WithScout Command

This command explicitly uses the scout agent to gather information first, then proceeds with the next steps based on the findings.

Workflow

1. Understanding the Task

First, clearly understand what the user wants to accomplish. The user's request typically follows the pattern:

• "Use scout to research [topic] and then [action]"
• "Gather information about [topic] and [action]"

Break down the request into two parts:

1. Research Phase: What information needs to be gathered?
2. Action Phase: What to do with the gathered information?

2. Launch Scout Agent

Use the Task tool to invoke the d:scout agent with a detailed research prompt:

Scout Prompt Template:

Please investigate [specific topic/area] and provide comprehensive information about:

1. [Research question 1]
2. [Research question 2]
3. [Research question 3]
...

Context:
- Working directory: [provide working directory]
- Known files/areas: [list any known context to avoid duplication]
- Specific focus: [what specifically should this scout investigate]

Please provide your findings in the structured format with:
- Research Summary
- Key Findings (with file paths and line numbers)
- Detailed Analysis
- Recommendations
- Sources

Important:

• Provide clear, specific research questions to the scout
• Include any known context to avoid duplicate work
• Specify the exact focus area for investigation

3. Process Scout Results

After the scout agent returns its findings:

1. Review the research summary - Get a high-level understanding
2. Examine key findings - Identify the most important discoveries
3. Read detailed analysis - Understand the implications
4. Note the sources - Know where information came from

4. Execute Next Steps

Based on the scout's findings, proceed with the action phase:

• If the task is to implement a feature: Use the findings to understand existing patterns and create the implementation
• If the task is to refactor code: Use the findings to identify what needs to change and how
• If the task is to fix a bug: Use the findings to locate the issue and apply the fix
• If the task is to write documentation: Use the findings to create accurate documentation
• If the task is to answer a question: Synthesize the findings into a clear answer

5. Provide Summary to User

After completing the action phase, provide the user with:

1. What the scout discovered (brief summary)
2. What actions were taken based on those findings
3. Results or outcomes of the actions
4. Any recommendations for next steps

Examples

Example 1: Research and Implement

User: Use scout to research authentication patterns in the codebase and then implement JWT token refresh

Process:
1. Scout investigates: auth patterns, token handling, existing JWT usage
2. Action: Implement JWT refresh based on discovered patterns
3. Summary: Show what was found and what was implemented

Example 2: Research and Document

User: Gather information about the API endpoints and create documentation

Process:
1. Scout investigates: API route definitions, handler functions, request/response formats
2. Action: Create API documentation based on findings
3. Summary: Show discovered endpoints and documentation created

Example 3: Research and Fix

User: Use scout to understand the caching system and fix the cache invalidation bug

Process:
1. Scout investigates: cache implementation, invalidation logic, related bug reports
2. Action: Fix the identified bug based on understanding from scout
3. Summary: Show the problem found and the fix applied

Best Practices

1. Be Specific: Give the scout clear, focused research questions
2. Provide Context: Share what's already known to avoid duplicate work
3. Parallel Scouting: For complex tasks, consider launching multiple scouts in parallel to explore different areas
4. Trust the Scout: The scout agent is specialized for research - trust its findings
5. Bridge Research to Action: Clearly connect how scout findings inform the next steps

Important Notes

• The scout agent has access to: Read, Glob, Grep, WebSearch, WebFetch tools
• Scout outputs are structured and detailed - use them fully
• Always acknowledge the scout's findings when presenting results to the user
• If scout findings are insufficient, you can launch another scout with refined questions