impact-analysis

Analyze dependency impact before editing code to prevent breaking changes.

6|1|Updated Apr 5, 2026

Search Tags:#dependency analysis #breaking changes #impact analysis #API contracts #risk assessment #code edits #milestone execution

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/snewhouse/aa-ma-forge --skill impact-analysis-snewhouse

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: impact-analysis
Source: https://github.com/snewhouse/aa-ma-forge/tree/main/claude-code/skills/impact-analysis
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/snewhouse/aa-ma-forge --skill impact-analysis-snewhouse

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill prevents breaking changes by forcing you to understand upstream callers, downstream dependencies, and contract impact before editing code.

Core Features & Use Cases

Upstream (Callers) Verification: Identify who imports or calls the code so signature and behavior expectations aren’t violated.
Downstream (Dependencies) Verification: Confirm what the edited code imports or relies on so interactions remain correct.
Contract & Side-Effect Guardrails: Detect signature/interface changes, data-shape changes, and unintended state/IO mutations.
Use Case: When modifying shared/core AA-MA modules (imported widely) or making function/signature changes that would cascade across the codebase.

Quick Start

When you are about to modify an existing shared module, run impact-analysis and report upstream callers, downstream dependencies, contract changes, test coverage, side effects, and the resulting risk decision.

Frequently Asked Questions about impact-analysis

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I prevent breaking changes when modifying shared modules?▼

To prevent breaking changes when modifying shared modules, enforce dependency awareness by verifying upstream callers, downstream dependencies, and contract impacts before executing code edits. This ensures signature expectations and interactions remain correct across the dependency graph.

What is dependency analysis for API contract changes?▼

Dependency analysis for API contract changes is the process of identifying upstream callers and downstream dependencies to detect signature, interface, or data-shape alterations. It validates test coverage and side-effect risks to ensure code modifications do not cascade failures across the codebase.

How do I perform a risk assessment before altering function signatures?▼

Perform a risk assessment before altering function signatures by running a verification checklist that reports upstream callers, downstream dependencies, contract changes, test coverage, and side effects. This generates a structured risk-based output to validate the safety of the code edits.

Can I validate milestone work boundaries across multiple coding sessions?▼

Yes, you can validate milestone work boundaries across multiple sessions by applying dependency awareness checks. This requires a consolidated analysis at milestone boundaries to ensure upstream and downstream dependencies remain stable throughout the editing process.

Does impact analysis work for detecting unintended state and IO mutations?▼

Yes, impact analysis works for detecting unintended state and IO mutations by applying contract and side-effect guardrails. It identifies data-shape changes and unintended state or IO mutations during the dependency verification process before code edits are finalized.