Verify Diagram Skill

Verify an architecture diagram's factual accuracy against the actual codebase. Adapted from the dry-walkthrough methodology for diagram validation.

When to Use

• After generating an arch lens diagram
• User says "verify diagram", "verify diag", "check diagram"
• Before finalizing diagram examples or documentation

Critical Constraints

NEVER:

• Modify source code files
• Modify the diagram during verification (report findings only)

ALWAYS:

• Verify every named component exists in the codebase
• Trace actual code paths for every connection
• Determine read/write directionality for every connection
• Report findings to terminal, not to files

Verification Workflow

Step 0: Validate Mermaid Syntax (Rendering Check)

This step runs BEFORE semantic verification. Extract every mermaid code block and check for syntax errors that would prevent rendering.

For each ```mermaid block, validate:

1. Node label quoting:

• [...] node content must NOT contain unescaped double quotes
• BAD: A["value = "hello""] — inner quotes break the parser
• GOOD: A["value = hello"] or A[value = hello]
• Check: scan all [...] and (...) node definitions for " inside content

2. Bracket balance:

• Every [ has a matching ] on the same line (for node definitions)
• Every ( has a matching ) on the same line
• Exception: ([...]) stadium shapes have nested brackets — count outer pair

3. Special characters in node labels:

• Parentheses () inside [...] labels break parsing — rephrase or remove
• Pipe | inside node labels conflicts with edge label syntax
• Curly braces {} inside node labels conflict with rhombus/decision syntax
• Hash # at start of label can be misinterpreted

4. Edge label syntax:

• Edge labels must use -->|"label"| or -->|label| format
• Unmatched pipe chars on edge lines break parsing

5. Subgraph naming:

• subgraph NAME ["Display Title"] — the ["..."] is valid mermaid syntax
• But subgraph NAME [Display Title] without quotes is NOT valid if title has spaces

6. Class definition syntax:

• classDef lines must end with semicolons only if using shorthand
• class A,B,C className; — verify referenced node IDs exist in the diagram

7. Node ID rules:

• Node IDs must not start with numbers
• Node IDs must not contain spaces, hyphens (use underscores), or dots
• Reserved words (end, subgraph, graph, flowchart) cannot be node IDs

Quick validation approach:

For each mermaid block:
  1. Extract all node definitions (ID[label], ID(label), ID{label}, ID([label]))
  2. Check each label for unescaped quotes, pipes, unbalanced brackets
  3. Extract all edge definitions, verify pipe-delimited labels are balanced
  4. Extract all node IDs, check for reserved words and invalid characters
  5. Extract all class assignments, verify referenced IDs exist as nodes

If syntax errors are found: Report them in a ### Rendering Errors section BEFORE the semantic findings. These are blocking — a diagram that won't render is worse than one with inaccurate connections.

Step 1: Load the Diagram

Read the diagram file. Extract every verifiable claim:

• Named components (modules, functions, classes)
• Connections (arrows between components)
• Descriptions of what components do
• Metrics (counts, classifications)

Step 2: Verify Components Exist

For each named component, check the codebase:

1. Does the referenced file/module/function/class exist?
2. Is the description of what it does accurate?
3. Is it a real standalone component, or an inline operation within another component?

Flag phantom components — things in the diagram that don't exist as discrete entities in code (e.g., showing an inline dict lookup as a separate "BuildKey" node).

Step 3: Verify Connections — Read/Write Directionality

This is the most important step. For EVERY arrow/connection in the diagram:

1. Trace the actual code path — find the function call, import, or data handoff
2. Classify the relationship:

3. Check arrow direction matches reality:
   • Import direction (A imports B) != data flow direction
   • A calling B.process(x) → y means data flows A→B (args) AND B→A (return)
   • A generator yielding to B means data flows A→B on each yield
4. Assess relevance: Does the read/write distinction matter for this connection?
   • If showing it would change a reader's understanding of the architecture → flag it
   • If it's obvious or doesn't affect understanding → note but don't flag

Step 4: Check for Missing Components

• Significant functions/classes in the traced code paths NOT in the diagram
• Decision points, error paths, or data transformations omitted
• Only flag things that matter at the diagram's abstraction level

Step 5: Verify Metrics and Classifications

• Fan-in/fan-out counts: grep imports and count
• Layer assignments: check actual import directions
• Solid vs dashed arrows: verify the classification rationale
• "Write-only" claims: verify nothing reads the output back

Output Format

Report findings to terminal only. Use this structure:

## Diagram Verification: {diagram name}

**Status:** PASS | RENDER ERROR | NEEDS CORRECTIONS
**Mermaid Syntax:** {PASS | X errors found}
**Components:** {X}/{Y} verified
**Connections:** {X}/{Y} accurate

### Rendering Errors (if any — BLOCKING)

| Line | Error | Fix |
|------|-------|-----|
| {line in mermaid block} | {what breaks} | {how to fix} |

### Corrections Needed

1. **{Component/Connection}**: {what's wrong} → {what it should be}
2. ...

### Directionality Findings

| Connection | Diagram Shows | Actual | Impact |
|------------|--------------|--------|--------|
| A → B | A flows to B | A calls B, B returns result (bidirectional) | Low/Medium/High |

### Missing
- {significant omissions}

### Phantom Components
- {things in diagram that aren't discrete code entities}

Directionality Quick Reference

Common patterns and how to represent them:

Launching Verification

Spawn one Explore subagent per diagram. Each agent:

1. Reads the full diagram file
2. Reads the relevant source files in the codebase
3. Performs all 5 verification steps
4. Returns structured findings

For multiple diagrams, launch agents in parallel.