Project Onboarding Guide

The Problem

When joining an unfamiliar codebase, the hard part is rarely reading one function; it is finding the entry points. Project type, tech stack, startup commands, configuration files, tests, and deployment clues are scattered across package.json, pom.xml, Dockerfile, README.md, and directory layout. New developers often browse files ad hoc, miss environment variables, build scripts, or Git conventions, and then make their first run or first change feel risky.

How the Skill Works

This onboarding guide turns “exploring a new project” into a concrete checklist. The workflow is structured rather than generic:

• Identify project type and entry point: determine whether it is a web app, backend service, mobile app, or library, then locate startup scripts and main entry files.
• Analyze the tech stack: extract languages, frameworks, dependencies, and build tools from files such as package.json, build.gradle, go.mod, and requirements.txt.
• Map directory structure: confirm where source code, tests, static assets, and configuration live, so generated or vendored directories are not mistaken for business code.
• Locate key configuration: review .env.example, config.sample.yml, CI configs, Dockerfile, and deployment scripts to understand runtime requirements.
• Verify runnability: run the test suite first, then start the app locally, using tests as a baseline health signal.

It can also use helper scripts such as analyze_project.py and tech_stack_detector.sh to collect project metadata, detect technologies, and generate a report. This gives a structured map before diving into core modules.

Boundaries

This skill is best for the first pass through a new repository. It does not replace team communication, architecture docs, code history, or security review. For production secrets, permissions, private build systems, or highly customized infrastructure, follow team policy and avoid guessing from sample configs. In large monorepos, it helps create an overview, but module ownership and business context still need human confirmation.