Understanding Activity Skill

Analyze pull request changes to create comprehensive understanding artifacts. This activity handles both initial context gathering and specification derivation after baseline research.

Reference: Follow Core Review Principles from paw-review-workflow skill.

Responsibilities

• Gather PR metadata (GitHub API or git diff) and document changed files
• Generate research prompt for baseline codebase analysis
• Derive specification from PR description, code analysis, and baseline understanding
• Create ReviewContext.md as authoritative parameter source
• Validate all artifacts meet quality standards

Non-Responsibilities

• Quality evaluation or gap identification (Evaluation stage skills)
• Review comment generation (Output stage skills)
• Git operations for checkout/restore (handled by paw-review-baseline)
• Workflow orchestration and stage transitions (handled by workflow skill)

Execution Modes

This skill operates in two modes based on artifact state:

Initial Mode (No ReviewContext.md)

Execute Steps 1-3: Context gathering, research prompt generation, signal for baseline research.

Detection: ReviewContext.md not found at .paw/reviews/<identifier>/

Resumption Mode (ReviewContext.md + CodeResearch.md exist)

Execute Step 4 only: Derive specification from baseline research.

Detection: Both ReviewContext.md AND CodeResearch.md exist at artifact path.

Context Detection

Determine context type before proceeding:

GitHub Context: PR URL or number provided

• Use GitHub MCP tools for metadata retrieval
• Extract commits, files, description from API

Non-GitHub Context: No PR reference

• Verify current branch is checked out
• Request base branch name from user
• Use git commands for metadata

Multi-Repository Mode

Detection: Any of these conditions triggers multi-repo mode:

• Multiple PR URLs/numbers in input (e.g., PR-123 PR-456)
• paw_get_context returns isMultiRootWorkspace: true
• PR links reference different repositories

Per-PR Processing:

• Create separate artifact directories for each PR
• Run Steps 1-4 independently for each repository
• Cross-reference related PRs in each ReviewContext.md

Identifier Scheme:

• Single PR: PR-<number> (e.g., PR-123)
• Multi-repo PR: PR-<number>-<repo-slug> (e.g., PR-123-my-api)
• Repo-slug: Last segment of repository name, lowercase, special chars removed

ReviewContext.md Extension (for multi-repo):

repository: owner/repo-name
related_prs:
  - number: 456
    repository: owner/other-repo
    relationship: "depends-on"  # or "related-to", "blocks"

Step 1: Context Gathering & ReviewContext.md Creation

1. Determine Remote Name:

   • Check ReviewContext.md for Remote field (if resuming)
   • Default to origin if not specified

2. Fetch PR Metadata:

   • GitHub: Use GitHub tools to retrieve PR details (number, title, author, state, description, labels, reviewers, CI status, changed files)
   • Non-GitHub: Use git to determine commits and changed files between base and head

3. Resolve Base Commit (Non-GitHub only):

   • Prefer the remote tracking branch reference
   • Record source (remote|local|github-api) in ReviewContext.md

4. Create ReviewContext.md:

   • Write to .paw/reviews/<identifier>/ReviewContext.md
   • Use template structure below
   • Include all metadata and flags

Step 2: Research Questions Generation

1. Identify Research Needs for each changed file:

   • How did the module function before changes?
   • What were integration points and dependencies?
   • What patterns and conventions were used?
   • What test coverage was present?

2. Create ResearchQuestions.md:

   • Write to .paw/reviews/<identifier>/ResearchQuestions.md
   • YAML frontmatter with metadata
   • Research questions organized by changed file/module
   • Clear investigation targets with file:line references

Step 3: Signal for Research

Report completion of initial phase:

Research Questions Ready

Created ResearchQuestions.md with questions about pre-change behavior.

Files to investigate at base commit <sha>:
- [list files]

Waiting for CodeResearch.md from baseline research.

Activity Status: Partial (awaiting baseline research)

Step 4: Derive Specification

Execute only when CodeResearch.md exists.

1. Read All Source Material:

   • ReviewContext.md (PR description, changed files)
   • CodeResearch.md (pre-change system behavior)
   • Git diffs for all changes

2. Identify Explicit Goals:

   • Goals stated in PR description
   • Requirements from linked issues
   • Commit messages describing intent
   • Mark as "Explicit" in DerivedSpec.md

3. Identify Inferred Goals:

   • Observable behavior changes from code analysis
   • New functionality added
   • Modified logic or control flow
   • Mark as "Inferred" in DerivedSpec.md

4. Document Baseline Context (from CodeResearch.md):

   • How system worked before changes
   • Existing patterns and conventions
   • Integration points affected

5. Characterize Before/After Behavior:

   • Specific observable differences
   • Changed APIs, endpoints, interfaces
   • Modified data flows

6. Flag Discrepancies:

   • PR description contradicts code changes → BLOCK
   • Intent unclear → document as inferred with evidence
   • CRITICAL: If open questions remain, report blocked status

7. Create DerivedSpec.md:

   • Write to .paw/reviews/<identifier>/DerivedSpec.md
   • Use template structure below
   • Zero open questions allowed

Artifact Directory Structure

GitHub Context: .paw/reviews/PR-<number>/ Non-GitHub Context: .paw/reviews/<branch-slug>/

Branch slug: lowercase, / → -, remove invalid chars.

Validation Criteria

ReviewContext.md

• All metadata fields populated
• Flags section identifies applicable conditions
• Base and head commit SHAs recorded

ResearchQuestions.md

• Questions are specific and answerable
• All changed files covered
• Clear investigation targets with file:line references

DerivedSpec.md

• Explicit vs inferred goals distinguished
• Baseline behavior documented from CodeResearch.md
• Observable before/after behavior characterized
• All file:line references accurate
• Zero open questions

Completion Response

After Initial Mode (Steps 1-3):

Activity complete.
Artifact saved: .paw/reviews/<identifier>/ReviewContext.md
Artifact saved: .paw/reviews/<identifier>/ResearchQuestions.md
Status: Partial
Summary: Context gathered, awaiting baseline research.

After Resumption Mode (Step 4):

Activity complete.
Artifact saved: .paw/reviews/<identifier>/DerivedSpec.md
Status: Success
Summary: Specification derived with [N] explicit and [M] inferred goals.

ReviewContext.md Template

---
date: <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS TZ>
git_commit: <head commit SHA>
branch: <head branch>
repository: <owner/repo OR local>
topic: "Review Context for <PR Title or Branch>"
tags: [review, context, metadata]
status: complete
---

# ReviewContext

**PR Number**: <number> (GitHub) OR **Branch**: <branch-slug> (non-GitHub)
**Remote**: <remote-name> (default: origin, or "No remote configured")
**Base Branch**: <base-branch>
**Head Branch**: <head-branch>
**Base Commit**: <sha>
**Base Commit Source**: remote|local|github-api
**Head Commit**: <sha>
**Repository**: <owner>/<repo> OR "Local repository"
**Author**: <username or git author>
**Title**: <pr-title or derived from commits>
**State**: open|closed|draft (GitHub) OR active (non-GitHub)
**Created**: <date> (GitHub only)
**CI Status**: <passing|failing|pending> (GitHub) OR "Not available" (non-GitHub)
**Labels**: <label-list> (GitHub) OR "N/A" (non-GitHub)
**Reviewers**: <reviewer-list> (GitHub) OR "N/A" (non-GitHub)
**Linked Issues**: <issue-urls> (GitHub) OR "Inferred from commits" (non-GitHub)
**Changed Files**: <count> files, +<additions> -<deletions>
**Artifact Paths**: .paw/reviews/<identifier>/

## Description

<PR description text or commit message summary>

## Flags

- [x/] CI Failures present
- [x/] Breaking changes suspected

## Artifacts

- [x/] ReviewContext.md - This file
- [x/] ResearchQuestions.md - Research questions for baseline analysis
- [x/] CodeResearch.md - Baseline understanding (paw-review-baseline)
- [x/] DerivedSpec.md - Derived specification

## Metadata

**Created**: <timestamp>
**Git Commit**: <current HEAD SHA>
**Reviewer**: <current git user>
**Analysis Tool**: PAW Review Understanding

DerivedSpec.md Template

---
date: <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS TZ>
git_commit: <head commit SHA>
branch: <head branch>
repository: <owner/repo OR local>
topic: "Derived Specification for <PR Title or Branch>"
tags: [review, specification, analysis]
status: complete
---

# Derived Specification: <PR Title or Branch>

## Intent Summary

<1-2 sentence summary of what this PR accomplishes>

## Explicit Goals (Stated in PR/Issues)

Goals explicitly mentioned in PR description, linked issues, or commit messages:

1. <Goal from PR description>
2. <Goal from linked issue #X>

*Source: PR description, Issue #X, commits <sha>...<sha>*

## Inferred Goals (Observed from Code)

Goals derived from code analysis that weren't explicitly stated:

1. <Observable behavior change with file:line reference>
2. <New functionality added with file:line reference>

*Source: Code analysis of changed files*

## Baseline Behavior (Pre-Change)

How the system worked before changes (from CodeResearch.md):

**Module**: `path/to/module.ext`
- **Before**: <behavior description>
- **Integration**: <connections to other components>
- **Patterns**: <conventions used>

*Source: CodeResearch.md at base commit <sha>*

## Observable Changes (Before → After)

### Changed Interfaces

| Component | Before | After | Breaking? |
|-----------|--------|-------|-----------|
| `module.func()` | params: (a, b) | params: (a, b, c) | Yes |

### Changed Behavior

**Feature**: <feature name>
- **Before**: <from CodeResearch.md>
- **After**: <from code analysis>
- **Impact**: <observable difference>

[file:line references for each claim]

## Scope Boundaries

**In Scope**: <What this PR changes>
**Out of Scope**: <What this PR does NOT change>

## Assumptions

<Document only when necessary to resolve ambiguity>

## Open Questions

**CRITICAL**: This section must be empty before completion.

## Discrepancies Flagged

[Only if conflicts exist]

**PR Description States**: <quote>
**Code Analysis Shows**: <evidence with file:line>
**Resolution**: [Pending | Resolved: <how>]

## References

- **ReviewContext.md**: Metadata and changed file summary
- **CodeResearch.md**: Pre-change baseline understanding
- **Commits**: <base-sha>..<head-sha>