Last reviewed: 2026-04-13 **Project:** GitNexus · **Environment:** dev · **Maintainer:** repository maintainers (see GitHub) Follow **AGENTS.md** for the canonical rules; this file adds Claude Code–specific deltas. Cursor-specific notes live only in `AGENTS.md`. ## Scope See the **Scope** table in [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) for read/write/execute/off-limits boundaries. Cursor-specific workflow notes also live only in AGENTS.md. ## Model Configuration - **Primary:** Pin per **Claude Code** / Anthropic org policy (explicit model id). Do not rely on an unversioned `latest` alias for governed workflows. - **Fallback:** As configured in Claude Code (organization default or user override). - **Notes:** The GitNexus CLI analyzer does not call an LLM. ## Execution Sequence (complex tasks) Same discipline as [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md): before large multi-step work, state which **AGENTS.md** / **GUARDRAILS.md** rules apply, current **Scope**, and planned validation commands (`npm test`, `tsc`, etc.). When pausing, summarize progress in the chat or a **local** scratch file (do not add `HANDOFF.md` to the repo), then `/clear` and resume with that summary. ## Claude Code hooks Prefer **PreToolUse** hooks for hard gates (e.g. tests before `git_commit`). Adapt hook commands to `gitnexus/` npm scripts. ## Context budget If always-on instructions grow, load deep conventions via conditional reads (e.g. *“When writing new code, read STANDARDS.md”*) instead of pasting long blocks here. In Cursor, prefer `.cursor/index.mdc` plus optional `.cursor/rules/*.mdc` globs (see [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) § Context budget). ## Reference Documentation - **This repository:** [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) (Cursor + monorepo notes), [ARCHITECTURE.md](ARCHITECTURE.md), [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md), [GUARDRAILS.md](GUARDRAILS.md). - **GitNexus:** `.claude/skills/gitnexus/`; MCP and indexed-repo rules live only in [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) (`gitnexus:start` … `gitnexus:end`). See **GitNexus rules** below. ## Changelog | Date | Version | Change | |------|---------|--------| | 2026-04-13 | 1.3.0 | Updated GitNexus index stats after DAG refactor. | | 2026-03-24 | 1.2.0 | Removed duplicated gitnexus:start block and scope table; replaced with pointers to AGENTS.md. | | 2026-03-23 | 1.1.0 | Updated agent instructions to match AGENTS.md. | | 2026-03-22 | 1.0.0 | Added structured header and changelog. | --- ## GitNexus rules GitNexus MCP rules are in the ` # GitNexus — Code Intelligence This project is indexed by GitNexus as **GitNexus** (4325 symbols, 10556 relationships, 300 execution flows). Use the GitNexus MCP tools to understand code, assess impact, and navigate safely. > If any GitNexus tool warns the index is stale, run `npx gitnexus analyze` in terminal first. ## Always Do - **MUST run impact analysis before editing any symbol.** Before modifying a function, class, or method, run `gitnexus_impact({target: "symbolName", direction: "upstream"})` and report the blast radius (direct callers, affected processes, risk level) to the user. - **MUST run `gitnexus_detect_changes()` before committing** to verify your changes only affect expected symbols and execution flows. - **MUST warn the user** if impact analysis returns HIGH or CRITICAL risk before proceeding with edits. - When exploring unfamiliar code, use `gitnexus_query({query: "concept"})` to find execution flows instead of grepping. It returns process-grouped results ranked by relevance. - When you need full context on a specific symbol — callers, callees, which execution flows it participates in — use `gitnexus_context({name: "symbolName"})`. ## When Debugging 1. `gitnexus_query({query: ""})` — find execution flows related to the issue 2. `gitnexus_context({name: ""})` — see all callers, callees, and process participation 3. `READ gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/process/{processName}` — trace the full execution flow step by step 4. For regressions: `gitnexus_detect_changes({scope: "compare", base_ref: "main"})` — see what your branch changed ## When Refactoring - **Renaming**: MUST use `gitnexus_rename({symbol_name: "old", new_name: "new", dry_run: true})` first. Review the preview — graph edits are safe, text_search edits need manual review. Then run with `dry_run: false`. - **Extracting/Splitting**: MUST run `gitnexus_context({name: "target"})` to see all incoming/outgoing refs, then `gitnexus_impact({target: "target", direction: "upstream"})` to find all external callers before moving code. - After any refactor: run `gitnexus_detect_changes({scope: "all"})` to verify only expected files changed. ## Never Do - NEVER edit a function, class, or method without first running `gitnexus_impact` on it. - NEVER ignore HIGH or CRITICAL risk warnings from impact analysis. - NEVER rename symbols with find-and-replace — use `gitnexus_rename` which understands the call graph. - NEVER commit changes without running `gitnexus_detect_changes()` to check affected scope. ## Tools Quick Reference | Tool | When to use | Command | |------|-------------|---------| | `query` | Find code by concept | `gitnexus_query({query: "auth validation"})` | | `context` | 360-degree view of one symbol | `gitnexus_context({name: "validateUser"})` | | `impact` | Blast radius before editing | `gitnexus_impact({target: "X", direction: "upstream"})` | | `detect_changes` | Pre-commit scope check | `gitnexus_detect_changes({scope: "staged"})` | | `rename` | Safe multi-file rename | `gitnexus_rename({symbol_name: "old", new_name: "new", dry_run: true})` | | `cypher` | Custom graph queries | `gitnexus_cypher({query: "MATCH ..."})` | ## Impact Risk Levels | Depth | Meaning | Action | |-------|---------|--------| | d=1 | WILL BREAK — direct callers/importers | MUST update these | | d=2 | LIKELY AFFECTED — indirect deps | Should test | | d=3 | MAY NEED TESTING — transitive | Test if critical path | ## Resources | Resource | Use for | |----------|---------| | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/context` | Codebase overview, check index freshness | | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/clusters` | All functional areas | | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/processes` | All execution flows | | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/process/{name}` | Step-by-step execution trace | ## Self-Check Before Finishing Before completing any code modification task, verify: 1. `gitnexus_impact` was run for all modified symbols 2. No HIGH/CRITICAL risk warnings were ignored 3. `gitnexus_detect_changes()` confirms changes match expected scope 4. All d=1 (WILL BREAK) dependents were updated ## Keeping the Index Fresh After committing code changes, the GitNexus index becomes stale. Re-run analyze to update it: ```bash npx gitnexus analyze ``` If the index previously included embeddings, preserve them by adding `--embeddings`: ```bash npx gitnexus analyze --embeddings ``` To check whether embeddings exist, inspect `.gitnexus/meta.json` — the `stats.embeddings` field shows the count (0 means no embeddings). **Running analyze without `--embeddings` will delete any previously generated embeddings.** > Claude Code users: A PostToolUse hook handles this automatically after `git commit` and `git merge`. ## CLI | Task | Read this skill file | |------|---------------------| | Understand architecture / "How does X work?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-exploring/SKILL.md` | | Blast radius / "What breaks if I change X?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-impact-analysis/SKILL.md` | | Trace bugs / "Why is X failing?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-debugging/SKILL.md` | | Rename / extract / split / refactor | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-refactoring/SKILL.md` | | Tools, resources, schema reference | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-guide/SKILL.md` | | Index, status, clean, wiki CLI commands | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-cli/SKILL.md` | ` block in **[AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md)** — load that section when working with MCP tools or the graph index. # GitNexus — Code Intelligence This project is indexed by GitNexus as **GitNexus** (3298 symbols, 7954 relationships, 185 execution flows). Use the GitNexus MCP tools to understand code, assess impact, and navigate safely. > If any GitNexus tool warns the index is stale, run `npx gitnexus analyze` in terminal first. ## Always Do - **MUST run impact analysis before editing any symbol.** Before modifying a function, class, or method, run `gitnexus_impact({target: "symbolName", direction: "upstream"})` and report the blast radius (direct callers, affected processes, risk level) to the user. - **MUST run `gitnexus_detect_changes()` before committing** to verify your changes only affect expected symbols and execution flows. - **MUST warn the user** if impact analysis returns HIGH or CRITICAL risk before proceeding with edits. - When exploring unfamiliar code, use `gitnexus_query({query: "concept"})` to find execution flows instead of grepping. It returns process-grouped results ranked by relevance. - When you need full context on a specific symbol — callers, callees, which execution flows it participates in — use `gitnexus_context({name: "symbolName"})`. ## When Debugging 1. `gitnexus_query({query: ""})` — find execution flows related to the issue 2. `gitnexus_context({name: ""})` — see all callers, callees, and process participation 3. `READ gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/process/{processName}` — trace the full execution flow step by step 4. For regressions: `gitnexus_detect_changes({scope: "compare", base_ref: "main"})` — see what your branch changed ## When Refactoring - **Renaming**: MUST use `gitnexus_rename({symbol_name: "old", new_name: "new", dry_run: true})` first. Review the preview — graph edits are safe, text_search edits need manual review. Then run with `dry_run: false`. - **Extracting/Splitting**: MUST run `gitnexus_context({name: "target"})` to see all incoming/outgoing refs, then `gitnexus_impact({target: "target", direction: "upstream"})` to find all external callers before moving code. - After any refactor: run `gitnexus_detect_changes({scope: "all"})` to verify only expected files changed. ## Never Do - NEVER edit a function, class, or method without first running `gitnexus_impact` on it. - NEVER ignore HIGH or CRITICAL risk warnings from impact analysis. - NEVER rename symbols with find-and-replace — use `gitnexus_rename` which understands the call graph. - NEVER commit changes without running `gitnexus_detect_changes()` to check affected scope. ## Tools Quick Reference | Tool | When to use | Command | |------|-------------|---------| | `query` | Find code by concept | `gitnexus_query({query: "auth validation"})` | | `context` | 360-degree view of one symbol | `gitnexus_context({name: "validateUser"})` | | `impact` | Blast radius before editing | `gitnexus_impact({target: "X", direction: "upstream"})` | | `detect_changes` | Pre-commit scope check | `gitnexus_detect_changes({scope: "staged"})` | | `rename` | Safe multi-file rename | `gitnexus_rename({symbol_name: "old", new_name: "new", dry_run: true})` | | `cypher` | Custom graph queries | `gitnexus_cypher({query: "MATCH ..."})` | ## Impact Risk Levels | Depth | Meaning | Action | |-------|---------|--------| | d=1 | WILL BREAK — direct callers/importers | MUST update these | | d=2 | LIKELY AFFECTED — indirect deps | Should test | | d=3 | MAY NEED TESTING — transitive | Test if critical path | ## Resources | Resource | Use for | |----------|---------| | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/context` | Codebase overview, check index freshness | | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/clusters` | All functional areas | | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/processes` | All execution flows | | `gitnexus://repo/GitNexus/process/{name}` | Step-by-step execution trace | ## Self-Check Before Finishing Before completing any code modification task, verify: 1. `gitnexus_impact` was run for all modified symbols 2. No HIGH/CRITICAL risk warnings were ignored 3. `gitnexus_detect_changes()` confirms changes match expected scope 4. All d=1 (WILL BREAK) dependents were updated ## Keeping the Index Fresh After committing code changes, the GitNexus index becomes stale. Re-run analyze to update it: ```bash npx gitnexus analyze ``` If the index previously included embeddings, preserve them by adding `--embeddings`: ```bash npx gitnexus analyze --embeddings ``` To check whether embeddings exist, inspect `.gitnexus/meta.json` — the `stats.embeddings` field shows the count (0 means no embeddings). **Running analyze without `--embeddings` will delete any previously generated embeddings.** > Claude Code users: A PostToolUse hook handles this automatically after `git commit` and `git merge`. ## CLI | Task | Read this skill file | |------|---------------------| | Understand architecture / "How does X work?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-exploring/SKILL.md` | | Blast radius / "What breaks if I change X?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-impact-analysis/SKILL.md` | | Trace bugs / "Why is X failing?" | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-debugging/SKILL.md` | | Rename / extract / split / refactor | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-refactoring/SKILL.md` | | Tools, resources, schema reference | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-guide/SKILL.md` | | Index, status, clean, wiki CLI commands | `.claude/skills/gitnexus/gitnexus-cli/SKILL.md` |