Programming Advisor

A Claude Code skill that helps you make informed build vs. buy decisions before writing code.

What It Does

This skill acts as a "Reinventing the Wheel" detector. When you describe something you want to build, it will:

Search for existing solutions - Libraries, open source tools, and SaaS options
Estimate vibe coding costs - Token burn, development time, maintenance burden
Present a comparison table - Side-by-side analysis of all options
Calculate total cost of ownership - Year 1 vs Year 3 costs for SaaS vs DIY
Make a recommendation - When to use existing solutions vs. build custom
Plan the integration - When you accept a recommendation, get complete setup instructions tailored to your project

Installation

As a Plugin (Recommended)

# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add gaupoit/programming-advisor

# Install the plugin
/plugin install programming-advisor

Manual Installation

Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/gaupoit/programming-advisor.git
cd programming-advisor

# Install as local plugin
claude --plugin-dir .

Demo

Try the plugin with our sample project:

git clone https://github.com/gaupoit/dont-reinvent-the-wheel-demo.git
cd dont-reinvent-the-wheel-demo
claude

Then ask: "I want to add form validation to my LoginForm component"

Usage

The skill triggers automatically when you describe something you want to build:

"I want to build a PDF generator"
"Help me create an authentication system"
"Can you code a rate limiter?"
"I need a CLI tool for..."

Or invoke it directly:

/programming-advisor

Example Output

Step 1: You ask to build something

"I want to add form validation to my LoginForm"

## 🔍 Existing Solutions Found

### Libraries/Packages
- **Zod**: TypeScript-first schema validation | 35K+ stars
- **React Hook Form**: Performant form library | 41K+ stars

## 📊 Build vs Buy Comparison

| Option | Type | Cost | Setup | Maintenance | Est. Tokens |
|--------|------|------|-------|-------------|-------------|
| Zod + RHF | Library | Free | 15 min | Updates | ~2K |
| Custom | Build | Free | 1-2 hrs | High | ~15-30K |

## 💡 Recommendation

Use Zod + React Hook Form...

Step 2: You accept the recommendation

"Let's use Zod with React Hook Form"

## 🚀 Integration Plan: Zod + React Hook Form

### Your Project Context
- **Detected**: Next.js 14, pnpm, TypeScript
- **Project structure**: src/app/, src/components/

### Step 1: Install Dependencies
pnpm add zod react-hook-form @hookform/resolvers

### Step 2: Create New Files
📁 src/schemas/login.ts
[starter code with your schema]

### Step 3: Update Existing Files
📝 src/components/LoginForm.tsx
[integration code matching your style]

### ⚠️ Notes
- React Hook Form v7+ requires React 16.8+ ✅

Reference Files

references/common-solutions.md - Exhaustive list of commonly reinvented wheels
references/token-estimates.md - Detailed token burn estimates by task type
references/integration-patterns.md - Project detection and starter code patterns
references/pricing-data.md - SaaS pricing and cost calculation data

Features

Build vs Buy Analysis

Searches npm, pip, cargo, and other package ecosystems
Finds open source tools and SaaS alternatives
Estimates token burn for custom implementations
Presents clear comparison tables

Integration Planning (v1.1.0)

When you accept a recommendation, the plugin:

Detects your project - Package manager, framework, TypeScript/JavaScript
Generates install commands - Exact commands for npm/yarn/pnpm/pip/etc.
Creates starter code - Matching your project's style and structure
Updates existing files - Shows how to integrate with your current code
Warns about conflicts - Version requirements and peer dependencies

Cost Calculator (v1.2.0)

For significant decisions (auth, payments, email), get TCO analysis:

| Option | Setup | Monthly | Year 1 | Year 3 | Notes |
|--------|-------|---------|--------|--------|-------|
| Auth0 | 10min | $35 | $420 | $1,260 | Free: 7.5K MAU |
| Clerk | 10min | $25 | $300 | $900 | Free: 10K MAU |
| DIY | 8hrs | $0 | ~$1,500 | ~$2,100 | + maintenance |

💡 Break-even: DIY only cheaper at >100K MAU
⚠️ Hidden costs: Security audits, compliance, on-call

Includes pricing data for: Auth, Email, Payments, Database, Storage, Search, Monitoring, Analytics, AI/LLM, Cron jobs

Philosophy

Before writing a single line of code, determine if the wheel already exists.

Vibe coding burns tokens, time, and creates maintenance burden. Existing solutions often provide:

Better quality through community testing
Security patches and updates
Documentation and support

License

MIT