| name | impact-analysis |
| description | Assess change risk before modifying a function. Maps blast radius, surfaces hidden dependencies, community cohesion, and unexpected cross-module connections. |
| argument-hint | <function name or node_id> |
| allowed-tools | ["mcp__loom__search_code","mcp__loom__get_context","mcp__loom__get_blast_radius","mcp__loom__get_neighbors","mcp__loom__get_community","mcp__loom__shortest_path","mcp__loom__get_surprising_connections","mcp__loom__god_nodes","mcp__loom__suggest_questions","Read"] |
Impact Analysis
Map the blast radius of a proposed change before touching any code.
Steps
1. Find the target node
search_code("<function name or user argument>")
Pick the most relevant result and copy its node_id.
2. Get full context
get_context("<node_id>")
Read: summary, signature, direct callers, direct callees. Note if summary_stale: true.
3. Blast radius (transitive callers)
get_blast_radius("<node_id>", depth=3)
Depth 3 covers most real-world chains. If result is large (>50 nodes), note which modules appear most.
4. Direct callers (one-hop)
get_context("<node_id>", callees_limit=0)
Returns the immediate dependents — the minimum surface area affected.
5. Surprising connections
get_surprising_connections(limit=10)
Look for entries that involve the target node or its module. These are the hidden risks engineers miss.
6. Community cohesion
graph_stats(include_cohesion=True)
Find the target's community. If cohesion < 0.2, the cluster is poorly bounded and changes propagate unexpectedly.
7. God node check
god_nodes(limit=20)
If the target appears in top 20, it has many callers — high risk, needs extra care.
8. Synthesize risk report
Report to the user:
Target: node_id, what it does (summary), signature
Direct impact:
- N direct callers (list them)
- N direct callees (what it depends on)
Transitive impact:
- Total blast radius: N nodes across M modules
- Heaviest-hit modules: list top 3
Hidden risks:
- Surprising connections involving target or its module
- Community cohesion score
- Whether it's a god node (top 20 most-called)
Risk level: Low / Medium / High / Critical
Recommendation:
- Safe to change with existing tests
- Needs new tests for specific callers
- Needs coordination across teams/modules
- Consider interface-preserving refactor first
9. Trace hidden paths if needed
When two distant modules both appear in blast radius:
shortest_path("<module_a_entry>", "<module_b_entry>")
Reveals the hidden chain connecting them.
