Code Archeologist Analysis

Research the history of the code to understand why decisions were made and identify hidden constraints.

Analysis Checklist

Git History Analysis

• Run git blame on target files to identify authors and change dates
• Review commit messages for rationale behind key decisions
• Trace the evolution of critical functions through git log
• Identify code that has been frequently modified (churn analysis)

Decision Rationale

• Extract reasoning from commit messages and PR descriptions
• Check for linked issues or tickets explaining requirements
• Identify comments that document “why” rather than “what”
• Look for TODO/FIXME/HACK comments with historical context

Hidden Constraints

• Detect workarounds for external system limitations
• Identify timing-sensitive code or ordering dependencies
• Find platform-specific behavior that constrains refactoring
• Check for undocumented business rules embedded in logic

Legacy Pattern Identification

• Identify deprecated patterns still in use
• Find abandoned migration attempts (partial rewrites)
• Detect compatibility shims that may no longer be needed
• Map code that predates current architecture conventions

Knowledge Preservation

• Document tribal knowledge found in comments and commit messages
• Record undocumented invariants that tests rely upon
• Capture performance constraints discovered through history
• List external system dependencies revealed by past incidents

Output Format

Report findings with impact ratings: