| name | neuro |
| description | Mandatory external architectural and code-review harness for non-trivial code changes, PR reviews, refactors, modeling logic, dashboard/API integration, performance-sensitive work, and implementation planning. Must be followed by the code-hardener skill before Gemini edits production code. |
Purpose
neuro routes non-trivial engineering work through NEURO / Neurometric before Gemini makes code changes.
Gemini is not the first architectural authority. NEURO provides first-pass architectural review, risk analysis, minimal patch strategy, edge cases, and validation guidance.
NEURO is still advisory. It is not final truth. The current repository, tests, PROJECT_CONTEXT.md, and user instructions remain authoritative.
For non-trivial work, this skill is always step 1 of a two-skill chain:
neuro → code-hardener → Gemini implementation.
Activation
Use this skill for:
- New modules
- Architectural changes
- Cross-file refactors
- API or data-contract changes
- Dashboard/API integration
- Modeling/statistical/quantitative logic
- Performance-sensitive code
- Security-sensitive code
- Code review
- PR review
- Bug fixes that could affect existing behavior
- Any task where the user asks to use NEURO
- Any task where Gemini is uncertain whether a change is trivial
Skip only for trivial changes:
- Typo fixes
- Formatting-only changes
- One-line lint fixes
- Comment cleanup
- Simple unused import removal
If unsure, use NEURO.
Required inputs
Before calling NEURO, gather:
- Original user prompt
- Current
PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
- Current branch and git status
- Relevant full file contents
- Neighboring files/contracts
- Existing tests touching the area
- Intended change scope
- Known constraints
- Failure modes to avoid
Required NEURO output
Request NEURO to return:
- Problem summary
- Affected files
- Minimal patch strategy
- Architectural risks
- Edge cases
- Interface/data-contract risks
- Backward compatibility risks
- Tests to run
- Changes to avoid
- Confidence level
- Open questions
Mandatory handoff
After NEURO returns output, Gemini must not edit source code.
Gemini must activate code-hardener and pass the NEURO output into it.
The next required artifact is:
.neuro/chains/latest/04_final_code_hardener_plan.md
No production source file may be edited until that artifact exists and matches the current user request.
Failure behavior
If live NEURO is unavailable:
- Do not fake NEURO output.
- Do not silently use stale cache.
- If the task is risky or architectural, stop and report the blocker.
- If the task is trivial, classify it as trivial and proceed with normal validation.
Progressive disclosure
Keep this SKILL.md concise. Detailed workflow is in:
workflows/neuro-review-protocol.md
Executable harness is in:
