search-before-edit

Enforce mandatory pre-edit searches across create, modify, and delete operations.

Updated Aug 27, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/adilkalam/orca-os --skill search-before-edit
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: search-before-edit
Source: https://github.com/adilkalam/orca-os/tree/main/skills/search-before-edit
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/adilkalam/orca-os --skill search-before-edit

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Modifying code without understanding its full context often leads to introducing new bugs, breaking existing functionality, or creating inconsistent patterns. This Skill enforces a mandatory "search before edit" protocol, ensuring all code changes are well-informed, safe, and align with the existing codebase, saving significant debugging time.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Mandatory Pre-Edit Search Protocol: Requires comprehensive searching for existing patterns, usages, and related code before any modification, creation, or deletion of code.
  • Multi-Strategy Search Guidance: Advises on using multiple query wordings, semantic-first approaches, and file type filters for thorough investigation, preventing missed dependencies.
  • Minimum Search Requirements: Defines specific search thresholds for different operations (new file, modify, delete, rename) to ensure due diligence and prevent oversight.
  • Use Case: You need to rename a core function. Instead of just changing the name and hoping for the best, use this Skill to automatically perform a series of grep searches across the entire codebase, identifying all call sites, imports, and tests that need updating, preventing runtime errors and ensuring a smooth refactor.

Quick Start

I need to rename the 'getUserById' function. What should I search for before I make the change?

Frequently Asked Questions about search-before-edit

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I prevent bugs when refactoring code across multiple files?

Search for all existing usages, imports, and related tests before making changes. A mandatory pre-edit search protocol identifies dependencies and call sites across the codebase, preventing broken references and inconsistent patterns that cause runtime errors.

What should I search for before renaming a function?

Search for the function name, its imports in other files, and all test references. This multi-strategy search approach using varied query wordings and file type filters uncovers all locations where the function is called or tested, ensuring a complete and safe refactor.

How many searches should I do before modifying or deleting code?

Perform at least 3 searches when modifying code and 5 searches when deleting to meet minimum search thresholds. These requirements ensure due diligence by validating cross-file references, related patterns, and test impact before committing changes.

Why do bugs appear after making code changes?

Changes made without understanding full context break existing functionality and create inconsistent patterns. Enforcing pre-edit searches identifies all affected code locations, tests, and established patterns before modification, eliminating context-blindness as a bug source.

Can I use this approach when creating new files?

Yes, search for existing patterns and related code before creating new files. Perform at least 2 searches to align new code with established conventions, preventing duplicate logic and ensuring consistency with the existing codebase architecture.