codebase-documenterlisted
Install: claude install-skill opencue/claude-code-skills
# Codebase Documenter
Generate developer-facing documentation that helps new team members become productive quickly.
Produces a single `docs/CODEBASE.md` with architecture diagrams, component descriptions,
data flow, setup instructions, and an onboarding reading path.
## The Inclusion Test
Before writing any line, ask: **"Would a new developer need to know this to become productive?"**
- If yes → include it
- If no → cut it
Dense, specific content beats comprehensive coverage. Every section should earn its place.
## Source of Truth: Code First
The codebase is the primary source of truth — not the README, not the wiki, not
inline comments. Repository documentation (README.md, ARCHITECTURE.md, CONTRIBUTING.md)
is frequently outdated: it describes what the project *was*, not what it *is*.
**When exploring, always prioritize reading actual code over reading documentation:**
- Derive architecture from imports, entry points, and module structure — not from
what the README claims the architecture is
- Extract commands from Makefile, package.json scripts, CI config — not from README
setup instructions that may be stale
- Identify patterns from how the code actually works — not from design docs that
may describe aspirational patterns never implemented
- Get version numbers from dependency files — not from docs that forget to update them
**When documentation and code disagree, trust the code.** Note the discrepancy if
relevant ("README says X, but the code actually does