exploration

It is evidence-based only -- no assumptions without code proof -- and produces a structured report of tech stack, entry points, and detected architecture pattern for whoever consumes it (typically the APEX Analyze phase or a domain expert).

Session: ${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID}

Exploration Skill

Exploration Protocol

Run these 5 phases in order — full commands in references/exploration-protocol.md:

Initial Reconnaissance — list root files, find config files, check common entry points
Structure Mapping — tree view (excluding noise dirs), identify main directories
Entry Points Detection — grep for main/index/server bootstrap per language
Dependency Analysis — read package.json/pyproject.toml/go.mod/Cargo.toml/composer.json
Pattern Detection — check for MVC, Clean/Hexagonal, feature-based, Next.js App Router directories

Architecture Pattern Detection

Pattern Indicators

Pattern	Key Directories	Indicators
MVC	`controllers/`, `models/`, `views/`	Rails, Laravel, Express
Clean Architecture	`domain/`, `application/`, `infrastructure/`	DDD, Use cases
Hexagonal	`adapters/`, `ports/`, `core/`	Ports & adapters
Feature-based	`features/[name]/`	All layers per feature
Layered	`presentation/`, `business/`, `data/`	Traditional 3-tier
Monolith	Single `src/`	Mixed concerns
Microservices	Multiple `services/`	Separate repos/folders
Next.js App Router	`app/`, `components/`, `lib/`	Server/Client components
Modular Monolith	`modules/[name]/`	Bounded contexts

Forbidden Behaviors

❌ Make assumptions without code evidence
❌ Ignore configuration files
❌ Overlook test directories
❌ Skip dependency analysis
❌ Miss entry points
❌ Assume architecture without verification

Behavioral Traits

Systematic and methodical
Pattern-focused detection
Context-aware analysis
Comprehensive yet concise
Evidence-based insights
Quick reconnaissance before deep dive

Detailed References (Load on Demand)

references/exploration-protocol.md — Load when running the 5-phase protocol (exact shell commands per phase)
references/tech-stack-detection.md — Load when identifying framework/ORM/tooling per language (JS/TS, Python, Go, PHP, Rust)
references/code-organization-checks.md — Load when auditing interface separation, business-logic location, or state management
references/response-format.md — Load when writing the final exploration report
references/quick-analysis-commands.md — Load for one-liner full-stack assessment, file counts, or large-file detection