prior-art-search

name	prior-art-search
description	Use when asked to find similar projects, existing tools, prior art, libraries, or whether something already exists before building.
metadata	{"short-description":"Multi-angle search for existing tools before building"}

Prior-Art Search

One search angle always misses things. Sweep several, then judge.

1) Sweep (parallel angles)

• By problem words: GitHub search on 2–3 phrasings of the problem, not the imagined solution name.
• By ecosystem: npm search / PyPI / crates for the domain keywords; registries surface things GitHub search ranks poorly.
• By neighbors: who depends on / is depended on by the closest known tool (gh api dependents, awesome-lists in the domain).
• By feature: search issues/discussions of the big incumbent (e.g. Playwright, ESLint) for people asking for this feature — links to third-party solutions cluster there.

2) Qualify each candidate

Per candidate, one row: stars, last commit date, open-issue responsiveness, license, and — most important — the exact overlap and the exact gap vs the idea. Install/run the top 2 candidates on a real example when feasible; READMEs oversell.

3) Conclude

• Adopt (which one, and the gap you accept), extend (fork/plugin point), or build (state what specifically nothing covers).
• List dead/abandoned lookalikes too, with why they died — that's design input, not noise.

Notes:

• Timebox: if 4 angles surface nothing close, say so and stop — absence of prior art after a real sweep is a valid, reportable result.