ca-spike
Exploratory spike on a throwaway branch — answer a named question with disposable code. Never merges; exits to a findings note or $ca-feature.
npx skills add arbiterForge/codeArbiter --skill ca-spike --agent codex
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for claude-code, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# $ca-spike — exploratory spike The sanctioned lane for "I need to write code to find out." Spike code is disposable by contract: it never merges, never PRs, and never becomes the implementation. What survives a spike is the *answer*, written down — the code is burned. ## Flow 1. **Name the question** — a spike without a falsifiable question is just freelancing. Restate `$ARGUMENTS` as the question the spike answers and the timebox (default: one session). STOP for the user's confirmation. 2. **Branch** — create `spike/<slug>` from the current branch. All spike work stays on it. 3. **Explore** — no `tdd`, no plan, no review fleet. Two rules survive even here: no secret leaves the approved store, and no irreversible operation (prod data, destructive migration) runs from a spike. 4. **Exit — exactly one of:** - **Answered** → write the findings to `<project-root>/.codearbiter/spikes/<slug>.md` (the question, what was tried, the answer, what it implies), then delete the branch. If the answer warrants building, hand the findings to `$ca-feature` — the spike file seeds `brainstorming`; the spike code is reference material, never the implementation. - **Timebox expired, no answer** → reco
- Flow
- Hard gate
- When NOT to use
What does the ca-spike skill do?
Exploratory spike on a throwaway branch — answer a named question with disposable code. Never merges; exits to a findings note or $ca-feature.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add arbiterForge/codeArbiter --skill ca-spike --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From arbiterForge/codeArbiter, a repository with 138 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.