reversa-detective

Extract implicit business knowledge from legacy projects via git history and source code.

Updated May 13, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/cliffthelin/AXiomEngine --skill reversa-detective-cliffthelin
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: reversa-detective
Source: https://github.com/cliffthelin/AXiomEngine/tree/main/skills/reversa/reversa-detective
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/cliffthelin/AXiomEngine --skill reversa-detective-cliffthelin

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

It helps you uncover the implicit “why” behind legacy systems—turning scattered code, commit history, and domain constraints into clear, human-readable governance artifacts.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Git archaeology for retroactive ADRs: Identify decisions from commit messages, refactors, reverts, and hotfixes to reconstruct intent.
  • Implicit business rule extraction: Translate complex conditionals, validations, enums/constants, and evidence in comments/TODOs into domain knowledge.
  • State machine and permissions mapping: Generate state transitions (when relevant) and RBAC permission matrices (when RBAC is central), plus analyze logs if present.

Quick Start

Run the reversa-detective skill on your legacy repository so it reads .reversa/state.json and produces _reversa_sdd/domain.md (and additional artifacts based on doc_level).

Frequently Asked Questions about reversa-detective

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I extract business rules and domain logic from legacy source code?

Extract implicit business rules from legacy code by analyzing complex conditionals, validations, enums, and comments to translate domain constraints into human-readable knowledge. This process converts scattered logic into structured governance artifacts for legacy modernization.

What is git archaeology for recovering architectural decisions?

Git archaeology for retroactive ADRs identifies past decisions from commit messages, refactors, reverts, and hotfixes to reconstruct original intent. It transforms fragmented commit history into clear architectural decision records for legacy systems.

How do I generate RBAC permission matrices and state machines from an existing codebase?

Generate RBAC permission matrices and state machines by applying reverse engineering interpretation to source code and runtime artifacts. This maps state transitions and access control lists into governance-ready markdown documentation.

Do I need a specific configuration file to start reverse engineering a legacy project?

You need a `.reversa/state.json` file in your legacy repository to start reverse engineering. The Skill reads this configuration, specifically the `output_folder` and `doc_level` fields, to produce governance artifacts in the `_reversa_sdd` directory.

What is the best way to document implicit domain knowledge for legacy modernization?

The best way to document implicit domain knowledge is by analyzing git history, source code domain logic, and runtime artifacts together. This recovers retroactive ADRs, state machines, and permission matrices as governance-ready markdown files.