Modularity Review (Balanced Coupling)
Audits a codebase for coupling imbalances using Vlad Khononov's Balanced Coupling model and writes an architecture review document.
Dev & CodingAdvanced★ 524⑂ 32AI score 7/10Last updated: Apr 4, 2026
What it does
- Asks for the analysis scope (whole codebase, a directory, or named components), then reads requirement docs in
docs/and the actual code to map components, responsibilities, and integrations. - Surfaces its understanding for you to validate, then asks one targeted question at a time to fill real gaps: domain classification (core/supporting/generic), team ownership, deployment topology, known pain points, strategic direction.
- For each interacting pair, records the shared knowledge, coupling strength (intrusive / functional / model / contract), distance, and volatility.
- Applies
BALANCE = (STRENGTH XOR DISTANCE) OR NOT VOLATILITYto flag only integrations that are both unbalanced and volatile, and deliberately avoids dumping 30 minor findings. - Uses the bundled
documentskill to produce the review in Markdown and HTML.
Who it's for
- Architects and tech leads deciding whether a microservice setup has become a distributed monolith.
- Engineers who need evidence-based explanations for why certain areas are unexpectedly expensive to change.
- Teams justifying refactoring or service-split proposals with a model instead of gut feel.
Example uses
- "Review the coupling between the Order and Payment services" → finds shared database tables, classifies it as intrusive coupling across high distance in a volatile area, and ranks it top priority.
- "Assess the architecture quality of this monorepo" → summarizes components and integration patterns, confirms team boundaries, then emits the review doc.
- "This module has a lot of unrelated code in it" → diagnoses low cohesion (low strength + low distance) and suggests reorganization without over-decomposing.
· · · Install guide · · ·
Try it now, no install
Paste this into Claude to use the skill without installing anything.
Read the instructions in this file and follow them to help me: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vladikk/modularity/HEAD/skills/review/SKILL.md What I want: (describe your task here)
If Claude can't open the link, open it yourself and paste the contents instead.
↓ If it works for you, download the ZIP below and install it. Then it runs on its own — no pasting each time.
Install in the Claude app (no terminal)
- Download the ZIP with the button below.
- In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
- Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.
Install in Claude Code
Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code
Install the skill I found on Claude Skill Mart. Copy the skills/review folder from the GitHub repo vladikk/modularity into my ~/.claude/skills/review/. When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.
Install with a command instead
git clone https://github.com/vladikk/modularity.git && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r modularity/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.
- Open a terminal.
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/vladikk/modularity.git - Make sure the skills directory exists:
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills - This skill depends on
balanced-couplinganddocument, so copy them all:cp -r modularity/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/ - Verify with
ls ~/.claude/skillsthatreview,balanced-coupling, anddocumentare present. - Start Claude Code inside the project you want to analyze and ask for "a modularity review of this codebase".
- Answer its scope/domain/team questions — and keep requirement docs in
docs/— for a much sharper review.
View source on GitHub ↗License: NOASSERTION