Claude-skill-registry describe-codebase
Generate an onboarding-level summary of a codebase for new developers, including architecture, patterns, and key entry points
install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/data/describe-codebase" ~/.claude/skills/majiayu000-claude-skill-registry-describe-codebase && rm -rf "$T"
manifest:
skills/data/describe-codebase/SKILL.mdsource content
Describe Codebase
Generate an onboarding-level summary designed for a new developer joining the team.
Procedure
Phase 1 - Gather Information
- Map the overall architecture and core modules, explaining their purposes
- Identify and highlight code patterns, design paradigms (e.g., functional, event-driven, modular, object-oriented) and practices across the codebase
- Identify main dependencies relevant to further development
- Identify and explain commands that can be run to interact with the codebase
- Identify the main data flows, state management patterns, and functional dependencies
- Describe how security, configuration, and environment management are handled
- Outline major entry points (APIs, CLI, smart contracts, services) and their responsibilities
- Identify key abstractions, reusable utilities, and integration boundaries
- Point out any complex or critical paths that require extra caution
- Recommend areas of the code that a new developer should study first to become productive
Phase 2 - Generate Summary
Produce a comprehensive yet readable summary covering:
- Architecture Overview: High-level structure and module relationships
- Design Patterns: Patterns used throughout the codebase
- Key Dependencies: External libraries and their purposes
- Development Commands: How to build, test, and run the project
- Data Flow: How data moves through the system
- Configuration: Environment and configuration management
- Entry Points: Main APIs, CLI commands, or services
- Critical Paths: Areas requiring extra attention
- Getting Started: Recommended study path for new developers
Constraints
- Only describe what can be inferred from the provided code
- Do not invent undocumented behavior
- Describe in clear, easy to understand format
- Use full sentences with appropriate level of detail depending on complexity