open-book-mode

name	open-book-mode
description	Use when starting implementation tasks and need to research dependencies and find reference implementations before writing any code

Open Book Mode

Overview

Research first, code second. Before writing any implementation code, research all dependencies via ctx7 and find real GitHub demos for every task. Never rely on memory or intuition for API usage.

Core principle: If you didn't find it in documentation and real code, you don't know it.

When to Use

• Starting any feature implementation
• Using libraries/frameworks you're not 100% familiar with
• Implementing patterns you haven't used in this codebase
• Any task that requires combining multiple technologies

Stop: Before writing any implementation code.

Workflow

digraph open_book {
    rankdir=LR;
    "Identify Tasks" -> "Subagent: ctx7 dependencies" -> "Subagent: GitHub search" -> "Document to docs/open-book/" -> "Generate SUMMARY.md" -> "Implement"
}

Step 1: Identify All Tasks

Break the implementation into discrete tasks. Each task = one functional unit that needs research.

Step 2: Research Dependencies

REQUIRED: Use subagent for ctx7 research to avoid context explosion. Use find-docs skill. Save results to docs/open-book/research-task-{n}-dep-{name}.md.

Step 3: GitHub Search per Task

REQUIRED: Use subagent for each task to avoid context explosion. Use mcp__grep__searchGitHub to find real implementations. Save results to docs/open-book/research-task-{n}-github-{name}.md.

Step 4: Document Scenarios

For each task, document:

• Wrong approach: What commonly goes wrong (with code examples)
• Right approach: Correct implementation pattern (with code examples)

Step 5: Generate Summary

Create docs/open-book/SUMMARY.md that references all research files with @filename links. Include:

• Each task's findings (wrong vs right)
• Key APIs and gotchas
• Reference links to source code

Only after research is complete and documented.

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right
"I know how to use this library"	Research every API call via ctx7
"I'll figure it out as I code"	Find GitHub demo first
"This task is simple, no research needed"	Every task needs at least one GitHub reference
Skipping ctx7 for well-known libraries	ctx7 even for React, Next.js, etc. (APIs change)
Implementing based on memory	Real code found in GitHub

Red Flags - STOP

• Writing code before research is complete
• "This should work" without verification
• Skipping GitHub search because "it's obvious"
• Implementing logic without finding a reference implementation
• Using APIs without reading current documentation

All of these mean: Research first, code second.

Quick Reference

1. Identify all tasks
2. Research dependencies in subagent → save to docs/open-book/research-task-{n}-dep-{name}.md
3. GitHub search in subagent → save to docs/open-book/research-task-{n}-github-{name}.md
4. Generate docs/open-book/SUMMARY.md referencing all files
5. Implement only after research complete

Output Format

After research, document:

## Task: [Name]

**ctx7 findings:**
- API: [specific API used]
- Gotcha: [common mistake]

**GitHub references:**
- [repo/path]: [what it does]

**Wrong approach:**
```code that breaks

Right approach: