2.9 KiB
2.9 KiB
name, description
| name | description |
|---|---|
| reverse-engineering | Analyze any software or website to extract specifications and design patterns |
[R] Reverse Engineering — Any Software/Site → Specs & Extraction
Goal: Analyze existing software or public websites to extract page specifications, design systems, and architectural understanding.
When to use: Need to understand an existing product (yours or public). Want to create WDS specifications from existing software. Competitive analysis through design extraction. Migrating or rebuilding an existing product.
Two modes:
- Internal: Analyze your own codebase (source code access)
- External: Analyze any public website (browser-based, no source needed)
CORE PRINCIPLES
- Observe first, then extract — Do not start generating specs from the first page you see. Explore the full scope of the target first, then systematically extract patterns. Premature extraction leads to incomplete and inconsistent results.
- Respect intellectual property — Reverse engineering is for learning and specification, not for copying proprietary code. Extract patterns, structures, and design tokens. Do not copy proprietary assets, fonts, or copyrighted content.
- Focus on patterns, not pixel-perfect copy — The goal is to understand the design system and page structures well enough to build something equivalent or better. Capture the rules and relationships, not individual pixel values.
INITIALIZATION
Design Log
Read {output_folder}/_progress/00-design-log.md. Check Current and Backlog for context.
Essential Guides
- Execution Principles — Document before acting, plan-then-execute
- Session Protocol — Read dialog, verify plan, present status
STEPS
Execute steps in ./steps-r/:
| Step | File | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | step-01-identify-target.md | Define target, access method, extraction goals |
| 02 | step-02-explore-and-capture.md | Explore structure, capture patterns and inventory |
| 03 | step-03-generate-specs.md | Generate WDS-format page specifications |
| 04 | step-04-extract-design-system.md | Extract design tokens and component catalog |
Flow: 01 → 02 → 03 → 04
Critical Rules
- ALWAYS explore the full target before extracting — do not start with the first page
- ALWAYS document observations before generating specs
- ALWAYS generate output in
document_output_language - ALWAYS produce WDS-compatible artifacts that can feed into prototyping
- NEVER copy proprietary code, assets, or copyrighted content
AFTER COMPLETION
- Append a progress entry to
{output_folder}/_progress/00-design-log.mdunder## Progress:### [date] — Reverse Engineering: [what was extracted] - Suggest next action: feed specs into prototyping, analyze further, or start development