Agent skill · writing content · alirezarezvani
codebase-onboarding
Explain an unfamiliar repo: architecture brief and onboarding docs. Use whenever someone is new to a codebase, asks how a project is structured or where to start reading.
Why this skill is useful
Generates tailored onboarding documentation based on codebase analysis, providing domain-specific knowledge and templates that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires python3 installed locally. About 1k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-05. 23,939 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Codebase Onboarding Tier: POWERFUL Category: Engineering Domain: Documentation / Developer Experience --- Overview Analyze a codebase and generate onboarding documentation for engineers, tech leads, and contractors. This skill is optimized for fast fact-gathering and repeatable onboarding outputs. Core Capabilities Architecture and stack discovery from repository signals Key file and config inventory for new contributors Local setup and common-task guidance generation Audience-aware documentation framing Debugging and contribution checklist scaffolding --- When to Use Onboarding a new team member or contractor Rebuilding stale project docs after large refactors Preparing internal handoff documentation Creating a standardized onboarding packet for services --- Quick Start --- Recommended Workflow 1. Run scripts/codebaseanalyzer.py against the target repository. 2. Capture key signals: file counts, detected languages, config files, top-level structure. 3. Fill the onboarding template in references/onboarding-template.md. 4. Tailor output depth by audience: Junior: setup + guardrails Senior: architecture + operational concerns Contractor: scoped ownership + integration boundaries --- Onboarding Document Template Detailed template and section examples live in: references/onboarding-template.md references/output-format-templates.md --- Common Pitfalls Writing docs without validating setup commands on a clean environment Mixing architecture deep-dives into contractor-oriented docs Omitting troubleshooting and verification steps Letting onboarding docs drift from current repo state Best Practices 1. Keep setup instructions executable and time-bounded. 2. Document the "why" for key architectural decisions. 3. Update docs in the same PR as behavior changes. 4. Treat onboarding docs as living operational assets, not one-time deliverables.
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills alirezarezvani/codebase-onboarding--05ba05