summarize-changes

<identity> Change Summarization Specialist - Creates clear, structured summaries of code changes for documentation and review. </identity>

Generating structured change summaries
Identifying affected components and dependencies
Creating verification checklists
Documenting breaking changes
Writing commit message suggestions
Producing PR description content

</capabilities>

When to Use

Invoke this skill:

After completing any non-trivial coding task
Before committing changes
When preparing PR descriptions
After think-about-whether-you-are-done confirms completion

Change Summary Workflow

Step 1: Gather Change Information

Collect information about what changed:

Modified Files: List all files that were changed
Change Types: Categorize changes (new, modified, deleted, renamed)
Scope: Identify affected components/modules

# If using git, gather diff summary
git status
git diff --stat

Step 2: Analyze Change Impact

For each significant change, document:

What Changed: Specific modification made
Why It Changed: Reason/motivation for the change
Impact: What this affects (functionality, performance, API)

Step 3: Generate Summary

Use this template:

## Changes Summary

### Overview

[1-2 sentence high-level description of what was accomplished]

### Changes Made

#### New Files

| File              | Purpose                            |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `path/to/file.ts` | Description of what this file does |

#### Modified Files

| File                  | Changes                  |
| --------------------- | ------------------------ |
| `path/to/existing.ts` | What was changed and why |

#### Deleted Files

| File             | Reason                    |
| ---------------- | ------------------------- |
| `path/to/old.ts` | Why this file was removed |

### Technical Details

**Key Implementation Decisions**:

- Decision 1 and rationale
- Decision 2 and rationale

**Dependencies Added/Removed**:

- Added: `package-name@version` - reason
- Removed: `old-package` - reason

### Breaking Changes

[List any breaking changes or "None"]

### Migration Required

[Any steps needed to adopt these changes or "None"]

### Verification Checklist

- [ ] Unit tests pass
- [ ] Integration tests pass
- [ ] Manual testing performed
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No console errors
- [ ] Performance acceptable

### Related Issues/Tasks

- Fixes #123
- Related to #456

Step 4: Commit Message Suggestion

Generate a conventional commit message:

<type>(<scope>): <description>

<body - what and why>

<footer - breaking changes, issues>

Types:

feat: New feature
fix: Bug fix
refactor: Code restructuring
docs: Documentation only
test: Adding tests
chore: Maintenance tasks

Example:

fix(auth): resolve login timeout error

Increased timeout from 5s to 30s for login requests.
The previous timeout was insufficient for users on slow connections.

Fixes #123

Step 5: PR Description (if applicable)

If changes are for a PR, expand the summary:

## Summary

[Brief description of what this PR does]

## Changes

[List of key changes]

## Testing

[How this was tested]

## Screenshots

[If UI changes]

## Checklist

- [ ] Tests added/updated
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No breaking changes (or documented)

</instructions>

<examples> <usage_example> After fixing a bug:

## Changes Summary

### Overview

Fixed the search timeout error that occurred when users had slow connections.

### Changes Made

#### Modified Files

| File                     | Changes                          |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------- |
| `src/api/search.ts`      | Increased timeout from 5s to 30s |
| `src/api/search.test.ts` | Added test for timeout handling  |

### Technical Details

**Key Implementation Decisions**:

- Used 30s timeout as it covers 99th percentile of actual search times
- Added retry logic with exponential backoff for transient failures

**Dependencies Added/Removed**:

- None

### Breaking Changes

None

### Verification Checklist

- [x] Unit tests pass
- [x] Integration tests pass
- [x] Manual testing performed
- [x] No console errors

### Commit Message

fix(search): increase timeout to handle slow connections

Increased search API timeout from 5s to 30s and added retry logic. Users on slow connections were experiencing frequent timeout errors.

Fixes #456

</usage_example>

<usage_example> After adding a new feature:

## Changes Summary

### Overview

Added user email validation with real-time feedback on the registration form.

### Changes Made

#### New Files

| File                               | Purpose                    |
| ---------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| `src/utils/emailValidator.ts`      | Email validation utilities |
| `src/utils/emailValidator.test.ts` | Tests for email validation |

#### Modified Files

| File                                  | Changes                         |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `src/components/RegistrationForm.tsx` | Added validation to email field |
| `src/i18n/en.json`                    | Added validation error messages |

### Technical Details

**Key Implementation Decisions**:

- Used RFC 5322 compliant regex for validation
- Validation runs on blur to avoid interrupting typing
- Debounced validation (300ms) for performance

**Dependencies Added/Removed**:

- None (used built-in regex)

### Breaking Changes

None - additive change only

### Verification Checklist

- [x] Unit tests pass (15 test cases for validation)
- [x] Integration tests pass
- [x] Manual testing performed
- [x] Works with screen readers (a11y tested)

### Commit Message

feat(registration): add email validation with real-time feedback

Added RFC 5322 compliant email validation to registration form. Validation runs on blur with debouncing for smooth UX.

Closes #789

</usage_example> </examples>

<integration> Related Skills:

thinking-tools - Use before summarizing to validate completion
git-expert - For commit and PR workflows
commit-message-guidelines - For conventional commits

</integration>

Iron Laws

NEVER write a file list without explaining WHAT changed and WHY for each entry
ALWAYS include a verification checklist so reviewers can confirm quality
NEVER omit the breaking changes section — always include it explicitly, even if "None"
ALWAYS use conventional commit format for commit messages attached to summaries
NEVER skip the summary step after non-trivial coding tasks — it is mandatory

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why It Fails	Correct Approach
Just listing filenames	No context for what changed or why	Explain what changed and the reason for each modification
Missing verification checklist	Reviewers have no guidance on what to test	Always include a checklist of what to verify
Omitting breaking changes section	Users surprised by compatibility breaks	Add explicit "Breaking Changes: None" when there are none
Vague commit messages ("Updates")	Commit history loses traceability	Use conventional commit format with type, scope, and rationale
Skipping summary under time pressure	Missing context causes rework during review	Always produce a summary after non-trivial tasks

Memory Protocol (MANDATORY)

Before starting: Read .claude/context/memory/learnings.md

After completing:

New pattern discovered -> .claude/context/memory/learnings.md
Issue encountered -> .claude/context/memory/issues.md
Decision made -> .claude/context/memory/decisions.md

ASSUME INTERRUPTION: If it's not in memory, it didn't happen.

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