home / skills / jmagly / aiwg / repo-analyzer
/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/extensions/github/skills/repo-analyzer
This skill analyzes GitHub repositories to assess structure, docs quality, and contribution patterns for quick health insights and improvement guidance.
npx playbooks add skill jmagly/aiwg --skill repo-analyzerReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: repo-analyzer
description: Analyze GitHub repositories for structure, documentation, dependencies, and contribution patterns. Use for codebase understanding and health assessment.
tools: Read, Write, Bash, Glob, Grep
---
# Repository Analyzer Skill
## Purpose
Single responsibility: Analyze GitHub repository structure, documentation quality, and contribution patterns for codebase understanding. (BP-4)
## Grounding Checkpoint (Archetype 1 Mitigation)
Before executing, VERIFY:
- [ ] gh CLI is installed and authenticated
- [ ] Repository URL or local clone exists
- [ ] Access permissions verified (public or authenticated)
- [ ] Analysis scope defined (structure, docs, deps, or all)
**DO NOT analyze without confirming repository access.**
## Uncertainty Escalation (Archetype 2 Mitigation)
ASK USER instead of guessing when:
- Multiple repositories to analyze - which first?
- Private repo requires different auth
- Analysis depth unclear (quick vs deep)
- Specific aspects to focus on
**NEVER scrape repository data without user intent.**
## Context Scope (Archetype 3 Mitigation)
| Context Type | Included | Excluded |
|--------------|----------|----------|
| RELEVANT | Repo structure, README, package files | Source code details |
| PERIPHERAL | Contribution stats, issue patterns | PR content |
| DISTRACTOR | Fork network | Unrelated repos |
## Workflow Steps
### Step 1: Verify Access (Grounding)
```bash
# Check gh CLI
gh --version
# Verify authentication
gh auth status
# Check repo access
gh repo view <owner>/<repo> --json name,description,visibility
```
### Step 2: Analyze Structure
```bash
# Repository overview
gh repo view <owner>/<repo> --json name,description,defaultBranch,languages,topics
# Directory structure
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contents | jq '.[].name'
# Key files present
for file in README.md LICENSE CONTRIBUTING.md .github/workflows; do
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contents/$file 2>/dev/null && echo "✅ $file" || echo "❌ $file missing"
done
```
### Step 3: Documentation Analysis
```bash
# README content and quality
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/readme | jq -r '.content' | base64 -d | head -100
# Check for docs directory
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contents/docs 2>/dev/null | jq '.[].name'
# Contributing guide
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contents/CONTRIBUTING.md 2>/dev/null
```
### Step 4: Dependency Analysis
```bash
# Package files
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contents/package.json 2>/dev/null | jq -r '.content' | base64 -d | jq '.dependencies'
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contents/requirements.txt 2>/dev/null | jq -r '.content' | base64 -d
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contents/go.mod 2>/dev/null
# Dependency graph (if available)
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/dependency-graph/sbom 2>/dev/null | head -50
```
### Step 5: Contribution Analysis
```bash
# Contributors
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/contributors --jq '.[0:10] | .[] | "\(.login): \(.contributions) commits"'
# Recent activity
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo>/commits --jq '.[0:5] | .[] | "\(.commit.author.date): \(.commit.message | split("\n")[0])"'
# Issue/PR stats
gh api repos/<owner>/<repo> --jq '{issues: .open_issues_count, forks: .forks_count, stars: .stargazers_count}'
```
## Recovery Protocol (Archetype 4 Mitigation)
On error:
1. **PAUSE** - Note what data was collected
2. **DIAGNOSE** - Check error type:
- `404` → Check repo name, visibility
- `401` → Re-authenticate with gh auth login
- `403` → Check rate limits or permissions
- `API error` → Fall back to local clone analysis
3. **ADAPT** - Use alternative data sources
4. **RETRY** - With different approach (max 3 attempts)
5. **ESCALATE** - Report partial analysis
## Checkpoint Support
State saved to: `.aiwg/working/checkpoints/repo-analyzer/`
```
checkpoints/repo-analyzer/
├── structure.json # Directory structure
├── documentation.json # Docs assessment
├── dependencies.json # Dependency analysis
├── contributions.json # Contributor stats
└── health_report.md # Overall health
```
## Output Format
```markdown
# Repository Analysis: <owner>/<repo>
## Overview
- **Name**: repository-name
- **Description**: Short description
- **Language**: TypeScript (85%), JavaScript (15%)
- **Stars**: 1,234 | Forks: 156 | Issues: 23
## Structure Assessment
- [x] README.md (comprehensive)
- [x] LICENSE (MIT)
- [ ] CONTRIBUTING.md (missing)
- [x] .github/workflows (3 workflows)
## Documentation Quality: 7/10
- Clear installation instructions
- API documentation present
- Missing: troubleshooting guide
## Dependency Health
- Total: 45 dependencies
- Outdated: 8
- Vulnerabilities: 0
## Activity Level: Active
- Last commit: 2 days ago
- Contributors: 12
- Monthly commits: ~45
## Recommendations
1. Add CONTRIBUTING.md guide
2. Update 8 outdated dependencies
3. Add troubleshooting section to docs
```
## Common Analysis Queries
| Query | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| `gh repo view` | Basic info |
| `gh api /repos/{}/languages` | Language breakdown |
| `gh api /repos/{}/contributors` | Contributor list |
| `gh api /repos/{}/commits` | Recent commits |
| `gh api /repos/{}/releases` | Release history |
| `gh api /repos/{}/pulls` | Open PRs |
## References
- GitHub CLI: https://cli.github.com/
- GitHub API: https://docs.github.com/en/rest
- REF-001: Production-Grade Agentic Workflows (BP-4)
- REF-002: LLM Failure Modes (Archetype 1 grounding)
This skill analyzes GitHub repositories to produce a concise health assessment focused on structure, documentation, dependencies, and contribution patterns. It is designed for fast codebase understanding and practical recommendations to improve maintainability and onboarding. Use it to get a prioritized view of repository quality without diving into source-level details.
The analyzer verifies access and then inspects repository metadata, key files (README, LICENSE, CONTRIBUTING, .github/workflows), and directory layout. It extracts documentation quality cues, dependency manifests (package.json, go.mod, requirements.txt), and contributor/activity metrics via the GitHub API or gh CLI. Results are compiled into a structured health report with findings, scores, and actionable recommendations.
Do you analyze private repositories?
Yes, but you must confirm authentication and access; the analyzer will pause and ask for credentials or confirmation if access is restricted.
Can this run without the gh CLI?
It can use direct GitHub API calls as an alternative, but gh CLI is recommended for convenience and consistent auth handling.