Core Review Workflow
Table of Contents
- [When to Use](#when-to-use)
- [Activation Patterns](#activation-patterns)
- [Required TodoWrite Items](#required-todowrite-items)
- [Step 1 – Establish Context](#step-1--establish-context-review-corecontext-established)
- [Step 2 – Inventory Scope](#step-2--inventory-scope-review-corescope-inventoried)
- [Step 3 – Capture Evidence](#step-3--capture-evidence-review-coreevidence-captured)
- [Step 4 – Structure Deliverables](#step-4--structure-deliverables-review-coredeliverables-structured)
- [Step 5 – Contingency Plan](#step-5--contingency-plan-review-corecontingencies-documented)
When To Use
- Use this skill at the beginning of any detailed review workflow (e.g., for architecture, math, or an API).
- It provides a consistent structure for capturing context, logging evidence, and formatting the final report, which makes the findings of different reviews comparable.
When NOT To Use
- Diff-focused analysis - use diff-analysis
Activation Patterns
Trigger Keywords: review, audit, analysis, assessment, evaluation, inspection Contextual Cues:
- "review this code/design/architecture"
- "conduct an audit of"
- "analyze this for issues"
- "evaluate the quality of"
- "perform an assessment"
Auto-Load When: Any review-specific workflow is detected or when analysis methodologies are requested.
Required TodoWrite Items
review-core:context-establishedreview-core:scope-inventoriedreview-core:evidence-capturedreview-core:deliverables-structuredreview-core:contingencies-documented
Step 1 – Establish Context (review-core:context-established)
- Confirm
pwd, repo, branch, and upstream base (e.g.,git status -sb,git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD). - Note comparison target (merge base, release tag) so later diffs reference a concrete range.
- Summarize the feature/bug/initiative under review plus stakeholders and deadlines.
Step 2 – Inventory Scope (review-core:scope-inventoried)
- List relevant artifacts for this review: source files, configs, docs, specs, generated assets (OpenAPI, Makefiles, ADRs, notebooks, etc.).
- Record how you enumerated them (commands like
rg --files -g '*.mk',ls docs,cargo metadata). - Capture assumptions or constraints inherited from the plan/issue so the domain-specific analysis can cite them.
Step 3 – Capture Evidence (review-core:evidence-captured)
- Log every command/output that informs the review (e.g.,
git diff --stat,make -pn,cargo doc,web.runcitations). Keep snippets or line numbers for later reference. - Track open questions or variances found during preflight; if they block progress, record owners/timelines now.
Step 4 – Structure Deliverables (review-core:deliverables-structured)
- Prepare the reporting skeleton shared by all reviews:
- Summary (baseline, scope, recommendation)
- Ordered findings (severity, file:line, principle violated, remediation)
- Follow-up tasks (owner + due date)
- Evidence appendix (commands, URLs, notebooks)
- validate the domain-specific checklist will populate each section before concluding.
Step 5 – Contingency Plan (review-core:contingencies-documented)
- If a required tool or skill is unavailable (e.g.,
web.run), document the alternative steps that will be taken and any limitations this introduces. This helps reviewers understand any gaps in coverage. - Note any outstanding approvals or data needed to complete the review.
Exit Criteria
- All TodoWrite items complete with concrete notes (commands run, files listed, evidence paths).
- Domain-specific review can now assume consistent context/evidence/deliverable scaffolding and focus on specialized analysis.