gh-netresearch-claude-code-marketplace-netresearch-skills-bundle/skills/agents/references/analysis.md

AGENTS.md Analysis Across 6 Netresearch Projects

Executive Summary

Total AGENTS.md Files Found: 21 files across 6 projects

Patterns Observed:

1. Root files are thin (26-348 lines) with precedence rules and global defaults
2. Scoped files are focused on specific subsystems (backend, frontend, CLI, etc.)
3. Managed header present in newer files: <!-- Managed by agent: keep sections & order; edit content, not structure. Last updated: YYYY-MM-DD -->
4. Consistent structure following the 9-section schema from your prompt

File Distribution

Project	Root	Scoped Files	Total Lines (root)
t3x-rte_ckeditor_image	✅	Classes/, Documentation/, Resources/, Tests/	348
coding_agent_cli_toolset	✅	scripts/	308
ldap-selfservice-password-changer	✅	internal/, internal/web/	282
ldap-manager	✅	cmd/, internal/, internal/web/, scripts/	228
raybeam	✅	cmd/, internal/	209
simple-ldap-go	✅	docs/, examples/, testutil/	26 ⭐ Perfect thin root

Key Findings

1. simple-ldap-go is the Best Example ⭐

Root file (26 lines):

• Minimal global rules
• Clear precedence statement
• Index of scoped files
• No duplication with scoped content

## Global rules
- Keep diffs small; add tests for new code paths
- Ask first before: adding heavy deps, running full e2e suites, or repo-wide rewrites

## Minimal pre-commit checks
- Typecheck (all packages): `go build -v ./...`
- Lint/format (file scope): `gofmt -w <file.go>`
- Unit tests (fast): `go test -v -race -short -timeout=10s ./...`

## Index of scoped AGENTS.md
- `./examples/AGENTS.md` — Example applications
- `./testutil/AGENTS.md` — Testing utilities
- `./docs/AGENTS.md` — Documentation

2. Scoped Files Follow 9-Section Schema

Example: simple-ldap-go/examples/AGENTS.md:

1. ✅ Overview
2. ✅ Setup & environment
3. ✅ Build & tests (file-scoped)
4. ✅ Code style & conventions
5. ✅ Security & safety
6. ✅ PR/commit checklist
7. ✅ Good vs. bad examples
8. ✅ When stuck
9. ⚠️ House Rules (rarely used, only when overriding)

3. Managed Header Usage

Present in (newer projects):

• simple-ldap-go (all files)
• ldap-selfservice-password-changer (all files)
• raybeam (some files)

Missing in (older projects):

• t3x-rte_ckeditor_image
• coding_agent_cli_toolset

Format:

<!-- Managed by agent: keep sections & order; edit content, not structure. Last updated: 2025-10-09 -->

4. Precedence Rules - Consistent Pattern

All root files establish precedence clearly:

Pattern 1 (verbose):

"This file explains repo-wide conventions and where to find scoped rules. Precedence: the closest AGENTS.md to the files you're changing wins. Root holds global defaults only."

Pattern 2 (concise):

"Precedence: Nearest AGENTS.md wins. This is the root file with global defaults."

Pattern 3 (index-focused):

"## Precedence & Scoped Files
Nearest AGENTS.md wins. Use this root for defaults only."

5. Docker-First vs Native-First

Docker-first projects (ldap-selfservice-password-changer, ldap-manager):

### Setup
**Prerequisites**: Docker + Docker Compose (required), Go 1.25+, Node.js 24+, pnpm 10.18+ (for native dev)

# Docker (recommended)
docker compose --profile dev up

# Native development
pnpm install

Native-first projects (simple-ldap-go, t3x-rte_ckeditor_image):

### Setup
**Prerequisites**: Go 1.24, golangci-lint

# Install
go mod download

6. Language-Specific Patterns

Go Projects (simple-ldap-go, ldap-manager, raybeam):

• Minimal pre-commit: go build -v ./..., gofmt -w, go test -short
• Go version in global rules (1.24, 1.25)
• golangci-lint for comprehensive checks

PHP Project (t3x-rte_ckeditor_image):

• Composer scripts for CI pipeline
• PHPStan + PHP-CS-Fixer + Rector
• Make targets preferred over composer commands

Hybrid Projects (ldap-selfservice-password-changer):

• Separate sections for Go backend vs TypeScript frontend
• Scoped AGENTS.md for internal/ (Go) and internal/web/ (TS)
• pnpm for package management (strict version)

7. Quick Start Patterns

Best practice (ldap-selfservice-password-changer):

## Quick Navigation
- [internal/AGENTS.md](internal/AGENTS.md) - Go backend services
- [internal/web/AGENTS.md](internal/web/AGENTS.md) - TypeScript frontend

Alternative (simple-ldap-go):

## Index of scoped AGENTS.md
- `./examples/AGENTS.md` — Example applications and usage patterns
- `./testutil/AGENTS.md` — Testing utilities and container management

8. House Rules Implementation

Global defaults typically include:

• Commits: Conventional Commits, small PRs (~≤300 LOC)
• Type-safety: Strict types when supported
• SOLID, KISS, DRY, YAGNI principles
• SemVer for versioning
• No secrets in VCS
• Structured logging
• WCAG AA for UI projects

Scoped overrides (rare):

• Different test coverage targets per module
• Module-specific commit conventions
• Technology-specific style guides

9. Common Gaps Across Projects

❌ Missing .envrc in most projects (your prompt requires it) ❌ Missing .editorconfig in some projects ❌ Husky + commitlint not universally adopted ❌ lint-staged not implemented in older projects ❌ CI parity section often missing (should reference GitHub Actions)

Recommendations for Your Skill

Essential Features

1. Template Selection:

   • Thin root (simple-ldap-go style) ⭐
   • Verbose root (ldap-selfservice-password-changer style)
   • Auto-detect based on project size

2. Project Type Detection:

   • Go: Look for go.mod, detect version from go.mod directive
   • PHP: Look for composer.json, detect TYPO3 from dependencies
   • TypeScript: Look for tsconfig.json, detect strict mode
   • Hybrid: Detect multiple languages, recommend scoped files

3. Scoped File Generation:

   • Required scopes: backend/, frontend/, internal/
   • Optional scopes: cmd/, scripts/, examples/, docs/, testutil/
   • Auto-create if directory exists and has ≥5 files

4. Content Extraction:

   • Makefile: Extract targets with ## comments → Build & Test Commands
   • package.json scripts: Extract npm/pnpm commands
   • go.mod: Extract Go version → Prerequisites
   • composer.json scripts: Extract PHP quality commands
   • GitHub Actions: Extract CI checks → PR/commit checklist

5. Managed Header:

   • Always add to new files
   • Preserve in existing files
   • Update timestamp on regeneration

6. Precedence Rules:

   • Auto-add "Nearest AGENTS.md wins" statement
   • Generate index of scoped files in root
   • Link from root to scoped files

Skill Structure Recommendation

agents-skill/
├── SKILL.md
├── README.md
├── templates/
│   ├── root-thin.md          # simple-ldap-go style (recommended)
│   ├── root-verbose.md       # ldap-selfservice style
│   ├── scoped-backend.md     # Go/PHP backend
│   ├── scoped-frontend.md    # TypeScript/JS frontend
│   ├── scoped-cli.md         # CLI tools
│   ├── scoped-docs.md        # Documentation
│   ├── scoped-tests.md       # Testing utilities
│   └── sections/             # Modular sections
│       ├── header.md         # Managed header template
│       ├── precedence.md     # Precedence statement
│       ├── setup.md          # Setup section
│       ├── build-commands.md # Build & test commands
│       ├── code-style.md     # Code style guidelines
│       ├── security.md       # Security practices
│       ├── pr-checklist.md   # PR/commit checklist
│       ├── examples.md       # Good vs bad examples
│       └── when-stuck.md     # When stuck guidance
├── scripts/
│   ├── generate-agents.sh    # Main generator
│   ├── detect-project.sh     # Auto-detect project type
│   ├── extract-commands.sh   # Extract from Makefile/package.json
│   └── validate-structure.sh # Validate generated files
└── references/
    ├── examples/             # Real-world examples
    │   ├── go-library.md     # simple-ldap-go
    │   ├── go-web-app.md     # ldap-manager
    │   ├── php-typo3.md      # t3x-rte_ckeditor_image
    │   └── hybrid-app.md     # ldap-selfservice-password-changer
    └── best-practices.md     # AGENTS.md writing guide

Key Differentiators

✅ Thin root by default (not verbose like some projects) ✅ Auto-scope detection (create scoped files when needed) ✅ Command extraction (don't make user write commands manually) ✅ Managed header (mark files as agent-maintained) ✅ Language-agnostic (works with Go, PHP, TypeScript, Python, etc.) ✅ Idempotent (can be re-run without breaking existing structure)

Sample Output Comparison

Your Prompt's Expected Output

Root AGENTS.md (following simple-ldap-go pattern):

<!-- Managed by agent: keep sections & order; edit content, not structure. Last updated: 2025-10-18 -->

# AGENTS.md (root)

**Precedence:** The **closest AGENTS.md** to changed files wins. Root holds global defaults only.

## Global rules
- Keep PRs small (~≤300 net LOC)
- Conventional Commits: type(scope): subject
- Ask before: heavy deps, full e2e, repo rewrites
- Never commit secrets or PII

## Minimal pre-commit checks
- Typecheck: [auto-detected command]
- Lint: [auto-detected command]
- Format: [auto-detected command]
- Tests: [auto-detected command]

## Index of scoped AGENTS.md
- `./internal/AGENTS.md` — Go backend services
- `./internal/web/AGENTS.md` — TypeScript frontend

## When instructions conflict
Nearest AGENTS.md wins. User prompts override files.

Scoped AGENTS.md (e.g., internal/AGENTS.md):

<!-- Managed by agent: keep sections & order; edit content, not structure. Last updated: 2025-10-18 -->

# AGENTS.md — Backend Services

## Overview
[Auto-generated description of internal/ directory purpose]

## Setup & environment
[Auto-detected from go.mod, .env.example]

## Build & tests (prefer file-scoped)
[Auto-extracted from Makefile, go commands]

## Code style & conventions
[Auto-detected from golangci-lint config, gofmt]

## Security & safety
[Standard Go security practices + project-specific]

## PR/commit checklist
[Auto-extracted from GitHub Actions, Makefile]

## Good vs. bad examples
[Template with placeholders to fill]

## When stuck
- Check root AGENTS.md for global rules
- Review sibling modules for patterns