explore

Workflow

1. Frame — state a concrete exploration question or hypothesis before searching.
2. Bounded discovery — find relevant modules, symbols, and entry points. MUST complete within 3 refinement cycles (search → read → refine). If unanswered after 3 cycles, return best partial results with explicit

   risks_or_unknowns

   .
3. Context triage — label findings:

   core

   (must include),

   related

   (include if space),

   peripheral

   (mention only if risk signal). Drop peripheral from handoff by default.
4. Map flow — trace control flow, data flow, and cross-file dependencies.
5. Extract surface — identify files to modify and expected side effects.
6. Handoff — return concise structured output (see below).

Output Format

• key_findings

  — confirmed observations with file paths

• files_to_touch

  — with triage priority per file (core / related / peripheral)

• risks_or_unknowns

  — explicit gaps and unexplored areas

• terminology_discovered

  — non-obvious project naming (omit when not applicable)

External Dependencies

• Never mix guidance from different major versions
• Check maintenance status before recommending a library
• Capture version and context assumptions for every recommendation

Anti-Patterns

• Speculating about behavior without repository evidence
• Returning file lists without explaining each file's role in the flow
• Assuming behavior from file names alone without verifying call sites
• Proposing code edits or implementation during exploration
• Overloading output with low-value file dumps instead of triaged signal