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141 changes: 98 additions & 43 deletions plugins/beagle-go/skills/go-code-review/SKILL.md
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---
name: go-code-review
description: Reviews Go code for idiomatic patterns, error handling, concurrency safety, and common mistakes. Use when reviewing .go files, checking error handling, goroutine usage, or interface design.
description: Reviews Go code for idiomatic patterns, error handling, concurrency safety, and common mistakes. Use when reviewing .go files, checking error handling, goroutine usage, or interface design. Covers Go 1.20+ features including errors.Join, slog, generics, and Go 1.22 loop variable semantics.
---

# Go Code Review

## Review Workflow

Follow this sequence to avoid false positives and catch version-specific issues:

1. **Check `go.mod`** — Note the Go version. This determines which patterns apply (loop variable capture is only an issue pre-1.22, `slog` is available from 1.21, `errors.Join` from 1.20). Skip version-gated checks that don't apply.
2. **Scan changed files** — Read full functions, not just diffs. Many Go bugs hide in what surrounds the change.
3. **Check each category** — Work through the checklist below, loading references as needed.
4. **Verify before reporting** — Load [review-verification-protocol](../review-verification-protocol/SKILL.md) before submitting findings.

## Output Format

Report findings as:

```
[FILE:LINE] Issue title
Severity: Critical | Major | Minor | Informational
Description of the issue and why it matters.
```

## Quick Reference

| Issue Type | Reference |
|------------|-----------|
| Missing error checks, wrapped errors | [references/error-handling.md](references/error-handling.md) |
| Race conditions, channel misuse | [references/concurrency.md](references/concurrency.md) |
| Interface pollution, naming | [references/interfaces.md](references/interfaces.md) |
| Resource leaks, defer misuse | [references/common-mistakes.md](references/common-mistakes.md) |
| Missing error checks, wrapping, errors.Join | [references/error-handling.md](references/error-handling.md) |
| Race conditions, channel misuse, goroutine lifecycle | [references/concurrency.md](references/concurrency.md) |
| Interface pollution, naming, generics | [references/interfaces.md](references/interfaces.md) |
| Resource leaks, defer misuse, slog, naming | [references/common-mistakes.md](references/common-mistakes.md) |

## Review Checklist

- [ ] All errors are checked (no `_ = err`)
### Error Handling
- [ ] All errors checked (no `_ = err` without justifying comment)
- [ ] Errors wrapped with context (`fmt.Errorf("...: %w", err)`)
- [ ] Resources closed with `defer` immediately after creation
- [ ] No goroutine leaks (channels closed, contexts canceled)
- [ ] `errors.Is`/`errors.As` used instead of string matching
- [ ] `errors.Join` used for aggregating multiple errors (Go 1.20+)
- [ ] Zero values returned alongside errors

### Concurrency
- [ ] No goroutine leaks (context cancellation or shutdown signal exists)
- [ ] Channels closed by sender only, exactly once
- [ ] Shared state protected by mutex or sync types
- [ ] WaitGroups used to wait for goroutine completion
- [ ] Context propagated through call chain
- [ ] Loop variable capture handled (pre-Go 1.22 codebases only)

### Interfaces and Types
- [ ] Interfaces defined by consumers, not producers
- [ ] Interface names end in `-er` (Reader, Writer, Handler)
- [ ] Interface names follow `-er` convention
- [ ] Interfaces minimal (1-3 methods)
- [ ] Concrete types returned from constructors
- [ ] `any` preferred over `interface{}` (Go 1.18+)
- [ ] Generics used where appropriate instead of `any` or code generation

### Resources and Lifecycle
- [ ] Resources closed with `defer` immediately after creation
- [ ] HTTP response bodies always closed
- [ ] No `defer` in loops without closure wrapping
- [ ] `init()` functions avoided in favor of explicit initialization

### Naming and Style
- [ ] Exported names have doc comments
- [ ] No stuttering names (`user.UserService` → `user.Service`)
- [ ] No naked returns in functions > 5 lines
- [ ] Context passed as first parameter
- [ ] Mutexes protect shared state, not methods
- [ ] `slog` used over `log` for structured logging (Go 1.21+)

## When to Load References
## Severity Calibration

- Reviewing error return patterns → error-handling.md
- Reviewing goroutines/channels → concurrency.md
- Reviewing type definitions → interfaces.md
- General Go review → common-mistakes.md
### Critical (Block Merge)
- Unchecked errors on I/O, network, or database operations
- Goroutine leaks (no shutdown path)
- Race conditions on shared state (concurrent map access without sync)
- Unbounded resource accumulation (defer in loop, unclosed connections)

### Major (Should Fix)
- Errors returned without context (bare `return err`)
- Missing WaitGroup for spawned goroutines
- `panic` for recoverable errors
- Context not propagated to downstream calls

## Review Questions
### Minor (Consider Fixing)
- `interface{}` instead of `any` in Go 1.18+ codebases
- Missing doc comments on exports
- Stuttering names
- Slice not preallocated when size is known

1. Are all error returns checked and wrapped?
2. Are goroutines properly managed with context cancellation?
3. Are resources (files, connections) closed with defer?
4. Are interfaces minimal and defined where used?
### Informational (Note Only)
- Suggestions to add generics where code generation exists
- Refactoring ideas for interface design
- Performance optimizations without measured impact

## When to Load References

- Reviewing error return patterns → error-handling.md
- Reviewing goroutines, channels, or sync types → concurrency.md
- Reviewing type definitions, interfaces, or generics → interfaces.md
- General review (resources, naming, init, performance) → common-mistakes.md

## Valid Patterns (Do NOT Flag)

These patterns are acceptable and should NOT be flagged as issues:

- **`_ = err` with reason comment** - Intentionally ignored errors with explanation
```go
_ = conn.Close() // Best effort cleanup, already handling primary error
```
- **Empty interface `interface{}`** - For truly generic code (pre-generics codebases)
- **Naked returns in short functions** - Acceptable in functions < 5 lines with named returns
- **Channel without close** - When consumer stops via context cancellation, not channel close
- **Mutex protecting struct fields** - Even if accessed only via methods, this is correct encapsulation
- **`//nolint` directives with reason** - Acceptable when accompanied by explanation
```go
//nolint:errcheck // Error logged but not returned per API contract
```
- **Defer in loop** - When function scope cleanup is intentional (e.g., processing files in batches)
- **Functional options pattern** - `type Option func(*T)` with `With*` constructors is idiomatic for configurable types
```go
func NewServer(addr string, opts ...Option) *Server { ... }
```
- **`sync.Pool` for hot paths** - Acceptable for reducing allocation pressure in performance-critical code
```go
var bufPool = sync.Pool{New: func() any { return new(bytes.Buffer) }}
```
These are acceptable Go patterns — reporting them wastes developer time:

- **`_ = err` with reason comment** — Intentionally ignored errors with explanation
- **Empty interface / `any`** — For truly generic code or interop with untyped APIs
- **Naked returns in short functions** — Acceptable in functions < 5 lines with named returns
- **Channel without close** — When consumer stops via context cancellation, not channel close
- **Mutex protecting struct fields** — Even if accessed only via methods, this is correct encapsulation
- **`//nolint` directives with reason** — Acceptable when accompanied by explanation
- **Defer in loop** — When function scope cleanup is intentional (e.g., processing files in batches)
- **Functional options pattern** — `type Option func(*T)` with `With*` constructors is idiomatic
- **`sync.Pool` for hot paths** — Acceptable for reducing allocation pressure in performance-critical code
- **`context.Background()` in main/tests** — Valid root context for top-level calls
- **`select` with `default`** — Non-blocking channel operation, intentional pattern
- **Short variable names in small scope** — `i`, `err`, `ctx`, `ok` are idiomatic Go

## Context-Sensitive Rules

Expand All @@ -77,6 +130,8 @@ Only flag these issues when the specific conditions apply:
| Goroutine leak | No context cancellation path exists for the goroutine |
| Missing defer | Resource isn't explicitly closed before next acquisition or return |
| Interface pollution | Interface has > 1 method AND only one consumer exists |
| Loop variable capture | `go.mod` specifies Go < 1.22 |
| Missing slog | `go.mod` specifies Go >= 1.21 AND code uses `log` package for structured output |

## Before Submitting Findings

Expand Down
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