/ca-create-context

name: ca-create-context
description: Brownfield back-fill — scout an existing codebase and populate .codearbiter/, then lock it initialized.
argument-hint: (none)

$ca-create-context — brownfield populate

<!-- catalog-compatibility-notice:start --> > Compatibility route. Prefer `$ca-init --brownfield` for new usage. This installed route remains > functional under the command-route compatibility policy at [includes/command-compatibility.md](../../includes/command-compatibility.md); > continue with the unchanged brownfield workflow below. <!-- catalog-compatibility-notice:end -->

Wraps an existing codebase in project state without guessing. Dispatches parallel scouts to read the repository, synthesizes their findings into the surviving `.codearbiter/` doc set, resolves gaps via a targeted interview, and locks the project initialized. No arguments — the skill reads the repo and asks only what it cannot determine.

The only permitted path to populate `.codearbiter/` when meaningful source code already exists. For a greenfield project with no source, use `$ca-decompose`.

Routes to

The `context-creation` skill ([routines/context-creation/SKILL.md](../../routines/context-creation/SKILL.md)) — six gated phases: pre-flight, scout dispatch, synthesis, gap interview, write, lock. Scouts return paths, line numbers, and named values only — never raw source or secret values. The skill is canonical for the phases and their gates.

When NOT to use

• Project already initialized (`<!--INITIALIZED-->` in `CONTEXT.md`) → `$ca-status`.
• Greenfield project, no source → `$ca-decompose`.
• `.codearbiter/` not yet scaffolded → `$ca-init` first.
• Update one doc → edit `<project-root>/.codearbiter/` directly or use `$ca-feature`.

Hard gate

BLOCK if `<!--INITIALIZED-->` is already present in `CONTEXT.md`. BLOCK if no meaningful source exists (route to `$ca-decompose`). BLOCK if any scout fails to return before synthesis. BLOCK if any `[CONFIRM-NN]` exits the gap interview unresolved and undeferred. MUST NOT write `<!--INITIALIZED-->` until every gap is resolved or deferred to `open-questions.md`.