Claude-skill-registry gh-read-issue-context

Read context from GitHub issue including body and comments. Use before starting implementation work or when prior context is needed.

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 "$T/skills/data/gh-read-issue-context" ~/.claude/skills/majiayu000-claude-skill-registry-gh-read-issue-context && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: skills/data/gh-read-issue-context/SKILL.md

Read Issue Context

Retrieve all context from a GitHub issue before starting work.

When to Use

Before starting implementation work
When context is needed from prior work
When checking if issue has been partially addressed
When understanding design decisions made earlier
When resuming work after a break

Quick Reference

# Get issue details
gh issue view <number>

# Get issue with all comments (implementation history)
gh issue view <number> --comments

# Get structured JSON for parsing
gh issue view <number> --json title,body,comments,labels,assignees,milestone,state

# Get specific field
gh issue view <number> --json body --jq '.body'

# Get linked PRs
gh pr list --search "issue:<number>"

# Get issue timeline
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/<number>/timeline

Workflow

Starting Work on an Issue

Get issue details:
```
gh issue view <number>
```
Read all comments:
```
gh issue view <number> --comments
```
Check linked PRs:
```
gh pr list --search "issue:<number>"
```
Note key context:
- Design decisions from comments
- Blockers or dependencies
- Acceptance criteria
- Related issues

Example Session

# 1. Read issue #123
gh issue view 123

# 2. Check for prior work
gh issue view 123 --comments

# 3. See if any PRs exist
gh pr list --search "issue:123"

# 4. Get machine-readable data if needed
gh issue view 123 --json title,body,labels,state

Data Extraction

Get Specific Fields

# Title only
gh issue view <number> --json title --jq '.title'

# Body content
gh issue view <number> --json body --jq '.body'

# Labels as list
gh issue view <number> --json labels --jq '.labels[].name'

# Comment bodies
gh issue view <number> --json comments --jq '.comments[].body'

# Comment count
gh issue view <number> --json comments --jq '.comments | length'

Parse Comments for Keywords

# Find design decisions
gh issue view <number> --json comments --jq '.comments[].body' | grep -i "design decision"

# Find blockers
gh issue view <number> --json comments --jq '.comments[].body' | grep -i "blocked\|blocker"

# Find completed items
gh issue view <number> --json comments --jq '.comments[].body' | grep -i "completed\|done"

Status Checking

Issue State

# Check if open or closed
gh issue view <number> --json state --jq '.state'

# Check closure reason
gh issue view <number> --json stateReason --jq '.stateReason'

# Check assignees
gh issue view <number> --json assignees --jq '.assignees[].login'

Related Items

# Find PRs that close this issue
gh pr list --search "closes:#<number>"

# Find mentions in other issues
gh issue list --search "in:body #<number>"

# Find commits referencing issue
gh api search/commits?q=repo:{owner}/{repo}+<number>

Error Handling

Problem	Solution
Issue not found	Check issue number, may be in different repo
No comments	Issue may be new or have minimal discussion
Auth error	Run `gh auth status` to verify
Rate limited	Wait or use authenticated requests

Best Practices

Always read comments first - They contain implementation history
Check for linked PRs - Prior attempts may exist
Note acceptance criteria - Success criteria should be clear
Look for blockers - Dependencies may not be resolved
Extract key decisions - Design choices should inform implementation

References

See
```
.claude/shared/github-issue-workflow.md
```
for complete workflow
See CLAUDE.md for project conventions