Deep Read — Codebase Reading Engine

Systematic source-code-first analysis protocol. Reads implementations, not just interfaces. Every finding cites file:line.

Core principle: Source code is the source of truth. Documentation lies, comments rot, function names mislead. Read the actual code. A code graph or index (LSP, a code-graph tool) speeds up locating code but is itself a possibly-stale snapshot — never ground truth. Verify every graph- or LSP-derived hit against live source before citing it.

Protocol

Process every /deep-read invocation through these 6 phases in strict order. Never skip a phase. Gate each phase: do not advance until the gate condition is met.

Phase 1: SCOPE — Define the Reading Target

Narrow the target to a tractable area before reading anything.