search-first

To research existing libraries before coding, follow a structured five-step workflow: need analysis, parallel search, evaluate, decide, and implement. This process coordinates with researcher and planner agents to surface reusable solutions.

The best way to find reusable tools across ecosystems is running a parallel search across multiple languages and frameworks, then evaluating candidates to decide whether to adopt, extend, or build your solution.

Evaluating dependencies involves comparing existing candidates discovered during your parallel search and deciding whether to adopt them directly, extend their functionality, or build a custom implementation from scratch.

You should search for existing solutions when starting a new feature, integrating dependencies, or designing utilities that may already exist across languages and ecosystems to prevent unnecessary code duplication.

Yes, this research workflow applies directly to building utilities with potential existing solutions, guiding you through need analysis and parallel search to find and reuse established tools before writing new code.