Research Skill

This skill handles research tasks including investigating code patterns, finding solutions, and gathering technical information.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user asks to:

• Research a topic
• Investigate how something works
• Find documentation
• Compare alternatives
• Analyze existing implementations
• Explore codebases
• Find best practices
• Learn about a library or framework

Research Process

1. Define the Question

Clarify what needs to be researched:

• What's the specific problem?
• What's the context?
• What constraints exist?

2. Gather Information

• Read existing code/documents
• Search documentation
• Check library APIs
• Look for examples
• Search for best practices

3. Analyze Alternatives

• Compare approaches
• Evaluate pros/cons
• Consider trade-offs
• Check community consensus

4. Synthesize Findings

• Summarize what was found
• Provide recommendations
• Include references/sources

Output Format

Always provide research results in this structure:

## 🔍 Research: [Topic]

### Summary
[Brief 2-3 sentence summary]

### Context
[Why this research is needed]

### Findings

#### Option 1: [Name]
- **Pros**: [List]
- **Cons**: [List]
- **Use case**: [When to use]
- **Example**: [Code snippet if applicable]

#### Option 2: [Name]
- ...

### Recommendation
[Based on the context, recommend option X because...]

### References
- [Link 1]
- [Link 2]
- [Link 3]

Example

User: "Research how to implement real-time notifications in NestJS"

Response:

## 🔍 Research: Real-time Notifications in NestJS

### Summary
Real-time notifications can be implemented in NestJS using WebSockets or Server-Sent Events (SSE).

### Context
Need to notify users instantly when certain events occur without page refresh.

### Findings

#### Option 1: WebSockets (Socket.io)
- **Pros**: 
  - Bidirectional communication
  - Room support for targeting users
  - Automatic reconnection
- **Cons**: 
  - More complex setup
  - Requires separate port or prefix
- **Use case**: Chat apps, real-time collab
- **Example**:

@WebSocketGateway() class NotificationsGateway { @WebSocketServer() server: Server;

notify(userId: string, message: string) { this.server.to(user:${userId}).emit('notification', message); } }

#### Option 2: Server-Sent Events (SSE)
- **Pros**:
  - Simple HTTP-based
  - Works with load balancers
  - Automatic reconnection
- **Cons**:
  - One-way (server → client only)
  - Browser limits connections
- **Use case**: Notifications, live updates
- **Example**:

@Get('events') sse(): Observable<MessageEvent> { return this.notificationsService.getEvents(); }

### Recommendation
Use **SSE** for notifications because:
1. Simpler to implement
2. Works with existing infrastructure
3. Unidirectional fits the use case
4. Better for mobile/complex networks

### References
- NestJS Docs: WebSockets
- MDN: Using Server-Sent Events
- Socket.io Documentation

Investigation Process

For deeper investigation:

1. Map the codebase - Understand structure
2. Trace the flow - Follow data/execution
3. Identify patterns - Find recurring solutions
4. Document findings - Record discoveries

Best Practices

1. Be thorough - Don't assume, verify
2. Cite sources - Reference documentation
3. Consider trade-offs - No perfect solution
4. Provide examples - Code snippets help
5. Make recommendations - Guide decision making