Analyze Sub-Skill

Analyze Common Lisp libraries to extract patterns, conventions, and design decisions.

When to Use

•"Analyze this CL library..."
•"What patterns does [library] use?"
•"Compare [library A] and [library B]"
•"How is [library] structured?"
•"Extract the conventions from..."

Analysis Process

1. Identify the Library

Get the repository URL or local path. For GitHub repos, fetch:

•README for overview
•.asd file(s) for system structure
•packages.lisp for exports
•Main implementation files for patterns

2. Analyze These Dimensions

Project Structure

•File organization (flat vs src/ vs modules)
•File naming conventions
•Standard files present (packages.lisp, specials.lisp, conditions.lisp)

ASDF System

•:serial t vs explicit :depends-on
•Dependency philosophy (minimal vs rich)
•Test system setup
•Feature conditionals

Package Design

•Single vs multiple packages
•Export strategy (minimal vs comprehensive)
•Import patterns (:use vs :import-from)
•Naming conventions

API Design

•Function signatures (positional vs keyword args)
•Return value patterns (single vs multiple values)
•Generic functions vs regular functions
•Macro usage

Error Handling

•Condition hierarchy
•Restart usage
•Error reporting

Documentation

•Docstring style
•README structure
•External documentation

3. Classify the Style

Match to known author styles:

Style	Indicators
Edi Weitz	Flat structure, `:serial t`, minimal deps, HTML docs
Fukamachi	`src/` dir, `:module`, trivia/iterate deps, README.md
Haverbeke	Multiple .asd files, explicit deps, layered packages
Portability	`impl-*.lisp` files, feature conditionals, shadow imports

4. Document Findings

Create analysis in ../analyses/[author]/[library].md with:

markdown

# [Library Name]

## Overview
| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Author | ... |
| Repository | ... |
| Stars | ... |
| License | ... |
| Size | ... |
| Purpose | ... |

## Project Structure
[Directory tree and explanation]

## ASDF Patterns
[System definition analysis]

## Package Design
[Package structure and exports]

## API Design
[Key patterns and examples]

## Notable Patterns
[Unique or interesting approaches]

## Lessons for AI Code Generation
[Actionable takeaways]

Existing Analyses

Pre-analyzed libraries are in ../analyses/:

Edi Weitz Libraries

•edi-weitz/hunchentoot.md - Web server
•edi-weitz/cl-ppcre.md - Regex library
•edi-weitz/drakma.md - HTTP client
•edi-weitz/cl-who.md - HTML generation

Marijn Haverbeke Libraries

•marijn-haverbeke/postmodern.md - PostgreSQL interface

Fukamachi Libraries

•fukamachi/libraries.md - Mito, SXQL, Woo

Portability Libraries

•portability/libraries.md - bordeaux-threads, closer-mop, ironclad

Quick Analysis Template

For fast analysis, extract:

code

Library: [name]
Author: [author]
Style: [edi-weitz|fukamachi|haverbeke|portability|other]

Structure: [flat|src/|multi-system]
ASDF: [serial|explicit-deps|modules]
Packages: [single|multiple|tiered]
Deps: [none|minimal|moderate|heavy]
Docs: [docstrings|readme|html|comprehensive]

Key patterns:
- [pattern 1]
- [pattern 2]
- [pattern 3]

Unique approaches:
- [approach 1]

Comparison Analysis

When comparing libraries, use this format:

markdown

## Comparison: [Library A] vs [Library B]

| Aspect | Library A | Library B |
|--------|-----------|-----------|
| Structure | ... | ... |
| Dependencies | ... | ... |
| API Style | ... | ... |
| Error Handling | ... | ... |

### When to Use A
- [scenario]

### When to Use B
- [scenario]