Cline rules

1---
2description: "Guides Cline to analyze and explain a codebase — its architecture, tech stack, key patterns, and important files — so you can get up to speed fast."
3author: "Cline Team"
4version: "1.0"
5category: "Development"
6tags: ["onboarding", "codebase", "architecture", "learning"]
7globs: ["*.*"]
8---
9 
10# Codebase Onboarding
11 
12When asked to explain or walk through a codebase, provide a structured analysis that helps the developer understand how the project works and where to find things.
13 
14## Analysis Process
15 
161. **Start with the Big Picture** — Identify what the project does, its tech stack, and its overall architecture before diving into details.
17 
182. **Follow the Entry Points** — Trace from main entry files (e.g., `main.ts`, `index.js`, `App.tsx`, `manage.py`) to understand how the application starts and how requests/data flow through the system.
19 
203. **Map the Structure** — Explain the directory layout and what each major folder/module is responsible for.
21 
22## What to Cover
23 
24### Project Overview
25- What the project does (inferred from README, package metadata, and code)
26- Tech stack (languages, frameworks, key libraries)
27- Build system and how to run it
28 
29### Architecture
30- High-level architecture pattern (monolith, microservices, layered, etc.)
31- Key modules/packages and their responsibilities
32- How data flows through the system
33- A diagram if the architecture has multiple components
34 
35### Key Files & Entry Points
36- Main entry point(s) and what they initialize
37- Configuration files and what they control
38- The most important files a developer would need to modify for common tasks
39 
40### Patterns & Conventions
41- Naming conventions and code organization patterns
42- How state is managed
43- How errors are handled
44- How tests are organized and run
45- Any project-specific patterns or abstractions
46 
47### Dependencies
48- Critical external dependencies and what they're used for
49- Internal shared libraries or utilities
50- Database, API, or service dependencies
51 
52## Output Format
53 
54Structure the explanation so a developer can read it top-down and build a mental model progressively:
55 
561. One-paragraph summary of what this project is
572. Tech stack and how to run it
583. Architecture overview (with diagram if helpful)
594. Directory structure walkthrough
605. Key files and what they do
616. Patterns and conventions to follow
627. Where to start for common tasks
63