categorize-revdep-issues

Categorize Reverse Dependency Issues

Write revdep/issue.md to group packages by common error categories based on the error output in revdep/problems.md and revdep/failures.md.

What This Skill Does

This skill analyzes reverse dependency check results and writes out an issue tracking file to group packages by their error types, making it easier to:

• Identify common problems across packages
• Understand which issues are dplyr-related vs external dependencies
• Prioritize fixes based on error patterns
• Provide clear guidance to package maintainers

Files Involved

Input files:

• revdep/README.md - The New problems section lists the packages to group
• revdep/problems.md - Detailed error output for packages with test/check issues
• revdep/failures.md - Installation failures and error messages

Output file:

• revdep/issue.md - File to write packages grouped by error category to, may need to be created

Process

Step 1: Read All Input Files

Read all input files in parallel to understand the complete error landscape.

Step 2: Analyze and Categorize Errors

Group packages by their primary error cause. Common categories include:

Issues related to changes in our package:

• Missing exports
• Defunct functions
• Defunct function arguments
• Missing Rd cross-references to removed functions

Issues unrelated to changes we have made:

• Missing exports from other packages (e.g., purrr::at_depth)
• Dependency issues
• Compilation failures (C++, Rust)
• Other packages that passed or have unclear status

Step 3: Create Category Structure

For each category:

1. Create an H2 header with a descriptive category name
2. Write a brief description explaining:
   • What the issue is
   • Why it's happening
   • Suggested solution or migration path
3. List all affected packages in checkbox format

Step 4: Write the New File

Format requirements:

## Category Name

Brief description of the issue and solution approach.

* [ ] [package1](url1)
* [ ] [package2](url2)
...

If you must include package specific comments, do so like:

## Category Name

Brief description of the issue and solution approach.

* [ ] [package1](url1)
  * Comments about package1.
* [ ] [package2](url2)
...

Do not include package specific comments in the Brief description section.

Critical constraints:

• MUST preserve ALL packages from the README.md's New problems section
• Each package appears in exactly ONE category
• Maintain checkbox format: * [ ] [package](url)
• Order categories by relevance (common issues first)
• Use "Other issues requiring investigation" for unclear cases

Quality Checks

After completing the rewrite, verify:

• Total package count in new file matches the README.md's New problems section
• Each package from original appears exactly once in new file
• Each category has a clear H2 header and description
• Packages are in checkbox format with correct URLs
• Categories are logically ordered
• Common patterns are grouped together

Example Category

## Missing export: `dplyr::id`

Packages using `dplyr::id` which is not exported. These packages get "no visible binding for global variable 'id'" errors.

* [ ] [packageA](https://github.com/userA/packageA)
* [ ] [packageB](https://github.com/userB/packageB)