ezCater Research Methodology

Investigate ezCater codebases, architectural decisions, and project histories using multiple data sources including Glean, Atlassian (Jira/Confluence), GitHub, and Git.

Overview

ezCater research requires synthesizing information from multiple internal sources. This skill provides proven methodologies for:

• Finding why architectural decisions were made

• Understanding code evolution over time

• Discovering historical context for current implementations

• Researching multi-system interactions and workflows

When to use this skill vs deep research agent:

• Use this skill: Straightforward investigations, specific PR/ticket lookups, single-source searches

• Use deep research agent: Complex multi-source synthesis, historical timelines, architectural decision investigations requiring extensive context

CRITICAL: Access Requirements

Cannot access resources directly. Must use appropriate tools:

Google Docs / Google Drive

• ❌ CANNOT access Google Docs URLs directly

• ✅ MUST use Glean MCP tools (mcp__glean__company_search , mcp__glean__chat )

• Glean indexes Google Docs and retrieves content

Atlassian (Jira / Confluence)

• ❌ CANNOT access ezcater.atlassian.net URLs directly

• ✅ MUST use atl CLI for all Jira and Confluence access

• Commands: atl jira issue view FX-123 , atl confluence search "keywords"

GitHub

• ✅ Use gh CLI for PR/issue searches

• ✅ Use git commands for repository analysis

• ✅ Use Read tool for files in checked out repositories

Research Strategy by Question Type

Architectural Decisions

"Why was X chosen over Y?"

• Search Glean for design docs, RFCs, ADRs using keywords like:

• "[feature] decision", "[component] architecture", "why [technology]"

• Find epics/tickets using atl jira search "project = <PROJECT> AND text ~ 'keywords'"

• Locate PRs with gh pr list --search "keywords" --repo owner/repo

• Review git history for implementation context using git log --grep="pattern"

See references/glean-search-guide.md for detailed Glean querying strategies. See examples/architectural-decision.md for a complete walkthrough.

Code Evolution

"How did feature X evolve over time?"

• Trace file history with git log --follow -p -- <file>

• Find related PRs using gh pr list --search "feature-name"

• Search Glean for discussions using feature name keywords

• Check Jira for feature requests: atl jira search "project = FX AND summary ~ 'feature'"

See references/github-git-analysis.md for git history techniques. See examples/code-evolution.md for a complete example.

Process Understanding

"How do I get an order to state X?" or "What triggers workflow Y?"

• Search Glean for process documentation using keywords like "order lifecycle", "state machine"

• Find relevant code using Grep for state transitions, workflow definitions

• Check Confluence using atl confluence search "order process" for diagrams and specs

• Locate test fixtures that demonstrate the process

See references/atlassian-cli-guide.md for atl CLI patterns. See examples/process-understanding.md for a workflow investigation example.

Multi-System Interactions

"How does system A interact with system B?"

• Search Glean for integration documentation

• Find API contracts in code using Grep for client/service definitions

• Check Confluence for architecture diagrams: atl confluence search "architecture"

• Review recent PRs affecting both systems using gh pr list --search "systemA systemB"

Tool Usage Patterns

Glean Search

Use Glean MCP for internal information:

Query: "order management migration decision" Datasources: ["confluence", "slack", "gdrive"]

Effective queries:

• Be specific: "feature flag eppo provider" not just "feature flags"

• Include context: "liberty authentication refactor" not just "authentication"

• Try variations: "DM rails seeders", "delivery management backfills"

See references/glean-search-guide.md for complete search strategies.

Atlassian CLI

Search Jira tickets:

atl jira search "project = FX AND text ~ 'delivery tracking'" atl jira issue view FX-4623

Search Confluence:

atl confluence search "order state machine" atl confluence page view 12345678

See references/atlassian-cli-guide.md for full command reference and examples.

GitHub CLI

Search PRs:

gh pr list --repo ezcater/ez-rails --search "authentication" --limit 20 gh pr view 1234 --repo ezcater/ez-rails --json title,body,comments

Search issues:

gh issue list --repo ezcater/delivery-management-rails --search "seeder"

Git History

File evolution:

git log --follow -p -- path/to/file.rb git blame path/to/file.rb

Commit searches:

git log --grep="feature flag" git log --all --grep="migration"

See references/github-git-analysis.md for advanced git techniques.

Information Synthesis

After gathering information from multiple sources:

• Create timeline - Order findings chronologically to show evolution

• Identify stakeholders - Note who made decisions and why

• Understand business context - Connect technical decisions to business needs

• Recognize trade-offs - Explain what was gained and what was sacrificed

• Cross-reference sources - Confirm findings across Glean, Jira, GitHub, git

See references/synthesis-reporting.md for detailed synthesis techniques.

Response Format

Structure research findings clearly:

Executive Summary: Direct answer (2-3 sentences)

Key Findings:

• Finding 1 with evidence

• Finding 2 with evidence

• Finding 3 with evidence

Historical Context (if relevant):

• Timeline of decisions and changes

• Stakeholders involved

• Business drivers

References:

• Jira: FX-1234

• PR: ezcater/ez-rails#5678

• Commit: abc123def

• Confluence: Title

Quality Standards

• Be specific: Include ticket numbers, PR links, commit SHAs, dates

• Cite sources: Always reference where information was found

• Acknowledge gaps: State explicitly what couldn't be found

• Distinguish facts from speculation: Make clear what's confirmed vs. inferred

• Anticipate follow-ups: Address obvious related questions

Common Research Scenarios

Finding Original Implementation

• Use gh pr list --search "initial [feature]" to find first PR

• Check PR description for original requirements

• Find linked Jira ticket for business context

• Review commit messages for implementation decisions

Understanding Recent Changes

• Use git log --since="1 month ago" --grep="[feature]"

• Check recent PRs with gh pr list --search "is:merged [feature]"

• Search Glean for Slack discussions in recent timeframe

• Check Jira for recent bugs or improvements

Investigating Production Issues

• Search Jira for related tickets: atl jira search "project = FX AND text ~ 'error'"

• Find relevant code with Grep

• Check git blame for recent changes

• Search Glean for related incidents or postmortems

Special Considerations

EngPortal Documentation

EngPortal content comes from GitHub files:

• URL: https://engportal.ezcater.com/docs/.../component/repo-name/path

• Source: https://github.com/ezcater/repo-name/blob/main/path.md

Access via:

• Read file directly if repo checked out under /Users/doughughes/code/ezcater

• Ask Glean for engportal content

• Use gh CLI to read from GitHub

Checked Out Repositories

If repository exists under /Users/doughughes/code/ezcater :

• Read files directly with Read tool

• Run git commands in repository directory

• Use grep/glob for code searches

Multiple Projects

ezCater has many interconnected projects:

• ez-rails: Main monolith

• delivery-management-rails: Delivery tracking

• omnichannel-rails: Multi-channel features

• liberty: Mobile app backend

When researching cross-project features, check all relevant repositories.

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed techniques and patterns, consult:

• references/glean-search-guide.md

• Glean search strategies and datasource selection

• references/atlassian-cli-guide.md

• Complete atl CLI command reference

• references/github-git-analysis.md

• Advanced gh CLI and git history techniques

• references/synthesis-reporting.md

• Connecting dots and reporting findings

Example Files

Working examples of research investigations in examples/ :

• examples/architectural-decision.md

• Researching why a technology was chosen

• examples/code-evolution.md

• Tracing feature implementation over time

• examples/process-understanding.md

• Understanding workflows and state transitions

When to Escalate to Deep Research Agent

Use the deep research agent (by saying "do deep research" or "deep research needed") when:

• Investigation requires synthesizing 5+ sources

• Need comprehensive historical timeline

• Architectural decision investigation spanning multiple systems

• Research involves connecting dots across quarters/years

• Question requires extensive Opus-level reasoning

For straightforward searches, PR lookups, or single-system investigations, this skill provides efficient guidance without the overhead of the autonomous agent.