Codebase Onboarding

# Codebase Onboarding **Tier:** POWERFUL **Category:** Engineering **Domain:** Documentation / Developer Experience --- ## Overview Analyze a codebase and generate onboarding documentation for engineers, tech leads, and contractors. This skill is optimized for fast fact-gathering and repeatable onboarding outputs. ## Core Capabilities - Architecture and stack discovery from repository signals - Key file and config inventory for new contributors - Local setup and common-task guidance generation - Audience-aware documentation framing - Debugging and contribution checklist scaffolding --- ## When to Use - Onboarding a new team member or contractor - Rebuilding stale project docs after large refactors - Preparing internal handoff documentation - Creating a standardized onboarding packet for services --- ## Quick Start ```bash # 1) Gather codebase facts python3 scripts/codebase_analyzer.py /path/to/repo # 2) Export machine-readable output python3 scripts/codebase_analyzer.py /path/to/repo --json # 3) Use the template to draft onboarding docs # See references/onboarding-template.md ``` --- ## Recommended Workflow 1. Run `scripts/codebase_analyzer.py` against the target repository. 2. Capture key signals: file counts, detected languages, config files, top-level structure. 3. Fill the onboarding template in `references/onboarding-template.md`. 4. Tailor output depth by audience: - Junior: setup + guardrails - Senior: architecture + operational concerns - Contractor: scoped ownership + integration boundaries --- ## Onboarding Document Template Detailed template and section examples live in: - `references/onboarding-template.md` - `references/output-format-templates.md` --- ## Common Pitfalls - Writing docs without validating setup commands on a clean environment - Mixing architecture deep-dives into contractor-oriented docs - Omitting troubleshooting and verification steps - Letting onboarding docs drift from current repo state ## Best Practices 1. Keep setup instructions executable and time-bounded. 2. Document the "why" for key architectural decisions. 3. Update docs in the same PR as behavior changes. 4. Treat onboarding docs as living operational assets, not one-time deliverables.