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codebase-overview skill

/plugin/skills/codebase-overview

This skill gives you a concise project overview including architecture, tech stack, and patterns to accelerate onboarding.

npx playbooks add skill lis186/sourceatlas --skill codebase-overview

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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---
name: codebase-overview
description: Quickly understand a new codebase's architecture, tech stack, and patterns. Use when user asks "what is this project", "project overview", "how is this codebase structured", "what tech stack", or when onboarding to a new codebase.
---

# Codebase Overview

## When to Use

Trigger this skill when the user:
- Asks about project structure or architecture
- Is new to a codebase and needs orientation
- Wants to understand tech stack or patterns used
- Asks "what is this project about"
- Asks "how is this organized"

## Instructions

1. Run `/sourceatlas:overview` to analyze the codebase
2. This scans <5% of high-entropy files (configs, READMEs, models)
3. Returns project fingerprint, architecture hypotheses, and AI collaboration level

## What User Gets

- Project type and scale
- Tech stack identification
- Architecture patterns with confidence levels
- Code quality signals
- Recommended next steps

## Example Triggers

- "I just joined this project, where do I start?"
- "What's the architecture of this codebase?"
- "Give me an overview of this project"
- "What tech stack does this use?"

Overview

This skill quickly orients you to a new codebase by summarizing its architecture, tech stack, and common patterns. It is optimized for fast, high-value scans that highlight project type, scale, and key files to inspect next. Use it to get confident context before diving into code changes or onboarding conversations.

How this skill works

Run the overview scan which inspects a focused sample of high-entropy files (configs, READMEs, CI, and top-level scripts) to build a project fingerprint and hypotheses. The skill returns identified technologies, likely architecture patterns with confidence levels, and code quality signals along with suggested next steps for deeper exploration.

When to use it

  • Joining a new project and needing a quick orientation
  • Asking 'what is this project' or 'how is this organized'
  • Evaluating the tech stack before making changes
  • Preparing for an architecture or design discussion
  • Deciding where to start for bug fixes or features

Best practices

  • Run the overview before opening large diffs or writing new modules
  • Use the confidence levels to prioritize manual verification
  • Follow suggested next-step files to gain detailed context
  • Combine with targeted searches (tests, entrypoints, CI) for deeper validation
  • Share the generated summary with teammates to align onboarding

Example use cases

  • New hire asks, 'Where do I start in this repo?' and receives a ranked list of entry files and modules
  • Reviewer wants a quick tech-stack summary to decide required dependencies or build tools
  • Architect needs a snapshot of inferred patterns (monolith vs. microservices) and areas of technical debt
  • PM requests a one-page overview of project scope, scale, and primary languages
  • Developer checks code quality signals and recommended tests to run before submitting a PR

FAQ

How accurate are the architecture hypotheses?

Hypotheses are based on a focused sample and file signals; they include confidence levels and should be verified against core entrypoints and runtime config.

Which files does the scan inspect?

The scan targets high-entropy files such as README, package/config files, CI, Dockerfiles, and top-level scripts to produce a high-impact summary.