.md exists and is recent)
{"greenfield":{"description":"New feature with no existing patterns to follow","primary_agents":["ring:best-practices-researcher","ring:framework-docs-researcher","ring:product-designer"],"focus":"External best practices, framework patterns, and user problem validation"},"modification":{"description":"Changing or extending existing functionality","primary_agents":["ring:repo-research-analyst"],"secondary_agents":["ring:product-designer"],"focus":"Existing codebase patterns and conventions, UX impact assessment"},"integration":{"description":"Connecting systems or adding external dependencies","primary_agents":["ring:framework-docs-researcher","ring:best-practices-researcher","ring:repo-research-analyst"],"secondary_agents":["ring:product-designer"],"focus":"API documentation, integration patterns, and user experience considerations"}}
Pre-Dev Research Skill (Gate 0)
Purpose: Gather comprehensive research BEFORE writing planning documents, ensuring PRDs and TRDs are grounded in codebase reality and industry best practices.
BLOCKING GATE: Before dispatching agents, determine the research mode.
Mode
When to Use
Example
greenfield
No existing patterns
"Add GraphQL API" (when project has none)
modification
Extending existing functionality
"Add pagination to user list API"
integration
Connecting external systems
"Integrate Stripe payments"
If unclear, ask:
Before starting research: Is this (1) Greenfield - new capability, (2) Modification - extends existing, or (3) Integration - connects external systems?
Mode affects agent priority:
Greenfield → Web research primary (best-practices, framework-docs)
Modification → Codebase research primary (repo-research)
Integration → All agents equally weighted
Step 2: Dispatch Research Agents
Run 4 agents in PARALLEL (single message, 4 Task calls):
External best practices for [feature]. Use Context7 + WebSearch. Return URLs.
PRIMARY in greenfield
ring:framework-docs-researcher
Tech stack docs for [feature]. Detect versions from manifests. Use Context7. Return version constraints.
PRIMARY in integration
ring:product-designer
User problem validation, personas, competitive UX analysis, design constraints for [feature]. Mode: ux-research.
PRIMARY in greenfield, SECONDARY in others
Task invocation for product-designer:
Task(
subagent_type="ring:product-designer",
model="opus",
prompt="Analyze user needs for [feature]. Mode: ux-research. Return: problem validation, preliminary personas, competitive analysis, design constraints."
)
Step 2.5: Handle Topology Configuration
If TopologyConfig is provided (from command's topology discovery):
Persist in research.md frontmatter:
---feature: {feature-name}
gate:0date: {YYYY-MM-DD}
research_mode:greenfield|modification|integrationagents_dispatched:4topology:scope:fullstack|backend-only|frontend-onlystructure:single-repo|monorepo|multi-repomodules:# Only if monorepo or multi-repobackend:path: {path}
language:golang|typescriptfrontend:path: {path}
framework:nextjs|react|vuedoc_organization:unified|per-moduleapi_pattern:direct|bff|other# Only if scope=fullstack---
Document Placement (based on topology.structure):
Structure
research.md Location
single-repo
docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md
monorepo
docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md (root)
multi-repo
Write to BOTH: {backend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md AND {frontend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md
Multi-repo directory creation:
# Create directories in both reposmkdir -p "{backend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}"mkdir -p "{frontend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}"
Multi-repo sync note: Add this footer to research.md for multi-repo:
---
**Sync Status:** This document is maintained in both repositories.
- Primary: {backend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md
- Mirror: {frontend.path}/docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/research.md
Adjust agent dispatch for multi-module projects:
If topology.structure is monorepo or multi-repo:
ring:repo-research-analyst: Run ONCE per module path
Backend: Search {topology.modules.backend.path} for patterns
Frontend: Search {topology.modules.frontend.path} for patterns
Combine findings in single research.md with module sections:
### Codebase Research#### Backend Module ({path})
[Agent output for backend]
#### Frontend Module ({path})
[Agent output for frontend]
TopologyConfig flows to all subsequent gates:
Gate 1 (PRD): Reads topology from research.md frontmatter
Gate 2 (Feature Map): Uses topology for domain mapping
Gate 7 (Task Breakdown): Tags tasks with target: based on topology
Key patterns to follow (file:line, URL, doc ref); Constraints identified; Prior solutions from docs/solutions/; UX considerations; Open questions for PRD
Step 4: Gate 0 Validation
BLOCKING CHECKLIST:
Check
Required For
Research mode documented
All modes
All 4 agents returned
All modes
research.md created
All modes
TopologyConfig in frontmatter
All modes (if provided by command)
At least one file:line reference
modification, integration
At least one external URL
greenfield, integration
docs/solutions/ searched
All modes
Tech stack versions documented
All modes
Product/UX research documented
All modes
User problem identified
All modes
Synthesis section complete
All modes
Module-specific research (if multi-module)
monorepo, multi-repo
If validation fails:
Missing agent output → Re-run that agent
No codebase patterns (modification) → May need mode change
No external docs (greenfield) → Try different search terms
No UX research (product-designer) → Re-run product-designer agent
In Gate 1 (PRD): Reference existing patterns with file:line; cite docs/solutions/; include external URLs; note framework constraints
In Gate 3 (TRD): Reference implementation patterns; use version constraints; cite similar implementations
Anti-Patterns
Skipping research for "simple" features - Even simple features benefit from convention checks
Wrong research mode - Greenfield with heavy codebase research wastes time; modification without codebase research misses patterns
Ignoring docs/solutions/ - Prior solutions are gold; prevents repeating mistakes
Vague references without file:line - "There's a pattern somewhere" is not useful; exact locations enable quick reference
Standards Loading (MANDATORY)
This skill is a research/analysis skill and does NOT require WebFetch of language-specific standards.
Purpose: This skill gathers research BEFORE technical decisions are made. Standards are loaded in TRD (Gate 3) after research establishes context.
However, research agents dispatched by this skill (e.g., ring:framework-docs-researcher) MUST use WebSearch and Context7 to gather current best practices.
Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report
Condition
Action
Severity
Research mode cannot be determined
STOP and ask user for clarification
CRITICAL
All 4 research agents failed to return results
STOP and investigate connectivity/availability
CRITICAL
No docs/solutions/ directory exists to search
Continue but document as limitation
MEDIUM
TopologyConfig provided but invalid
STOP and request valid topology
HIGH
research.md cannot be created (permissions)
STOP and report filesystem error
CRITICAL
Cannot Be Overridden
These requirements are NON-NEGOTIABLE:
MUST dispatch all 4 research agents in parallel
MUST determine research mode BEFORE dispatching agents
MUST include product/UX research via ring:product-designer
MUST aggregate findings into research.md with file:line references
MUST search docs/solutions/ for prior solutions
MUST document tech stack versions from manifests
CANNOT skip synthesis section
Severity Calibration
Severity
Definition
Example
CRITICAL
Research cannot proceed
All research agents failed, no mode determined
HIGH
Research incomplete but usable
Missing agent output (1 of 4)
MEDIUM
Research quality degraded
No file:line references in codebase research
LOW
Minor gaps in documentation
Missing one external URL reference
Pressure Resistance
User Says
Your Response
"Skip research, just write the PRD"
"Cannot proceed. Research prevents reinventing existing patterns. Gate 0 takes 30 minutes, saves hours of rework."
"We already researched this manually"
"Cannot skip automated research. Manual research may miss codebase patterns. I'll run systematic analysis now."
