document-project

Document Project Task

When to Use

• Project Documentation: Document any codebase for AI understanding
• Architecture Assessment: Analyze current system architecture
• Knowledge Transfer: Create comprehensive project documentation
• PRD Preparation: Generate context needed for PRD creation
• Onboarding: Build complete project reference for new team members

What This Skill Does

Guides you through building comprehensive project documentation:

• Configuration: Load project settings from .prism/core-config.yaml
• Classification: Detect project type, structure, and technology stack
• Scanning: Analyze codebase (quick, deep, or exhaustive)
• Documentation: Generate architecture, API, and development guides
• Indexing: Create master index for AI retrieval

Quick Start

1. Run the skill and specify project root directory
2. Choose scan depth (quick/deep/exhaustive)
3. Confirm project classification
4. Wait for documentation generation
5. Review generated files at {{output_folder}}/index.md

Output Location: docs/project/ (or as configured)

Workflow Overview

The workflow follows 10 sequential steps. For detailed instructions, see Workflow Steps Reference.

Step	Name	Purpose
0	Load Configuration	Read .prism/core-config.yaml
1	Check Existing	Detect existing docs, choose mode
2	Select Scan Level	Quick/Deep/Exhaustive
3	Initialize State	Create tracking file
4	Detect Structure	Classify project type
5	Scan Project	Execute selected scan depth
6	Deep-Dive Mode	(If selected) Detailed area analysis
6.5	Check Existing Docs	Avoid duplicates via Smart Connections
7	Generate Index	Create master entry point
8-10	Validate & Complete	Verify, fill gaps, finalize

Scan Levels

Level	Time	What It Does
Quick	2-5 min	Pattern-based analysis, configs only
Deep	10-30 min	Critical directories, selective file reading
Exhaustive	30-120 min	ALL source files (excludes node_modules)

Project Types Detected

• claude-code-plugin: PRISM-style plugins with skills/commands/tasks
• web: React, Vue, Angular applications
• backend: Express, FastAPI, Rails servers
• mobile: React Native, Flutter apps
• cli/library/desktop: Various other project types

Generated Documentation

Core files generated (as applicable):

• index.md - Master entry point
• project-overview.md - Executive summary
• architecture.md - Technical architecture
• technology-stack.md - Complete tech stack
• development-guide.md - Setup and workflow
• api-contracts.md - API endpoints
• data-models.md - Database schema
• source-tree-analysis.md - Directory structure

Key Principles

1. Write-as-you-go: Write files immediately, don't accumulate
2. Resumability: State file tracks progress for resume
3. Batching: Process subfolders one at a time for token management
4. No duplicates: Check existing docs before creating

Reference Documentation

• Workflow Steps - Detailed step-by-step instructions

Guardrails

• Always load config first (Step 0)
• Update state file after EVERY step completion
• Write documents immediately after generating content
• Purge detailed data from context after writing
• First-time startup may require explicit scan level selection