| name | initialise |
| description | Generate or update CLAUDE.md for a codebase the thorough way — discover architecture, workflows, and project-specific conventions, merge with existing AI-agent instruction files, and iterate with the user. Use this skill whenever the user invokes "/initialise", says "set up CLAUDE.md", "update the CLAUDE.md", "initialise this repo for Claude", or wants AI-agent onboarding docs written for a project. Prefer this over the built-in /init when the user asks for the fancy/thorough version. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
initialise
Analyze this codebase to generate or update CLAUDE.md for guiding AI coding agents.
Focus on discovering the essential knowledge that would help an AI agent be immediately productive in this codebase. Consider aspects like:
- The "big picture" architecture that requires reading multiple files to understand — major components, service boundaries, data flows, and the "why" behind structural decisions
- Critical developer workflows (builds, tests, debugging), especially commands that aren't obvious from file inspection alone
- Project-specific conventions and patterns that differ from common practices
- Integration points, external dependencies, and cross-component communication patterns
Source existing AI conventions from **/{.github/copilot-instructions.md,AGENT.md,AGENTS.md,GEMINI.md,.cursorrules,.windsurfrules,.clinerules,.cursor/rules/**,.windsurf/rules/**,.clinerules/**,README.md} (do one glob search).
Also if an llm-shared/ git submodule exists, read the README.md in that directory and act accordingly.
Guidelines
- If
CLAUDE.md exists, merge intelligently — preserve valuable content while updating outdated sections
- Write concise, actionable instructions (~20–50 lines) using markdown structure
- Include specific examples from the codebase when describing patterns
- Avoid generic advice ("write tests", "handle errors") — focus on THIS project's specific approaches
- Document only discoverable patterns, not aspirational practices
- Reference key files/directories that exemplify important patterns
Update CLAUDE.md for the user, then ask for feedback on any unclear or incomplete sections to iterate.
