trace-code
Skill13 starsChanged 7 months agoMITView on GitHub
Deep code flow tracing with file:line references. Use when the user says "trace this", "how does this feature work end-to-end", "map the code flow", "what files are involved in", "walk through the execution".
In this repository19 other files it gives its agents.
- agent-auditSkill
- codebase-auditSkill
- commitSkill
- design-and-specSkill
- dispatching-parallel-agentsSkill
- doc-driftSkill
- execution-planningSkill
- explain-codeSkill
- post-implementationSkill
- pushSkill
- python-auditSkill
- receiving-code-reviewSkill
- subagent-driven-developmentSkill
- systematic-debuggingSkill
- terraform-auditSkill
- test-driven-developmentSkill
- typescript-auditSkill
- verification-before-completionSkill
- writing-plansSkill
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
2 rules. About 0 are common, 2 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.
≈0
Common · estimate
Many files like this have a rule of this kind.
≈2
Distinctive · estimate
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
0
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.
- Common
- Distinctive
- Very specific
- Distinctive: line 41
Always include file:line references — never describe without pointing to code
- Distinctive: line 43
Keep it factual — describe what the code does, not what it should do
≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.
Files
Trace Code
Trace a feature's implementation from entry point to output, through all layers.
Announce at start: "Tracing [feature/flow name]."
Process
- Find entry points — CLI commands, API endpoints, script main blocks
- Follow call chains — trace each function call with file:line references
- Map data flow — what goes in, how it transforms, what comes out
- Identify dependencies — external libraries, AWS services, config files
- Note cross-cutting concerns — error handling, logging, auth, retries
Output Format
Entry Point
file.py:42 — description of where execution starts
Execution Flow
file.py:42→module.py:15— what happens at each stepmodule.py:15→aws.py:88— data transformation or side effect
Key Components
component.py— responsibility summary
Dependencies
- External: boto3, rich, etc.
- Config: files or env vars read
Essential Files
List of files someone must read to understand this feature.
Guidelines
- Always include file:line references — never describe without pointing to code
- Trace the happy path first, then note error/edge case branches
- Keep it factual — describe what the code does, not what it should do
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Your trail
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Now do this for your own.
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