research-before-build

name	research-before-build
description	Research methods, libraries, and patterns BEFORE coding. Prevents building the wrong thing.
tags	["research","pre-build","methods","architecture"]
version	1.0.0

research-before-build

Research approach and methods BEFORE any code is written. Mandatory for Workshop Build stage.

When to use

• Idea reaches Build stage in Workshop
• New feature requires technology decision
• Agent asks "how should I build X?"
• Any task that touches unfamiliar code/APIs/libraries

Process

Step 1: What exists already? (zero tokens)

• Chart search: chart search "<topic>" — we may have built this before
• Repo search: check if OpenClaw upstream already has the feature
• ops.db: check if a previous task attempted this and what happened

Step 2: OpenClaw upstream check (zero tokens)

# What's in upstream we haven't pulled?
git fetch origin 2>/dev/null
git log --oneline origin/main..HEAD -- <relevant-path> | head -10
# Search upstream for the feature
git log --all --oneline --grep="<keyword>" | head -10

Step 3: Web research (free via Gemini)

Use web-search skill with targeted queries:

• "[library/API] best practices 2026"
• "[task type] Python implementation patterns"
• "[specific error or API] documentation"
• "OpenClaw [feature] how to"

Research questions to answer:

1. Does a library/tool already solve this? (Don't reinvent)
2. What are the common pitfalls?
3. What's the simplest implementation that works?
4. What will break if we do this wrong?

Step 4: Method recommendation (may cost tokens for synthesis)

Only call a model if Steps 1-3 produced conflicting or complex results that need synthesis.

Output Format

## Pre-Build Research: [Topic]
**Question**: [What we need to build]
**Existing solutions found**: [Libraries, upstream features, prior attempts]
**Recommended approach**: [Simplest path that works]
**Pitfalls to avoid**: [Common mistakes, from web research]
**Dependencies**: [What we need to install/configure]
**Estimated complexity**: [Trivial/Small/Medium/Large]
**Cost of research**: [Zero / Free web search / N tokens]

This research feeds into Workshop Shape

The findings populate Shape fields:

• capability_needed ← recommended approach
• risk ← pitfalls to avoid
• dependencies ← what's needed
• success_criteria ← how to verify it works