search-first

name	search-first
description	Research-before-coding workflow for codex-max. Check the repo, installed skills, libraries, and existing patterns before building custom code or adding dependencies.
risk	safe
source	ECC-adapted
origin	ECC
date_added	2026-04-19

Search First

Overview

Use search-first before writing net-new helpers, abstractions, or dependency-driven integrations. The goal is to reduce duplication, avoid unnecessary packages, and anchor decisions in evidence.

In this workspace, search-first is repo-first and evidence-first:

1. Search the current repository for an existing implementation.
2. Search the installed curated skill surface.
3. Check package ecosystems or MCP capabilities if the problem likely already has a maintained solution.
4. Decide whether to adopt, wrap, compose, or build custom code.

Use when

• Starting a feature that may already have an internal implementation
• Adding a dependency or integration
• Creating a new utility, helper, adapter, or abstraction
• Choosing between custom code and an existing library
• Looking for an existing pattern before refactoring

Repo-first workflow

Step 1 — Search the current repository

Gather evidence from the codebase first:

• Find similar files, functions, utilities, or tests
• Check whether an adjacent repo or existing module already solves the problem
• Check whether the skill surface already has a workflow for the task

Step 2 — Evaluate existing options

When a candidate exists, decide using this order:

1. Adopt — use the existing implementation as-is
2. Wrap — add a thin integration layer around it
3. Compose — combine a small number of existing components
4. Build — write custom code only when the above are inadequate

Step 3 — Document the choice

Before implementation, state briefly:

• what was searched
• what was found
• why the chosen path is appropriate

Output contract

When this skill is used, the analysis should produce:

• Need — what functionality is required
• Existing repo findings — what already exists locally
• External candidates — packages, MCPs, skills, or references if relevant
• Decision — adopt / wrap / compose / build

Constraints for this workspace

• Prefer repo-local evidence before external package search
• Prefer small, reviewable solutions over dependency bloat
• If network or external discovery is unavailable, use local evidence and say so explicitly
• Do not add a package until the repo has been checked for an equivalent solution

Related skills

• documentation-lookup — use when the decision depends on current library or framework behavior
• gateguard — use to force fact gathering before risky Bash or edit actions
• task-router-lite — routes into search-first when dependency or utility choice is the main decision