serena-code-architecture

name	serena-code-architecture
description	Architectural analysis workflow using Serena symbols and Forgetful memory. Use when you say "analyze the architecture of this project", "map out the codebase structure", "trace dependencies for this component", "document the architecture", or "what components does this project have". Do NOT use to populate the knowledge base from scratch (use encode-repo-serena) or for symbol-edit guidance (use using-serena-symbols).
license	MIT
metadata	null
version	1.0.0

Architectural Analysis with Serena + Forgetful

This skill guides systematic architectural analysis using Serena's symbol-level understanding, with optional persistence to Forgetful's knowledge graph.

Triggers

Trigger Phrase	Operation
analyze the architecture of this project	Full 6-phase analysis workflow
map out the codebase structure	Phase 1-3 discovery and component mapping
trace dependencies for this component	Phase 4 dependency tracing
create architecture memories	Phase 5-6 memory and entity creation
what components does this project have	Phase 3 core component mapping

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When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Analyzing a new codebase before implementing changes
• Documenting existing architecture for a project
• Creating component entities and relationships in Forgetful
• Understanding dependencies and call hierarchies
• Building a knowledge graph from code structure

Use using-serena-symbols instead when:

• Quick symbol lookup without memory persistence
• Finding a specific class or method definition
• Tracing references for a single symbol

Analysis Workflow

Phase 1: Project Structure Discovery

Understand the high-level layout:

# Get directory structure
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__list_dir({
  "relative_path": ".",
  "recursive": false
})

# Identify key directories (src/, app/, lib/, etc.)
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__list_dir({
  "relative_path": "src",
  "recursive": true
})

Goal: Identify entry points, main modules, and organizational patterns.

Phase 2: Entry Point Analysis

Find the application entry points:

# Look for main/app files
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__search_for_pattern({
  "substring_pattern": "if __name__.*==.*__main__|def main\\(|app\\s*=\\s*FastAPI|createApp",
  "restrict_search_to_code_files": true
})

# Get symbols from entry file
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__get_symbols_overview({
  "relative_path": "src/main.py",
  "depth": 1
})

Phase 3: Core Component Mapping

Identify and analyze major components:

# Find all service/controller/model classes
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__find_symbol({
  "name_path_pattern": "Service",
  "substring_matching": true,
  "include_kinds": [5],  # Class only
  "depth": 1
})

# For each major component, get full structure
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__find_symbol({
  "name_path_pattern": "AuthService",
  "include_body": false,
  "depth": 1  # Get methods
})

Phase 4: Dependency Tracing

Understand how components connect:

# Find who uses AuthService
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__find_referencing_symbols({
  "name_path": "AuthService",
  "relative_path": "src/services/auth.py"
})

# Find what AuthService depends on
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__find_symbol({
  "name_path_pattern": "AuthService/__init__",
  "include_body": true
})

Phase 5: Create Architectural Memories (Optional)

Store findings in Forgetful:

# First, find/create the project
execute_forgetful_tool("list_projects", {"repo_name": "owner/repo"})

# Create memory for architectural insight
execute_forgetful_tool("create_memory", {
  "title": "AuthService: Core authentication component",
  "content": "AuthService handles JWT validation, user sessions, and OAuth flows. Dependencies: UserRepository, TokenService, CacheService. Used by: all API endpoints via middleware.",
  "context": "Discovered during architectural analysis",
  "keywords": ["auth", "jwt", "service", "architecture"],
  "tags": ["architecture", "component"],
  "importance": 8,
  "project_ids": [PROJECT_ID]
})

Phase 6: Entity Graph Creation (Optional)

Create entities for major components:

# Check if entity exists first
execute_forgetful_tool("search_entities", {"query": "AuthService"})

# Create component entity
execute_forgetful_tool("create_entity", {
  "name": "AuthService",
  "entity_type": "other",
  "custom_type": "Service",
  "notes": "Core authentication service - JWT, OAuth, sessions",
  "tags": ["service", "auth"],
  "project_ids": [PROJECT_ID]
})

# Create relationships
execute_forgetful_tool("create_entity_relationship", {
  "source_entity_id": AUTH_SERVICE_ID,
  "target_entity_id": USER_REPO_ID,
  "relationship_type": "depends_on",
  "strength": 0.9
})

# Link entity to memories
execute_forgetful_tool("link_entity_to_memory", {
  "entity_id": AUTH_SERVICE_ID,
  "memory_id": ARCH_MEMORY_ID
})

Relationship Types

Standard relationship types for architecture:

Type	Use For
uses	General usage (A uses B)
depends_on	Dependency (A requires B)
calls	Direct function/method calls
extends	Class inheritance
implements	Interface implementation
connects_to	External connections (DB, API)
contains	Composition (A contains B)

Entity Types for Architecture

Type	Use For
Service	Business logic services
Repository	Data access layer
Controller	Request handlers
Middleware	Request/response processing
Model	Data models/entities
Library	External dependencies
Framework	Framework components

Example: FastAPI Project Analysis

# 1. Find routers
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__search_for_pattern({
  "substring_pattern": "APIRouter\\(\\)|router\\s*=",
  "restrict_search_to_code_files": true
})

# 2. Analyze router structure
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__get_symbols_overview({
  "relative_path": "src/routers/users.py",
  "depth": 1
})

# 3. Find dependency injection
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__search_for_pattern({
  "substring_pattern": "Depends\\(",
  "restrict_search_to_code_files": true,
  "context_lines_before": 1,
  "context_lines_after": 1
})

# 4. Trace service dependencies
mcp__plugin_serena_serena__find_referencing_symbols({
  "name_path": "get_current_user",
  "relative_path": "src/dependencies/auth.py"
})

# 5. Create architecture memory
execute_forgetful_tool("create_memory", {
  "title": "FastAPI app structure: Routers + Dependencies",
  "content": "App uses router-based organization with dependency injection. Routers: /users, /auth, /products. Dependencies: get_current_user, get_db. All routes require auth except /auth/login.",
  "context": "FastAPI architecture analysis",
  "keywords": ["fastapi", "router", "dependency-injection"],
  "tags": ["architecture", "pattern"],
  "importance": 8,
  "project_ids": [PROJECT_ID]
})

Analysis Checklist

• Directory structure mapped
• Entry points identified
• Major components catalogued
• Dependencies traced
• External connections documented
• Key patterns identified
• Memories created for insights
• Entities created for components (if applicable)
• Relationships mapped (if applicable)

Anti-Patterns

Avoid	Why	Instead
Analyzing every class as a component	Creates noise in entity graph	Focus on major architectural components only
Reading full source before overview	Wastes tokens on unneeded code	Start with get_symbols_overview, read selectively
Creating entities without memories	Entities lack context without linked knowledge	Create memory first, then entity, then link them
Skipping dependency tracing	Misses critical coupling relationships	Always run Phase 4 for components you create entities for
Documenting WHAT without WHY	Memories become stale quickly	Focus memories on rationale and trade-offs

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Verification

After architectural analysis:

• Directory structure mapped (Phase 1)
• Entry points identified (Phase 2)
• Major components catalogued (Phase 3)
• Dependencies traced for key components (Phase 4)
• Memories created with importance 7+ for insights
• Entities linked to corresponding memories

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Tips

1. Work incrementally - Don't try to analyze everything at once
2. Focus on interfaces - Public methods/APIs matter more than internals
3. Document decisions - Create memories for WHY, not just WHAT
4. Use entities sparingly - Only major components, not every class
5. Link across projects - Architecture patterns often apply elsewhere