/git-workspace-review

name: git-workspace-review
description: Verifies workspace state and staged changes as a read-only preflight. Use before commits or PRs to confirm staged set is clean and correct.
alwaysApply: false
category: workspace-ops
tags:
- git
- preflight
- status
- diff
- staged
tools: []
complexity: low
estimated_tokens: 500
modules:
- modules/git-commands.md
role: library

Git Workspace Review

When NOT To Use

• Writing the commit message (use `sanctum:commit-messages`)
• Running the full pre-PR gate (use `sanctum:pr-prep`)

Verification

Run `git status` after review to verify workspace state matches expectations.

Testing

Run `pytest plugins/sanctum/tests/test_git_workspace_review.py` to validate review workflow.

Usage

Use this skill before workflows that depend on repository state, such as commit message generation, PR preparation, or release notes. Run it once per session or whenever staged changes are modified.

Required Progress Tracking

1. `git-review:repo-confirmed` 2. `git-review:status-overview` 3. `git-review:code-quality-check` 4. `git-review:diff-stat` 5. `git-review:diff-details`

Mark each item as complete as you finish the corresponding step.

Step 1: Confirm Repository (`repo-confirmed`)

Run `pwd` to confirm you are in the correct repository directory. Execute `git status -sb` to view the current branch and short status, then capture the branch name and upstream information.

Step 2: Review Status Overview (`status-overview`)

Analyze the `git status -sb` output for staged and unstaged changes. Stage or unstage files so that subsequent workflows operate on the intended diff.

Step 3: Check Code Quality (`code-quality-check`)

Run `make lint` from the repository root to validate code quality before committing. It checks ruff format, runs the per-plugin ruff check, and runs bandit. It rewrites nothing: a check that edits the tree cannot report the diff it was asked to find. When it fails it names `make fix`, which is the mutating pair (`ruff format` plus `ruff check --fix`). The root Makefile defines no `format` target, and the plugin Makefiles that define one only apply inside their own directory.

Fix any errors immediately. Do not bypass pre-commit hooks with `--no-verify`. This check identifies issues early and avoids late-stage pipeline failures.

Step 4: Review Diff Statistics (`diff-stat`)

Run `git diff --cached --stat` for staged changes (or `git diff --stat` for unstaged work). Note the number of files modified and identify hotspots with large insertion or deletion counts.

When sem is available (see `leyline:sem-integration`), also run `sem diff --format plain --staged` to display an entity-level summary alongside the stat output. This shows which functions, classes, and methods changed rather than just line counts.

Step 5: Review Detailed Diff (`diff-details`)

Run `git diff --cached` to examine the actual changes. For unstaged work, use `git diff`. Identify key themes, such as Makefile adjustments or new skill additions, to provide context for downstream summaries.

Exit Criteria

Downstream workflows rely on this context without re-running git.

• [ ] The branch name and upstream are recorded from `git status -sb`
• [ ] `git diff --cached --stat` lists exactly the files intended for

the next commit, with nothing intended left unstaged

• [ ] `make lint` exits 0, or each failure it reports is fixed or

named to the user

• [ ] The key themes of the staged diff are written down for the

summary that follows

Supporting Modules

• [Git commands reference](modules/git-commands.md) - diff, status, branch operations for sanctum workflows

Troubleshooting

If pre-commit hooks block a commit, resolve the reported issues instead of using `--no-verify`. `make lint` fixes styling automatically and surfaces the logical failures that remain. If merge conflicts occur, use `git merge --abort` to return to a clean state before retrying.