onboard

name	onboard
description	Use at the start of a session on an existing project, when joining a project, or the user says "catch me up", "what do I need to know", or "onboard me"

Onboard to Project

Pull institutional knowledge from EC to get context on an existing project.

Announce: "I'm using the onboard skill to pull project context from EC."

The Flow

Verify EC → Load Config → Pull Memories → Summarize → Ready

Step 1: Verify EC Connection

ec_search: test connection

If EC unavailable: Stop. Cannot onboard without EC.

Step 2: Load Project Configuration

ec_search: project config

Extract:

• Test command
• Lint command
• Build command
• Branch convention

If no config found:

"This project hasn't been initialized for cogitation. Want me to set it up?"

If yes → Use @cog-init

Step 3: Pull All Memories

Search each memory type:

ec_search: type:decision
ec_search: type:learning
ec_search: type:pattern

Step 3.5: Graphify Structural Recon (STRICT when enabled)

Read .cogitation/config.json. If graphify.enabled is true, structural recon is REQUIRED — do not skip it.

1. Ensure a graph exists (the AST build needs no model, no API key):

   test -f graphify-out/graph.json || graphify update .
   

2. Orient on structure:

   graphify query "What are the main components and how do they connect?" --budget 800
   

3. For specific symbols later, use graphify query "..." / graphify explain "<symbol>".

The two sources are complementary: EC = decisions/gotchas/patterns; graphify = code structure/call-graph. Fold both into the briefing. If graphify.enabled is absent or false, skip this step entirely.

Step 4: Categorize and Summarize

Organize findings by area:

Architectural Decisions

List decisions with their rationale. Group by component/area.

Learnings (Gotchas & Workarounds)

List discovered issues and their solutions. Highlight anything that would be costly to rediscover.

Patterns (Conventions)

List established patterns and conventions specific to this project.

Step 5: Present Summary

Format as a briefing:

Project Context Loaded

Configuration:

• Test: <command>
• Lint: <command>
• Build: <command>

Key Decisions (N):

• [Area]: [Decision summary]
• ...

Gotchas to Know (N):

• [Area]: [Learning summary]
• ...

Conventions (N):

• [Pattern summary]
• ...

Ready to work. What would you like to do?

Step 6: Offer Next Steps

{
  "questions": [{
    "question": "What would you like to do?",
    "header": "Next",
    "options": [
      { "label": "Start a feature", "description": "Use @brainstorming" },
      { "label": "Fix a bug", "description": "Use @debugging" },
      { "label": "Review memories", "description": "Use @audit" },
      { "label": "Just exploring", "description": "I'll ask when ready" }
    ],
    "multiSelect": false
  }]
}

When to Use

• New session - At start of conversation to load context
• After break - Returning to project after time away
• New team member - Onboarding someone unfamiliar with decisions
• Context refresh - When you need to remember what was decided

What Makes Good Onboarding

Do	Don't
Summarize, don't dump	List every memory verbatim
Highlight gotchas prominently	Bury important warnings
Group by area/component	Random ordering
Note what's missing	Assume completeness