search-first

Name: search-first
Availability: InStock
Author: Yog-Sotho

Enforce a five-step pre-code research workflow across repositories and package registries.

4|Updated Mar 21, 2026

Search Tags:#planning #research #evaluation #decision #packages #coding #dependency

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/Yog-Sotho/claude-skills --skill search-first-yog-sotho

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: search-first
Source: https://github.com/Yog-Sotho/claude-skills/tree/main/search-first
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/Yog-Sotho/claude-skills --skill search-first-yog-sotho

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Enforces a research-before-coding workflow to avoid reinventing solutions by ensuring teams search for existing tools, libraries, and patterns before implementing new functionality.

Core Features & Use Cases

Structured need analysis and first-principles evaluation to guide decision making.
Repository, package registry, MCP server, and web search integration to surface best-fit solutions.
Clear decision outcomes: adopt, extend, compose, or build inline with guardrails.

Quick Start

Before writing non-trivial code, perform a structured search across the repository, available packages, MCP servers, and web references to identify the best solution and determine whether to adopt, extend, compose, or build inline.

Frequently Asked Questions about search-first

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

FAQPage Schema

How do I research existing packages before coding to avoid reinventing the wheel?▼

To avoid reinventing the wheel, perform a structured pre-code research workflow by searching repositories, package registries, MCP servers, and web references to surface existing solutions before implementing new functionality.

What is the best way to evaluate dependencies before integrating them into a project?▼

The best way to evaluate dependencies is through a structured process checking maintainability, licensing, and footprint criteria to determine whether to adopt, extend, compose, or build the functionality inline.

How do I decide whether to adopt an existing package or build a utility inline?▼

You decide whether to adopt or build inline by applying a five-step evaluation process—Need Analysis, Search, Evaluate, Decide, Implement—against criteria like maintainability and licensing to guide your choice.

When should I perform a pre-code search across MCP servers and package registries?▼

You should perform a pre-code search across MCP servers and package registries before writing non-trivial code, adding new functionality, or integrating dependencies to ensure you are not duplicating existing tools.

What are the limitations of building inline instead of extending existing libraries?▼

Building inline instead of extending existing libraries risks reinventing solutions and bypassing established maintainability and licensing guardrails, though it may be necessary when no suitable package is found during evaluation.