Implementation

Deliver the requested behavior with evidence from the code path and the place where its output is consumed. Choose the smallest useful feedback loop for the change; increase verification when uncertainty, integration, or consequences increase.

The user's instructions take precedence over this skill's guidelines. Carry existing authorization forward and finish the work within scope. Resolve routine reversible choices with stated assumptions when useful. Ask only when missing information materially changes the result or an applicable boundary requires it; a skill workflow does not itself create a new approval gate.

Orient to the Change

Inspect repository status before edits and read existing diffs on touched files. Treat the checkout as shared space. Preserve work you did not create and respect claimed ownership.

Trace the behavior through its actual callers and consumers. Locate the nearest relevant pattern, tests, and real gate commands. Search by syntax when the question concerns code structure; use text search for names and prose. Read enough to understand the change, without a minimum file-read count or a broad context dump.

Recall non-obvious prior decisions through the configured memory workflow. Recheck volatile API, dependency, and deployment claims against current primary evidence or the installed version. Load specialized tool guidance when the task needs it, rather than guessing unfamiliar flags.

Distinguish diagnosis from implementation. "Why does this happen?" calls for a confirmed cause first. Once fixing is authorized, define a check that can distinguish the broken and intended behaviors.

Select a Verifiable Slice