Shadow Frog Init

ShadowFrog Init

Creates .shadow/ directory with symbol-organized shadow files for every source file. Run once per repo. If .shadow/ exists, ask user to reset or skip.

Primary: Python Helper Script

The companion script shadow-init.py lives in the same directory as this SKILL.md file. To find and run it:

# Project install (Copilot CLI):
python3 .github/skills/shadow-frog-init/shadow-init.py [options]
# Or for Claude Code:
python3 .claude/skills/shadow-frog-init/shadow-init.py [options]

IMPORTANT: Run from the repo/worktree root directory. The script auto-detects the root via git rev-parse --show-toplevel, which returns the correct root for regular repos AND worktrees. If auto-detection fails (common when python is routed through Docker or the .git file points to an inaccessible path), pass --root explicitly:

# If auto-detect fails, pass the root explicitly:
python3 .github/skills/shadow-frog-init/shadow-init.py --root "$(pwd)"

# In Docker wrapper scenarios (eval harness), git may not work inside
# the container. Use --root to bypass git detection:
python3 .github/skills/shadow-frog-init/shadow-init.py --root /testbed

Options

| Flag | Effect | |------|--------| | --root DIR | Repository root (default: auto-detect via git) | | --reset | Delete existing .shadow/ and recreate | | --dry-run | Show what would be created without writing |

What it does

1. Discovers source files via git ls-files
2. Filters through .shadow/.shadowignore (gitignore syntax)
3. Extracts symbols from each file (classes, functions, methods)
4. Creates per-file shadow .md files with symbol headings
5. Creates _index.md, _prefs.md, _meta/state.json, .shadowignore
6. Reports: files, symbols, languages detected

After running

Tell the user:

• "Edit .shadow/.shadowignore to exclude files that shouldn't be shadowed"
• "Run /shadow-frog-dream for autonomous exploration, or /shadow-frog-update after your next changes"

Then decide the version-control mode (do not skip this — it is not handled by the script). Ask the user: "Should .shadow/ be committed (shared with your team via git) or gitignored (local to your machine only)?" Make the trade-off explicit before they choose — see [Step 9: Handle .gitignore](#9-handle-gitignore) for the full committed vs gitignored comparison. Key caveat: a gitignored .shadow/ disables shadow-frog-dream (dreams move .shadow/ through git). If gitignored, add .shadow/ to .gitignore.

Fallback: Manual Init

If the Python script fails (wrong Python version, missing file, etc.), follow these steps manually:

1. Check preconditions

git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree  # must be a git repo
test -d .shadow && echo "exists"     # if exists, ask user: reset or skip

2. Discover source files

git ls-files --cached --others --exclude-standard

Include patterns (auto-detect from repo contents): *.py, *.js, *.ts, *.tsx, *.jsx, *.java, *.go, *.rs, *.rb, *.cpp, *.c, *.h, *.cs, *.swift, *.kt, *.scala, *.php, *.sh, *.bash, *.zsh, *.yaml, *.yml, *.toml, *.json, Makefile, Dockerfile, docker-compose*.yml

Default excludes (always applied): node_modules/, vendor/, venv/, .venv/, __pycache__/, *.min.js, *.min.css, *.map, *.lock, dist/, build/, target/, out/, .shadow/, binary files

After discovering files, filter them through .shadow/.shadowignore (if it exists). The ignore file uses .gitignore syntax.

3. Create directories

mkdir -p .shadow/_cross .shadow/_meta .shadow/_dreams
# For each source file, create parent dirs: mkdir -p .shadow//

4. Create .shadow/.shadowignore

Uses .gitignore syntax. Seed with sensible defaults:

# Directories
node_modules/
vendor/
venv/
.venv/
__pycache__/
dist/
build/
target/
out/

# Generated / minified
*.min.js
*.min.css
*.map
*.lock

# Binary
*.png
*.jpg
*.gif
*.ico
*.woff
*.woff2
*.ttf
*.eot
*.pdf
*.zip
*.tar.gz

# The shadow itself
.shadow/

# ShadowFrog's own install artifacts (project install copies these here)
.github/skills/shadow-frog*/
.github/hooks/scripts/shadow-frog-*
.claude/skills/shadow-frog*/
.claude/hooks/scripts/shadow-frog-*

Tell the user: "Edit .shadow/.shadowignore to exclude files or folders that shouldn't be shadowed (e.g., vendored code, generated files, tool configs)."

5. Create _prefs.md

# Preferences

_No preferences recorded yet._

This file stores project-wide user preferences and conventions that are not tied to any specific file or symbol. It is populated by /shadow-frog-update when the user shares general directives.

6. Create _meta/state.json

{
  "version": 1,
  "initialized_at": "",
  "last_update_at": "",
  "last_commit": "",
  "last_update_type": "init|auto|manual|dream|meditate",
  "total_files": 0,
  "total_symbols": 0,
  "total_discoveries": 0,
  "dream_cycles_completed": 0
}

7. Generate per-file shadows

For each source file, extract symbols and create a shadow with this structure:

# Shadow: 

**Language**:  | **Lines**:  | **Last modified**: 

## File-Level

_No discoveries yet._

## `class `

### ``

_No discoveries yet._

## ``

_No discoveries yet._

## Cross-References

_No cross-cutting discoveries yet._

Rules:

• Every class, function, method gets a ##/### heading
• Symbol name is the stable anchor — no line numbers in headings
• ## Cross-References section is always last
• Extract symbols using language-appropriate static analysis (AST, tree-sitter, regex)
• If static analysis is not feasible, create ## File-Level only; other skills fill in symbols later

8. Generate _index.md

# Shadow Index

> Generated by shadow-frog-init on 
> Total files: N | Symbols: M | Discoveries: 0 | Cross-cutting: 0

| File | Language | Symbols | Discoveries |
|------|----------|---------|-------------|
| src/auth.py | Python | 5 (UserAuth, authenticate_user, ...) | 0 |

9. Handle .gitignore

Ask the user: "Should .shadow/ be committed (shared with your team via git) or gitignored (local to your machine only)?"

Before they decide, make the trade-off explicit:

Committed (shared) — full functionality:

• The whole team shares one knowledge base; discoveries compound across people.
• shadow-frog-dream works — autonomous experiments commit .shadow/

artifacts onto dream branches, push them, and reconcile merges them back.

• shadow-frog-meditate and the viewer work normally.

Gitignored (local only) — reduced functionality:

• Your shadow stays private to your machine and never leaves the repo.
• shadow-frog-init, shadow-frog-update, shadow-frog-meditate, and the

viewer all still work (they operate on the local filesystem).

• shadow-frog-dream will NOT work. Dreams move .shadow/ through git

(commit → push → reconcile from the remote); a gitignored .shadow/ is silently skipped by git add, so discoveries never reach the remote and are lost. dream-setup.sh detects this and refuses to start with a clear error rather than failing silently.

• If gitignored: add .shadow/ to .gitignore.

10. Report

Print: files discovered, languages detected, total symbols. Suggest: /shadow-frog-update for deeper analysis, /shadow-frog-dream for autonomous exploration.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: microsoft
• Source: microsoft/ShadowFrog
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.