Code Necromancer

Tagline: Raise dead codebases from the grave

Systematic framework for understanding, resurrecting, and modernizing legacy codebases.

When to Activate

✅ Use when:

• Inheriting a codebase with 5+ repos and no documentation
• Resurrecting a product dormant for 2+ years
• Joining a company with significant technical debt and tribal knowledge loss
• Performing due diligence on acquired codebases
• Modernizing legacy systems without breaking existing functionality

❌ NOT for:

• Greenfield projects (start fresh instead)
• Well-documented active codebases
• Simple bug fixes in maintained systems

The Three Phases

Phase 1: ARCHAEOLOGY

Objective: Create a complete map before touching anything.

repo-inventory.json

dependency-graph.mmd

architecture-diagram.mmd

tech-stack-matrix.md

maturity-assessment.md

missing-pieces.md

Process: Inventory → Deep Scan → Cross-Reference → Visualize → Assess

→ See

references/archaeology-guide.md

Phase 2: RESURRECTION

Objective: Get the system running in development.

dependency-audit.md

environment-variables.md

secrets-needed.md

infrastructure-status.md

resurrection-blockers.md

integration-tests/

Process: Audit Dependencies → Map Environment → Check Infrastructure → Write Tests → Document Blockers

→ See

references/integration-test-patterns.md

Phase 3: REJUVENATION

Objective: Modernize while maintaining feature parity.

security-recommendations.md

modernization-roadmap.md

architecture-improvements.md

Process: Security First → Infrastructure (containerize, CI/CD) → Code Quality → Architecture

Key Commands

# List all repos in org
gh repo list ORG --limit 1000 --json name,primaryLanguage,pushedAt

# Dependency analysis
npm audit && npm outdated      # Node.js
pip list --outdated && safety check  # Python
go mod graph                    # Go

# Find env vars in code
grep -rn 'process\.env\|os\.environ' --include="*.js" --include="*.py"

→ See

references/framework-detection.md

references/infrastructure-mapping.md

references/dependency-patterns.md

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

1. Premature Resurrection

What it looks like: Running

npm install

2. Scope Creep

What it looks like: "Let's also refactor while we're here" Why it's wrong: Scope explosion; never actually resurrect Fix: Strict phase separation; refactoring is Phase 3

3. Big Bang Updates

What it looks like: Update all dependencies in one commit Why it's wrong: Something breaks, no idea what Fix: Update incrementally; test after each

4. Ignoring Tests

What it looks like: "It runs, ship it" Why it's wrong: Regression city; no baseline for changes Fix: Write resurrection tests as you go; they prove progress

5. Undocumented Changes

What it looks like: "I fixed it but forgot what I changed" Why it's wrong: Tribal knowledge returns; next person is you in 6 months Fix: Document everything you learn and change

6. Trusting Old Documentation

What it looks like: Following README from 2019 Why it's wrong: APIs change, services get deprecated Fix: Verify every instruction; documentation lies

Success Metrics

Archaeology Complete When:

• All repos cataloged with metadata
• Dependency graph visualized
• Architecture diagram created
• Core vs peripheral repos identified
• Missing pieces documented

Resurrection Complete When:

• All services start locally
• Services can communicate with each other
• Integration tests pass
• At least one full user flow works

Rejuvenation Complete When:

• No critical security vulnerabilities
• All dependencies reasonably current
• CI/CD pipeline working
• Documentation current
• Team can develop new features

References

→

references/archaeology-guide.md

references/dependency-patterns.md

references/framework-detection.md

references/infrastructure-mapping.md

references/integration-test-patterns.md

Templates

→

templates/repo-inventory.json

templates/archaeology-report.md

templates/resurrection-plan.md

templates/rejuvenation-roadmap.md