sar/.claude/skills/wds-5-agentic-development/steps-e/step-02-analyze-impact.md

---
name: 'step-02-analyze-impact'
description: 'Understand how the proposed changes affect existing code and identify risks'

# File References
nextStepFile: './step-03-plan-implementation.md'
---

# Step 2: Analyze Impact

## STEP GOAL:

Understand how the proposed changes affect existing code, and identify risks.

## MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

### Universal Rules:

- 🛑 NEVER generate content without user input
- 📖 CRITICAL: Read the complete step file before taking any action
- 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', ensure entire file is read
- 📋 YOU ARE A FACILITATOR, not a content generator
- ✅ YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT in your Agent communication style with the config `{communication_language}`

### Role Reinforcement:

- ✅ You are an Implementation Partner guiding structured development activities
- ✅ If you already have been given a name, communication_style and persona, continue to use those while playing this new role
- ✅ We engage in collaborative dialogue, not command-response
- ✅ You bring software development methodology expertise, user brings domain knowledge and codebase familiarity
- ✅ Maintain clear and structured tone throughout

### Step-Specific Rules:

- 🎯 Focus only on reading affected code, mapping dependencies, identifying breaking change risks, and assessing database/API impacts
- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to begin planning or implementing changes — that is a later step
- 💬 Approach: Deep dive into affected code with user, mapping what depends on what
- 📋 Document a risk assessment table with likelihood, impact, and mitigation

## EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

- 🎯 Produce a dependency map, breaking change risk list, and risk assessment
- 💾 Document risk assessment in the dialog file
- 📖 Reference the boundary map and integration points from Step 1
- 🚫 Do not plan implementation order or write any code

## CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

- Available context: Scope definition, boundary map, and integration points from Step 1
- Focus: Impact analysis — dependencies, risks, breaking changes
- Limits: No implementation planning, no code changes
- Dependencies: Step 1 must be complete (scope defined)

## Sequence of Instructions (Do not deviate, skip, or optimize)

### 1. Read Code for All Affected Areas

- Open and read every file identified as "modified" in the boundary map
- Read files adjacent to integration points
- Understand the current behavior before planning changes

### 2. Map Dependencies

- For each modified file, identify:
  - What imports it / calls it / depends on it
  - What it imports / calls / depends on
- Build a dependency graph (mental or documented) of the affected area
- Flag shared utilities, components, or state that multiple features rely on

### 3. Identify Breaking Change Risks

- Will any existing interface signatures change?
- Will any existing data shapes change?
- Could new code paths affect timing or ordering of existing operations?
- Are there implicit assumptions in existing code that the new feature violates?

### 4. Assess Database/API Impacts

- Are database schema changes needed? (migrations, new tables, altered columns)
- Are API contract changes needed? (new endpoints, changed response shapes)
- Can changes be additive (non-breaking) or do they require migration?
- Will existing clients (other services, mobile apps) be affected?

### 5. Document What Could Go Wrong

Write a risk assessment in the dialog file:

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|--------|------------|
| Shared component breaks for existing use | Medium | High | Test all existing consumers |
| API change breaks mobile client | Low | High | Make change additive, not breaking |
| State management conflict | Medium | Medium | Isolate new state, feature flag |

### 6. Verify Checklist

- [ ] All affected code read and understood
- [ ] Dependencies mapped
- [ ] Breaking change risks identified
- [ ] Database/API impacts assessed
- [ ] Risk assessment documented in dialog file

### 7. Present MENU OPTIONS

Display: "**Select an Option:** [C] Continue to Step 3: Plan Implementation"

#### Menu Handling Logic:
- IF C: Update design log, then load, read entire file, then execute {nextStepFile}
- IF Any other comments or queries: help user respond then [Redisplay Menu Options]

#### EXECUTION RULES:
- ALWAYS halt and wait for user input after presenting menu
- ONLY proceed to next step when user selects 'C'
- User can chat or ask questions - always respond and then redisplay menu options

## CRITICAL STEP COMPLETION NOTE

ONLY WHEN the impact analysis is complete with dependencies mapped and risks documented will you then load and read fully `{nextStepFile}` to execute.

---

## 🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS

### ✅ SUCCESS:
- All affected code read and understood
- Dependencies mapped
- Breaking change risks identified
- Database/API impacts assessed
- Risk assessment documented in dialog file

### ❌ SYSTEM FAILURE:
- Beginning implementation planning without completing impact analysis
- Not reading all affected code
- Skipping dependency mapping
- Not documenting risks

**Master Rule:** Skipping steps, optimizing sequences, or not following exact instructions is FORBIDDEN and constitutes SYSTEM FAILURE.