name: cabloy-zova-source-reading description: Use this skill when the user wants to read, trace, or explain Zova frontend source code rather than scaffold new code: where a page/component/model/behavior/SSR flow is implemented, how a runtime path works internally, why a plain controller field is reactive, how Zova differs from generic Vue 3 habits, or which files to read first. Trigger for requests about Zova source reading, runtime tracing, Vue-vs-Zova explanation, controller/bean/IoC mental models, or the Zova-native way to understand frontend behavior. Do not use it for normal frontend scaffolding or backend/frontend contract regeneration.
Cabloy Zova Source Reading
Use this skill when the task is to understand, explain, or trace Zova frontend behavior in source code.
Goals
- detect whether the active repository is Cabloy Basic or Cabloy Start
- classify whether the user needs a source-entry map, a runtime-flow trace, or a Vue-vs-Zova explanation
- start from Zova-native public docs before diving into framework source
- explain Zova architecture in its own terms before translating it into Vue analogies
- separate source-confirmed runtime behavior from interpretive comparison
- finish with verification guidance that matches the analysis scope
Step 1: Detect the active edition
Check the repository root for these marker files:
__CABLOY_BASIC____CABLOY_START__
Interpretation:
__CABLOY_BASIC__present → this is Cabloy Basic__CABLOY_START__present → this is Cabloy Start- neither present → inspect the repo scripts and ask before making edition-specific frontend assumptions
This matters most when the analysis becomes UI-sensitive, SSR-site-sensitive, flavor-sensitive, or module-set-sensitive.
Step 2: Classify the analysis mode
Before reading files deeply, decide which kind of question the user is really asking.
Mode A: source-location mode
Use this mode when the user is asking questions like:
- where should I start reading?
- which files are relevant?
- what order should I read the source in?
- where is this implemented in Zova?
Mode B: runtime-flow mode
Use this mode when the user is asking questions like:
- how does this work internally?
- why is this field reactive?
- where does
$computed/$params/$querycome from? - how does page/controller/component render enter the runtime?
Mode C: Vue-vs-Zova comparison mode
Use this mode when the user is asking questions like:
- how should I understand this relative to Vue 3?
- is this just Vue with classes?
- what is the Zova way instead of the generic Vue way?
- how do controller / bean / model / render roles map to Vue concepts?
If a request spans more than one mode, answer in this order:
- source-location mode
- runtime-flow mode
- Vue-vs-Zova comparison mode
That order reduces the risk of drifting into premature analogy before the source path is understood.
Step 3: Start from public Zova docs first
Do not begin by forcing the problem into generic Vue terminology.
Start from the public frontend reading docs in cabloy-docs/frontend/.
Primary reading surfaces
cabloy-docs/frontend/reading-zova-for-vue-developers.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/zova-vs-vue3-comparison.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/zova-reactivity-under-the-hood.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/zova-source-reading-map.md
For compact procedural summaries inside the skill bundle, also use:
references/analysis-modes.mdreferences/core-reading-paths.md
Core architecture surfaces
Use these when the question needs broader architectural context:
cabloy-docs/frontend/introduction.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/foundation.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/design-principles.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/ioc-and-beans.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/page-guide.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/component-guide.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/model-architecture.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/page-route-guide.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/behavior-guide.mdcabloy-docs/frontend/ssr-architecture-overview.md
Step 4: Choose the shortest correct source-reading path
After reading the public docs, choose the smallest source path that answers the question.
Use these bundled references to keep the workflow compact:
references/analysis-modes.mdreferences/core-reading-paths.md
Use the public cabloy-docs/frontend/zova-source-reading-map.md as the fuller explanation layer, but use the bundled references first when they are enough for the current task.
Step 5: Explain Zova-native meaning first
When answering, explain the Zova role first, then add Vue analogies only if they help.
Required answer posture
identify the Zova-native role first
- page controller
- component controller
- render bean
- style bean
- model bean
- service bean
- behavior bean
- route/SSR integration layer
explain the source-confirmed runtime path second
only then offer Vue analogies as approximate translations
Do not lead with statements like:
- "this is basically just Vue setup with classes"
- "this should really be a normal Vue composable"
- "the right end state is probably
ref.value"
Those translations can erase the actual Zova architecture.
For component-wrapper questions specifically, remember that controllerRef exposes the controller instance, not a generic DOM ref, and should not be treated as a generic Vue component-ref substitute without checking the current wrapper/controller source path.
Step 6: Distinguish source-confirmed behavior from interpretive comparison
Always make the boundary explicit.
Source-confirmed behavior
This includes claims you can support directly from current source files, such as:
- where a controller is created
- where a bean becomes reactive
- where route state is refreshed
- where render is redirected
- which helper wraps which Vue API
Interpretive comparison
This includes claims such as:
- why Zova feels more object-oriented than Vue
- how Zova growth paths differ from typical Vue growth paths
- which analogy is the closest Vue mental model
These can be useful, but they should be labeled as interpretation rather than current-source fact.
Step 7: Stay inside the right workflow boundary
Use this skill for explanation and source reading.
Do not use it as the primary workflow when the real task is:
- creating or refactoring frontend structures → prefer
cabloy-frontend-scaffold - diagnosing backend/frontend contract drift → prefer
cabloy-contract-loop - choosing whether the work belongs to backend, frontend, fullstack, docs, or AI guidance → prefer
cabloy-workflow
Step 8: Verification guidance
Always finish with a verification path that matches the analysis task.
For source-reading answers
Verify:
- the cited file paths exist
- the described runtime path is actually visible in current source
- the answer does not contradict the public frontend docs
For Vue-vs-Zova explanation answers
Verify:
- the Zova-native explanation comes first
- Vue analogies are marked as approximate, not authoritative
- no claim quietly rewrites Zova back into generic Vue habits
For edition-sensitive frontend analysis
Verify:
- the active edition marker was considered
- Basic-only or Start-only UI assumptions were not silently generalized
- SSR, theme, and flavor-sensitive statements match the active edition context
Response pattern
When helpful, structure the response around these points:
- detected edition
- analysis mode
- public docs to read first
- source path to inspect next
- Zova-native explanation
- optional Vue analogy
- verification notes or caveats
Keep the response practical. The value of this skill is to help AI and users read Zova source accurately and in the right architectural order, not to flatten Zova into generic Vue prose.