Research

Research phase for task execution. Investigate the codebase, build understanding, report findings. No code changes, no solution proposals.

First phase of the RPI (Research → Plan → Implement) workflow.

Before You Explore

If the user referenced documents (specs, plans, PRs), read them before exploring the codebase. Most questions resolve themselves in the docs.

Output Format

Structure your response with these sections:

Task Understanding

Restate the task in your own words. This catches misinterpretation early.

Findings

Factual observations from the codebase. Start with two lead bullets:

• Scope: what was searched, coverage boundaries, and exclusions. Include counts when relevant.
• Pattern evidence: representative analogs or pattern families (or explicit none found).

Then include:

• Relevant files and modules (with paths)
• Patterns and conventions used for similar functionality
• Constraints or dependencies discovered

Risks & Unknowns

• Things that could go wrong or complicate the task
• Gaps in understanding
• Ambiguities in how existing code behaves

Questions

Clarifying questions about the task or approach, if any. Omit this section if there are none.

Large-Scope Mode

Use this mode when detailed listing would exceed 12-15 evidence bullets or starts repeating the same pattern.

• Keep the same top-level sections. Do not add extra top-level sections.
• In Findings, include a compact coverage summary: files scanned, files deeply read, directories covered, search pattern count, and exclusions.
• Group matches into pattern families with counts and 2-3 representative file paths per family.
• Prioritize conflicts, deviations, and outliers. Do not enumerate repetitive matches.
• Add this line in Findings: Examples are representative; full match list omitted for brevity.
• If conflicting patterns are present, include a Conflicts block inside Findings.

Constraints

• No code changes. Do not modify, create, or delete any files.
• No suggestions. Report what you observe, not what you would do. "The codebase uses protocol-based DI" is a finding. "We should use protocol-based DI" is a suggestion — save it for the planning phase.
• Suggestion requests during Research. If the user asks for suggestions while in /rpi-research, do not provide them. Ask whether to switch to /plan and wait for confirmation.
• No implementation details. Do not discuss how you would implement the task.
• Stop cleanly. After delivering research output, ask whether to save findings to a file. Then wait for the next instruction.