plain-talk-reportcard

name	plain-talk-reportcard
description	Codebase analysis with A-F grades explained in plain language for non-technical stakeholders. Self-contained iOS/Swift audit. Triggers: "plain talk report card", "stakeholder report", "non-technical audit".
version	3.0.0
author	Terry Nyberg
license	MIT
allowed-tools	["Glob","Grep","Read","Write","AskUserQuestion"]
metadata	{"tier":"analysis","category":"analysis"}

Plain-Talk Report Card Generator

YOU MUST EXECUTE THIS WORKFLOW. Do not just describe it.

Generate a codebase report card with A-F grades explained in plain, non-technical language for project managers, executives, or non-developer stakeholders.

All findings use the Issue Rating Table format. Include a brief plain-language explanation above the table so non-technical readers understand what the columns mean.

---

Step 1: Before Starting

Ask the user about analysis options:

AskUserQuestion with questions:
[
  {
    "question": "Should the analysis consider CLAUDE.md project instructions?",
    "header": "CLAUDE.md",
    "options": [
      {"label": "Yes, use CLAUDE.md (Recommended)", "description": "Include project context and team preferences"},
      {"label": "No, ignore CLAUDE.md", "description": "Fresh perspective without project-specific context"}
    ],
    "multiSelect": false
  },
  {
    "question": "What is your timeline?",
    "header": "Timeline",
    "options": [
      {"label": "Pre-release", "description": "Preparing for App Store — urgency matters"},
      {"label": "Post-release", "description": "App is live, ongoing improvement"},
      {"label": "Planning phase", "description": "Gathering info for roadmap"}
    ],
    "multiSelect": false
  },
  {
    "question": "Any areas to emphasize?",
    "header": "Focus",
    "options": [
      {"label": "Standard analysis (Recommended)", "description": "Cover all categories equally"},
      {"label": "Emphasize user experience", "description": "Focus on what users see and feel"},
      {"label": "Emphasize reliability", "description": "Focus on crashes, errors, data safety"},
      {"label": "Emphasize accessibility", "description": "Focus on usability for all users"}
    ],
    "multiSelect": false
  }
]

If "Yes" for CLAUDE.md: Read CLAUDE.md and summarize in 2-3 non-technical bullets.

If "No": Skip CLAUDE.md. Note in the report that it was intentionally excluded.

Freshness

Base all findings on current source code only. Do not read or reference files in .agents/, scratch/, or prior audit reports. Ignore cached findings from auto-memory or previous sessions. Every finding must come from scanning the actual codebase as it exists now.

Exception: Reading a previous report's grades only for trend comparison is allowed in Step 2.

---

Step 2: Trend Check

Check for a previous report to show improvement over time:

Glob pattern=".agents/research/*-plain-reportcard.md"

If found, read ONLY the grade summary line from the most recent report. Do not read or reuse any findings.

---

Step 3: Understand the App

Before scanning for issues, understand what this app does:

1. What is it? — Read the app entry point and 2-3 key views to understand the purpose
2. Who uses it? — Consumer app, business tool, utility, game?
3. How big is it? — File count, approximate lines of code
4. Key features — List 3-5 main things users do in the app

This context shapes how findings are explained in plain language.

---

Step 4: Automated Scans

Run all grep patterns below. Every finding MUST be verified by reading the flagged file before reporting — see Step 5.

4.1 User Experience

# Loading states — does the app show feedback during waits?
Grep pattern="ProgressView|\.loading|isLoading" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="files_with_matches"

# Error handling — does the app show friendly error messages?
Grep pattern="(alert|errorMessage|showError)" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="files_with_matches"

# Empty states — what happens when there's no data?
Grep pattern="(emptyState|EmptyView|ContentUnavailableView|noItems)" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="files_with_matches"

# View complexity — large views may indicate poor UX structure
# Read flagged files and check if view body exceeds ~80 lines
Grep pattern="var body.*some View" glob="**/*View*.swift" output_mode="files_with_matches"

4.2 Reliability

# Force casts — can cause crashes if data is unexpected
# FALSE POSITIVE: as! after guard let or is check is already validated
Grep pattern="as!" glob="**/*.swift"

# Bare try? — silently ignores errors that users should know about
# FALSE POSITIVE: try? where nil is the expected/designed fallback
# INTENTIONAL: try? for operations where failure is acceptable (e.g., deleting a file that may not exist)
Grep pattern="try\?" glob="**/*.swift"

# Error handling coverage
Grep pattern="catch\s*\{" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="files_with_matches"

# Data backup/sync support
Grep pattern="(CloudKit|iCloud|backup|BackupManager)" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="files_with_matches"

4.3 Accessibility

# Fixed font sizes — breaks system text size preferences
# INTENTIONAL: some hardcoded sizes prevent clipping in constrained containers (e.g., badges, icons)
# Read each hit — classify as CONFIRMED (should migrate) or INTENTIONAL (constrained layout)
Grep pattern="\.font\(\.system\(size:" glob="**/*.swift"

# Accessibility label coverage
Grep pattern="\.accessibilityLabel" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="count"

# Images needing descriptions for screen readers
# Read each — decorative images should use .accessibilityHidden(true)
Grep pattern="Image\(\"" glob="**/*.swift"
Grep pattern="Image\(systemName:" glob="**/*.swift"

# Testing support (accessibility identifiers)
Grep pattern="\.accessibilityIdentifier" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="count"

4.4 Security

# Hardcoded secrets — passwords/keys visible in code
Grep pattern="(api[_-]?key|apikey|secret[_-]?key|client[_-]?secret|password|token)\s*[:=]\s*[\"'][^\"']+[\"']" glob="**/*.swift" -i

# Sensitive data stored insecurely (should be in Keychain)
Grep pattern="(UserDefaults|@AppStorage).*\b(password|token|secret|apiKey|credential)" glob="**/*.swift" -i

# Unencrypted connections
# FALSE POSITIVE: http://localhost, XML namespaces
Grep pattern="http://" glob="**/*.swift"

# Secure storage usage (positive signal)
Grep pattern="(Keychain|SecItem|kSecClass)" glob="**/*.swift" output_mode="files_with_matches"

# Privacy manifest (required for App Store)
Glob pattern="**/PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy"

4.5 Performance

# @Query without predicate (loads all data when only some is needed)
# Read file to check if only .count is accessed (should use fetchCount)
# INTENTIONAL: views that genuinely need all records (e.g., main item list) are OK
Grep pattern="@Query\s+(private\s+)?var" glob="**/*.swift"

# Timer usage (potential battery drain)
Grep pattern="Timer\.(scheduledTimer|publish)" glob="**/*.swift"

# Continuous location tracking (high battery cost)
Grep pattern="startUpdatingLocation" glob="**/*.swift"

# Main thread file I/O (can freeze the app)
# FALSE POSITIVE: FileManager in async/background context is fine
Grep pattern="(FileManager|Data\(contentsOf|String\(contentsOf)" glob="**/*View*.swift"

4.6 Code Health

# Large files (>500 lines) — harder to maintain
Glob pattern="**/*.swift"
# After finding files, check line counts with: wc -l <file>

# TODO/FIXME markers — self-documented known work
# These are INTENTIONAL markers, not bugs. Count for code health grading
# but do not list individual TODOs as issues
Grep pattern="(TODO|FIXME|HACK|XXX):" glob="**/*.swift"

# Deprecated API usage
Grep pattern="@available.*deprecated" glob="**/*.swift"

# Legacy patterns that should be modernized
# CLASSIFY: animation delay vs state update vs layout workaround
Grep pattern="DispatchQueue\.main\.(async|sync)" glob="**/*.swift"

4.7 Testing

# Test file inventory
Glob pattern="**/*Tests.swift"
Glob pattern="**/*Test.swift"
Glob pattern="**/*UITests*.swift"

# Framework usage
Grep pattern="import Testing" glob="**/*Test*.swift" output_mode="count"
Grep pattern="import XCTest" glob="**/*Test*.swift" output_mode="count"

# Compare test count to source file count for coverage estimate

---

Step 5: Verification Rule (CRITICAL)

Grep patterns produce CANDIDATES, not confirmed issues. Before reporting ANY finding to a non-technical stakeholder:

1. Read the flagged file — at minimum 20 lines of context
2. Classify — CONFIRMED, FALSE_POSITIVE, or INTENTIONAL
3. Never report grep counts as issue counts — e.g., "150 crash-prone patterns" from matching ! is misleading; most ! characters are negations, not force unwraps
4. Only report confirmed issues — false positives are especially damaging for non-technical audiences who can't evaluate accuracy
5. INTENTIONAL hits — note them in the category summary as acknowledged design decisions (e.g., "Some hardcoded font sizes are intentional to prevent clipping"), but do NOT list them as issues in the Issue Rating Table

---

Step 6: Grading

Grade Scale (with plain-language meaning)

Grade	Technical	Plain Language
A	Excellent — best practices, minimal issues	Like a car that passed inspection with no issues
B	Good — solid, minor improvements needed	Runs well, a few minor things to tune up
C	Adequate — functional but gaps exist	Gets you there, but needs some attention
D	Poor — significant issues	Needs real work before it's dependable
F	Failing — critical problems	Not safe for daily use yet

Use +/- modifiers. Convert to points: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0 (±0.3 for +/-).

Categories

Category	Weight	What It Means	Why It Matters
User Experience	15%	How the app feels to use	Happy users, good reviews
Reliability	15%	Does the app crash or lose data?	Trust and retention
Accessibility	10%	Can everyone use it?	Wider audience, legal compliance
Security	15%	Is user data protected?	Trust, privacy laws
Performance	15%	Is the app fast and battery-friendly?	User satisfaction
Code Health	10%	Is the code easy to maintain?	Future features ship faster
Testing	15%	Is the app well-tested?	Fewer bugs reach users

Note to reader: "Weight" means how much this category affects the overall grade. Security (15%) matters more than Code Health (10%).

Overall Grade Calculation

Overall = (Experience × 0.15) + (Reliability × 0.15) + (Accessibility × 0.10)
        + (Security × 0.15) + (Performance × 0.15) + (Health × 0.10) + (Testing × 0.15)

Timeline Adjustment

• Pre-release: Double-weight Security and Reliability findings
• Post-release: Standard weights
• Planning: Double-weight Code Health and Testing findings

---

Step 7: Output Format

Write to .agents/research/YYYY-MM-DD-plain-reportcard.md.

1. Executive Summary (FIRST — 2-3 sentences)

The very first thing in the report. A non-technical reader should understand the app's health in 10 seconds.

Example:

This app is in good shape for release with strong security and reliability. The main gaps are accessibility (making it usable for everyone) and test coverage (automated checks that catch bugs before users see them). These improvements would strengthen the app significantly.

2. Key Questions Answered

Answer these directly — stakeholders will ask them:

**Is this app ready to ship?** [Yes / Yes with caveats / Not yet]
**What's the biggest risk?** [One sentence]
**What should we prioritize?** [Top 1-2 items]

3. CLAUDE.md Summary (if included)

2-3 non-technical bullet points. If excluded: "Project context was excluded per request."

4. Project Overview

App Size: Medium (~28,000 lines of code across 142 files)
Test Coverage: Partial (47 automated tests, 12 UI tests)

5. Grade Summary Line

Overall: B+ (Experience B+ | Reliability A- | Accessibility C+ | Security A | Performance B | Health B+ | Testing C+)

6. Trend Comparison (if previous report exists)

Progress Since Last Report (YYYY-MM-DD):
  User Experience: B → B+ (improved) | Accessibility: C → C+ (improved) | Security: A → A (maintained)

7. Per-Category Grades

For each category:

• Grade and plain-language one-liner ("What this means")
• What's working well — strengths in plain language
• What needs attention — confirmed findings only, explained simply

Example:

### User Experience: B+
**What this means:** The app is pleasant to use with room for minor polish.

**What's working well:**
- App responds quickly to taps and gestures
- Clean layout that's easy to navigate

**What needs attention:**
- Some screens don't show a loading indicator — users may think the app froze
- Error messages use technical jargon instead of helpful guidance

Do NOT use [HIGH]/[MED]/[LOW] tags in the per-category sections. Keep them plain language. The Issue Rating Table (below) handles prioritization.

8. Issue Rating Table

Include a plain-language introduction before the table:

Reading this table: Each row is something that needs attention. "Urgency" shows how soon to fix it. "Risk: No Fix" shows what happens if we don't. "ROI" shows whether the fix is worth the effort (🟠 = excellent value). "Fix Effort" shows roughly how big the job is.

Then render the full Issue Rating Table sorted by urgency descending, then ROI:

| # | Finding | Urgency | Risk: Fix | Risk: No Fix | ROI | Blast Radius | Fix Effort |
|---|---------|---------|-----------|-------------|-----|-------------|------------|
| 1 | ... | 🔴 Critical | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

Use the standard scale:

• Urgency: 🔴 CRITICAL · 🟡 HIGH · 🟢 MEDIUM · ⚪ LOW
• ROI: 🟠 Excellent · 🟢 Good · 🟡 Marginal · 🔴 Poor
• Fix Effort: Trivial / Small / Medium / Large

9. Recommended Next Steps

Group by timeline. Do NOT fabricate specific time estimates — use relative sizing (small/medium/large effort) unless you can estimate from actual code scope.

Immediate (Before Release):
- [Finding #1] — plain-language rationale

Soon (Next Few Weeks):
- [Finding #3] — plain-language rationale

Eventually (Backlog):
- [Finding #5] — plain-language rationale

---

Step 8: Follow-up

After presenting the report:

AskUserQuestion with questions:
[
  {
    "question": "What would you like to do next?",
    "header": "Next",
    "options": [
      {"label": "Fix critical issues now", "description": "Walk through each critical/high issue with fixes"},
      {"label": "Create an action plan", "description": "Generate a prioritized implementation plan"},
      {"label": "Report is sufficient", "description": "End here — report saved to .agents/research/"}
    ],
    "multiSelect": false
  }
]

If "Fix critical issues now": Walk through each 🔴/🟡 finding, show the problematic code, propose a fix, apply after user approval.

If "Create an action plan": Group findings into phases and present as a structured plan.

---

Plain Language Glossary

When these terms appear in code or scan results, translate them for the reader:

Technical Term	Plain Language
Accessibility	Making the app usable by everyone, including people with disabilities
API	The way the app talks to servers or other apps
Async/await	A way of doing things in the background without freezing the app
CI/CD	Automated systems that test and release the app
Concurrency	The app doing multiple things at once without getting confused
Crash	The app unexpectedly closes — user loses their place
Dynamic Type	Users can change text size in their phone settings
Force unwrap	Code that assumes data exists — crashes if it doesn't
Keychain	Apple's secure vault for storing passwords and secrets
Migration	Updating how data is stored when the app gets a new version
Privacy Manifest	A file Apple requires that declares what user data the app accesses
Retain cycle	A memory bug that slowly makes the app use more and more memory
SwiftData	Apple's system for saving data on the device
SwiftUI	Apple's modern toolkit for building app screens
UI test	An automated robot that taps through the app like a real user
Unit test	An automated check that verifies a small piece of the app works correctly
VoiceOver	Apple's built-in screen reader that speaks what's on screen for blind users
WCAG	International standards for making apps accessible to everyone

---

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Can't determine app purpose	Read the app entry point, main navigation, and 2-3 views
Too many grep hits to verify	Narrow the glob pattern to specific directories
Category has no findings	Grade A — note "No issues detected" and list what was scanned
Stakeholder wants technical detail	Point them to /tech-talk-reportcard for the developer version