github-issue-analysis

GitHub Issue Analysis Skill

Systematic methodology for analyzing GitHub issues to determine current relevance and appropriate action.

Purpose

Analyze GitHub issues to determine:

• Is the issue still reproducible/relevant?
• Has it been fixed (find the PR/commit)?
• Does context need updating?
• Should it become a Linear ticket?

Analysis Methodology

Phase 1: Issue Data Collection

# Fetch complete issue details
gh issue view {issue_number} --json \
  title,body,labels,comments,createdAt,updatedAt,state,author

Extract from issue:

• Title: Main topic/symptom
• Body: Detailed description, steps to reproduce
• Labels: bug, enhancement, documentation, etc.
• Comments: Additional context, workarounds mentioned
• Created Date: Age of issue (older = more likely fixed)
• Updated Date: Last activity

Phase 2: Keyword Extraction

From issue title and body, extract:

1. Component Keywords: UI elements, features mentioned

   • Example: "drawer", "sidebar", "modal", "canvas"

2. Error Keywords: Error messages, stack traces

   • Example: "undefined", "null", "404", "500"

3. File/Function Keywords: Specific code references

   • Example: "buildWidget", "AppDrawer.jsx"

4. Behavior Keywords: What's happening vs expected

   • Example: "redirects", "crashes", "freezes", "disappears"

Phase 3: Codebase Search

Search for evidence the issue was addressed:

Search for Related Commits

# Search commit messages for issue keywords
git log --oneline --all --since="2025-01-01" --grep="{keyword}"

# Search for GitHub issue references in commits
git log --oneline --all --grep="#{issue_number}"

# Search for related file changes
git log --oneline --all --since="2025-01-01" -- "**/path/to/component*"

Search for Code Changes

# Check if the problematic code pattern still exists
rg "{error_pattern}" --type ts

# Check if fix patterns were added
rg "stopPropagation|preventDefault" --type tsx

# Check if component was refactored/deleted
ls -la src/components/{component}/

Search for Related PRs

# Find PRs that mention the issue
gh pr list --state all --search "#{issue_number}" --json number,title,state,mergedAt

# Find PRs that touched related files
gh pr list --state merged --search "{component_name}" --json number,title,mergedAt

Phase 4: Issue Classification

Based on analysis, classify the issue:

Classification: CLOSE_FIXED

Criteria:

• Found commit/PR that explicitly addresses the issue
• Error message/pattern no longer exists in code
• Component was refactored with new implementation
• Issue is very old (6+ months) and core feature works

Action:

gh issue close {number} --comment "$(cat <<'EOF'
Closing this issue - it has been addressed.

**Resolution:**
- Fixed in PR #{pr_number} / commit {commit_hash}
- The {component} was refactored in {month}
- The original error pattern no longer exists

If you're still experiencing this issue, please open a new issue with current reproduction steps.
EOF
)"

Classification: CLOSE_OUTDATED

Criteria:

• Feature/component no longer exists
• Architecture has fundamentally changed
• Issue references deprecated functionality
• Context is too old to be actionable (12+ months, no activity)

Action:

gh issue close {number} --comment "$(cat <<'EOF'
Closing this issue as outdated.

**Reason:**
- {component/feature} has been significantly refactored since this was reported
- The original context no longer applies to current architecture
- This issue is {age} old with no recent activity

If this is still a problem, please open a new issue with:
1. Current reproduction steps
2. Expected vs actual behavior
3. Screenshots/logs if applicable
EOF
)"

Classification: CLOSE_CANNOT_REPRODUCE

Criteria:

• Issue lacks sufficient detail to investigate
• No reproduction steps provided
• Reporter hasn't responded to questions
• Appears to be one-off or environment-specific

Classification: CREATE_TICKET

Criteria:

• Issue is clearly still relevant
• Codebase search shows problem likely still exists
• Clear reproduction steps or obvious bug
• Feature request is still applicable

Action: Create Linear ticket and link back to GitHub issue.

Phase 5: Linear Ticket Creation

When creating a ticket, use this template:

## GitHub Issue: #{issue_number}

**Original Report:** {github_url}
**Reported:** {created_date}
**Reporter:** {author}

## Summary
{Updated summary based on current codebase understanding}

## Current State
{What exists in the codebase today}

## Problem
{Clear description of what's wrong}

## Expected Behavior
{What should happen}

## Steps to Reproduce
{Updated steps if original are outdated}

## Technical Notes
- Relevant files: {file_paths}
- Related components: {components}
- Potential approach: {suggestions}

## Original Description
{Include original issue body for reference}

Phase 6: Link GitHub to Linear

After creating Linear ticket:

gh issue comment {github_issue_number} --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
Linear ticket created: [{ticket_id}]({linear_url})

This issue is now being tracked in Linear for prioritization and implementation.
EOF
)"

Decision Tree

START: Analyze GitHub Issue #{number}
  |
  +-- Is issue < 3 months old?
  |   +-- YES: Higher priority to investigate thoroughly
  |   +-- NO: Check if still relevant to current architecture
  |
  +-- Does issue reference existing component/feature?
  |   +-- YES: Search for related fixes
  |   +-- NO: CLOSE_OUTDATED (component removed)
  |
  +-- Found related PR/commit that fixes it?
  |   +-- YES: CLOSE_FIXED (cite the PR)
  |   +-- NO: Continue investigation
  |
  +-- Does error pattern still exist in code?
  |   +-- YES: Likely still an issue
  |   +-- NO: CLOSE_FIXED (pattern removed)
  |
  +-- Is issue clearly described with reproduction steps?
  |   +-- YES: CREATE_TICKET
  |   +-- NO: Can we infer the problem?
  |       +-- YES: UPDATE_AND_CREATE
  |       +-- NO: CLOSE_CANNOT_REPRODUCE
  |
  +-- END: Take appropriate action

Age-Based Heuristics

Issue Age	Default Assumption	Override If
0-3 months	Likely still relevant	Clear fix found
3-6 months	Investigate carefully	Component unchanged
6-12 months	Likely outdated	Critical bug, still reproducible
12+ months	Probably outdated	Security issue, data loss

Integration

Used by:

• github-issue-triager agent - Primary consumer
• /issue-triage command - Via agent

Quality Checklist

Before taking action on an issue:

• Fetched complete issue details
• Searched codebase for related code
• Searched git history for fixes
• Checked if component still exists
• Classified issue appropriately
• Prepared appropriate comment/ticket
• Included relevant evidence (PRs, commits)