Third-Party Package Documentation Workflow

Provides decision framework for accessing documentation on specialized third-party packages using Context7 MCP tools and dependency-docs-collector agent.

Decision Framework

Use Context7 MCP Directly

For quick, focused lookups on specialized packages when you already know what to ask:

Scenarios:

• •API syntax verification during coding
  • •"Verify zod.object() schema syntax"
  • •"Check sharp.resize() options"
• •Single method/function lookup
  • •"What are bull queue retry options?"
  • •"How to use react-hook-form controller?"
• •Specific "how to" for known package
  • •"How to validate nested objects with yup?"
  • •"How to pipeline commands in ioredis?"

Usage:

// 1. Resolve package to Context7 library ID
resolve-library-id("zod", "validate nested objects with zod")

// 2. Query specific documentation
query-docs("/colinhacks/zod", "How to validate nested objects with zod schemas")

When Context7 fails:

• •Package not in Context7 index → Fall back to dependency-docs-collector agent
• •After 3 failed resolve attempts → Use agent for web documentation search
• •Outdated version docs → Agent can fetch latest version-specific docs

Use dependency-docs-collector Agent

For comprehensive documentation gathering when you need implementation guidance:

Scenarios:

1. Adding New Library for Feature

User wants to implement a feature requiring a new dependency:

User: "I need to add background job processing to my Express API"
→ Agent: Research job queue libraries (bull, agenda, bee-queue)
→ Gather installation, Redis setup, queue configuration, worker patterns
→ Provide implementation plan with chosen library

User: "Add PDF generation to my Next.js app"
→ Agent: Fetch pdfkit/puppeteer docs
→ Installation, API usage, Next.js integration patterns
→ Example implementation with serverless considerations

2. Migrating Between Libraries

User wants to replace existing library with alternative:

User: "Migrate from joi to zod for validation"
→ Agent: Gather migration guide, breaking changes
→ Pattern conversions (joi schemas → zod schemas)
→ API differences, TypeScript integration improvements
→ Step-by-step migration plan

User: "Switch from moment to date-fns"
→ Agent: Migration documentation, bundle size comparison
→ Method mapping (moment.format() → date-fns format())
→ Timezone handling differences

3. Finding Alternative to Existing Library

User needs replacement due to deprecation, performance, or features:

User: "Need alternative to deprecated request library"
→ Agent: Research modern alternatives (axios, got, node-fetch)
→ Feature comparison, API differences
→ Migration guide for chosen alternative

User: "Looking for lighter alternative to lodash"
→ Agent: Evaluate alternatives (just-*, native JS methods)
→ Bundle size analysis, feature parity check
→ Migration recommendations

4. Troubleshooting Package Errors

User encounters errors with specialized dependencies:

User: "Getting 'ZodError: Invalid input' with zod validation"
→ Agent: Fetch zod error handling docs
→ Common validation error patterns
→ Debugging techniques, schema refinement

User: "Sharp image processing throwing 'unsupported image format'"
→ Agent: Gather sharp supported formats, installation issues
→ libvips troubleshooting, platform-specific fixes

5. Complex Multi-Package Setup

User needs to configure multiple related packages:

User: "Set up authentication with next-auth, prisma, and zod"
→ Agent: Gather docs for all three packages
→ Integration patterns, adapter configuration
→ Schema validation with auth flows
→ Complete setup guide

User: "Configure testing with Jest, React Testing Library, MSW"
→ Agent: Fetch setup docs for each package
→ Integration configuration, common patterns
→ Example test suite structure

Agent Invocation:

Task({
  subagent_type: "dotclaudefiles:dependency-docs-collector",
  prompt: `
    User wants to [add library X for Y feature / migrate from A to B / find alternative to C].
    Context: [language, framework, specific problem]
    Error (if troubleshooting): [error message]

    Gather documentation, provide implementation/migration plan.
  `
})

Context7 + Troubleshooting Workflow

When troubleshooting with Context7:

1. •Error analysis: Identify package causing error
2. •Quick lookup: Use Context7 for error message/API verification
3. •If Context7 insufficient: Escalate to agent for comprehensive debugging

Example:

User: "Getting error: 'Queue job failed with status 500' in bull"

Step 1: Quick Context7 lookup
→ query-docs("bull", "job failure handling error status codes")
→ Find basic error handling patterns

Step 2: If error persists or needs deeper investigation
→ Escalate to dependency-docs-collector agent
→ Agent gathers: error handling docs, retry strategies, logging patterns
→ Provides comprehensive debugging guide

Critical Constraints

NEVER Use Context7 for Standard Libraries

Context7 is only for third-party packages:

❌ Do NOT use:

• •Language standard libraries: fmt.Println (Go), Array.map (JS), os.ReadFile (Go)
• •Built-in features: Promise, async/await, Python list comprehensions
• •Platform APIs: document.querySelector, fetch, localStorage

✅ Use for:

• •Third-party packages: zod, sharp, bull, ioredis, react-hook-form
• •Framework plugins: next-pwa, @auth/core, prisma adapters
• •Specialized libraries: pdfkit, winston transports, yup

When to Skip This Skill

Answer directly for widely-known packages:

• •Common: express, react, vue, lodash, axios, jest
• •Claude has sufficient training data for these

Use this skill for:

• •Specialized/niche packages
• •Framework-specific plugins
• •Lesser-known libraries
• •Unfamiliar packages

Quick Reference

Context7 Tools

resolve-library-id(libraryName, query)

• •Converts package name → Context7 library ID
• •Max 3 calls per question

query-docs(libraryId, query)

• •Retrieves documentation for specific query
• •Max 3 calls per question

Agent

dependency-docs-collector

• •Task tool: subagent_type: "claudefiles:dependency-docs-collector"
• •Use for: New features, migrations, alternatives, troubleshooting, multi-package setups

Common Patterns Summary

Version: 0.1.0 Plugin: dotclaudefiles