Context Fetch Skill

Core principle: Search first, read targeted sections, never load full files blindly.

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When to Use

Activate this skill before:

• Starting any coding task
• Beginning a refactor
• Investigating a bug
• Understanding unfamiliar code

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Process

Step 1: Define the Question

What are you trying to find or understand?

Examples:

• "Where is the login endpoint defined?"
• "How does the caching layer work?"
• "What calls the processPayment function?"

Step 2: Identify Keywords

Extract searchable terms:

Question	Keywords
Login endpoint	login, auth, POST.*login
Caching layer	cache, redis, memoize
Payment calls	processPayment, payment

Step 3: Search Before Reading

PowerShell:

# Simple pattern search
Select-String -Path "src/**/*.ts" -Pattern "login" -Recurse

# With ripgrep (if available)
rg "login" --type ts

Bash:

# With ripgrep (recommended)
rg "login" --type ts

# With grep
grep -r "login" src/ --include="*.ts"

Step 4: Evaluate Results

From search results, identify:

1. Primary candidates — Files directly matching your question
2. Secondary candidates — Files that reference primary candidates
3. Ignore list — Files with keyword but unrelated context

Step 5: Targeted Reading

Only read what's justified:

# Read specific line range (PowerShell)
Get-Content "src/auth/login.ts" | Select-Object -Skip 49 -First 30

# Read specific function (with view_code_item tool)
# view_code_item: src/auth/login.ts -> handleLogin

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Inputs

When invoking this skill, provide:

Input	Description	Example
Question	What you're trying to find	"Where is user validation?"
Scope	Directory or file pattern	src/, *.service.ts
Keywords	Terms to search for	validate, user, schema

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Outputs

After executing this skill, report:

1. Candidate files — Ranked by relevance
2. Relevant extracts — Key snippets found
3. Next reads — Specific files/line-ranges to read next
4. Skip list — Files searched but not relevant

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Anti-Patterns

❌ Loading Everything First

# BAD: Reading 5 full files to "understand context"
Read: src/auth/login.ts (500 lines)
Read: src/auth/register.ts (400 lines)
Read: src/auth/types.ts (200 lines)

✅ Search Then Target

# GOOD: Search first, read only what's needed
Search: "validatePassword" in src/auth/
Found: login.ts:45, register.ts:78
Read: login.ts lines 40-60

❌ Broad Searches

# BAD: Searching for common terms
Search: "function" → 10,000 results

✅ Specific Searches

# GOOD: Searching for specific identifiers
Search: "validateUserCredentials" → 3 results

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Context Efficiency Metrics

Track your efficiency:

Metric	Good	Poor
Files searched	10+	<5
Files fully read	<3	10+
Lines read	<200	1000+
Targeted sections	Yes	No

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Integration with GSD

This skill supports GSD's context management:

• Prevents context pollution — Less irrelevant code loaded
• Supports wave execution — Each wave starts with minimal context
• Enables model switching — Less context = easier handoff

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Quick Reference

1. Define question     → What am I looking for?
2. Extract keywords    → What terms to search?
3. Search codebase     → rg/grep/Select-String
4. Evaluate results    → Which files matter?
5. Read targeted       → Specific lines only
6. Report findings     → Candidates + extracts

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Part of GSD methodology. See PROJECT_RULES.md for search-first discipline rules.