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.
| Output | Description |
|---|
| All repos with metadata, languages, activity |
| Inter-repo and external dependencies |
| Visual system topology |
| Language/framework versions per repo |
| Code quality, test coverage, docs quality |
| Gaps, orphaned repos, broken integrations |
Process: Inventory → Deep Scan → Cross-Reference → Visualize → Assess
→ See
references/archaeology-guide.md
for detailed techniques.
Phase 2: RESURRECTION
Objective: Get the system running in development.
| Output | Description |
|---|
| Outdated packages, vulnerabilities, breaking changes |
| All required env vars with defaults |
| API keys, certs, OAuth credentials |
| Cloud resources, what exists vs deleted |
| Critical issues preventing launch |
| Tests verifying components work and communicate |
Process: Audit Dependencies → Map Environment → Check Infrastructure → Write Tests → Document Blockers
→ See
references/integration-test-patterns.md
for resurrection test patterns.
Phase 3: REJUVENATION
Objective: Modernize while maintaining feature parity.
| Output | Description |
|---|
security-recommendations.md
| Vulnerability fixes, compliance |
| Prioritized upgrades with effort estimates |
architecture-improvements.md
| Scalability, performance, maintainability |
Process: Security First → Infrastructure (containerize, CI/CD) → Code Quality → Architecture
Key Commands
bash
# 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npm audit && npm outdated # Node.js
pip list --outdated && safety check # Python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
for framework/stack identification.
→ See
references/infrastructure-mapping.md
for cloud resource discovery.
→ See
references/dependency-patterns.md
for dependency detection.
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
1. Premature Resurrection
What it looks like: Running
before reading any code
Why it's wrong: You'll fix the same bug 5 times; dependencies have changed
Fix: Complete archaeology first; understand before touching
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:
Resurrection Complete When:
Rejuvenation Complete When:
References
→
references/archaeology-guide.md
- Deep code archaeology techniques
→
references/dependency-patterns.md
- Dependency detection across ecosystems
→
references/framework-detection.md
- Framework/stack identification
→
references/infrastructure-mapping.md
- Cloud resource discovery
→
references/integration-test-patterns.md
- Resurrection test patterns
Templates
→
templates/repo-inventory.json
- Repository catalog
→
templates/archaeology-report.md
- Phase 1 output
→
templates/resurrection-plan.md
- Phase 2 output
→
templates/rejuvenation-roadmap.md
- Phase 3 output