repo-onboarding-architect

name	repo-onboarding-architect
description	Map unfamiliar repositories by identifying architecture, entry points, setup commands, environment variables, build and test workflows, ownership clues, and common traps. Use when entering a new codebase, preparing onboarding notes, or before making changes in an unfamiliar repo.

Repo Onboarding Architect

Overview

Build a fast mental model of a repo before implementation work begins.

Core Workflow

1. Inventory the surface area. Check root files, package managers, workspace structure, CI, container files, infra folders, scripts, and docs.
2. Trace execution paths. Identify app entry points, background jobs, tests, CLI commands, and local development bootstraps.
3. Extract operating commands. Capture install, dev, test, lint, build, seed, migrate, and release commands from source artifacts.
4. Map configuration. Note .env files, examples, config loaders, feature flags, secrets references, and service dependencies.
5. Flag traps early. Call out generated code, required external services, monorepo boundaries, flaky tests, migration order, or platform-specific setup.

Deliver

• Summarize the architecture in plain language.
• List the most important directories, services, and entry points.
• Provide copy-ready setup and verification commands when they are confirmed in the repo.
• Separate confirmed facts from reasonable inferences.

Guardrails

• Cite file paths for important claims.
• Prefer a minimal, high-signal onboarding brief over a file-by-file dump.
• Ask a blocking follow-up question only when the required artifact or goal is missing.