Multi-Pass Decomposition

When you ask Claude to review a changeset spanning many files in a single pass, attention gets diluted. The model spreads finite focus across every file at once, so subtle per-file bugs slip through and genuine cross-file issues get buried.

The architect's answer is multi-pass decomposition: split the work into a per-file local pass first, then a separate cross-file integration pass. Each pass has one clear job, so attention stays sharp.

The two passes ask fundamentally different questions, which is exactly why they shouldn't be merged:

• Local pass: "Is THIS file internally correct?" — logic errors, null handling, naming, dead code, style within the file's own boundary.
• Integration pass: "Do these files work TOGETHER?" — mismatched function signatures, broken contracts, inconsistent assumptions across module boundaries.

Single-pass review forces both questions into one diluted prompt. Two passes keep each focused.