Review an API for Versioning Risk

Added 2026-11-03

Mark which changes would break callers before they ship.

Here is an API definition and its consumers (below). Review versioning risk: 1) list three likely future changes and judge which break callers — field removal, type change, semantic change; 2) point out the most fragile part of the current design, such as overloading status codes with meaning; 3) give a compatibility checklist; 4) say which changes require a new version and which can ship compatibly; 5) warn me about the breaking change most easily missed.

Try tweaking it

• Have it restate requirements and constraints before writing code.
• Ask for the smallest change plus a rollback path, not a full-file rewrite.

What you should get

• A minimal, runnable change with copy-ready code
• Impact list: which files and call sites must follow

Common mistakes

• Asking it to touch ten files at once, then losing track of what broke what.
• Pasting only the error, with no code or version, and getting an unfixable answer.

How to check the output

• The change runs, can be rolled back, and touches nothing unrelated.
• Edge cases (empty, oversized, concurrent) are covered or explained.

Where it works

• Good for: having it restate requirements and constraints, then propose the smallest runnable change.
• Watch out: include versions and a minimal reproduction with the error, or the fix may look plausible but not fit.

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