# Development Guide — ai-coding-skills

This document covers prerequisites, how to run checks locally, the quality
tooling, the workspace policy, and the `pnpm run check` contract.

## Prerequisites

| Tool | Minimum version | Install |
|------|----------------|---------|
| Node.js | 20 | `fnm install 22` or `nvm install 22` |
| pnpm | 10 | `npm install -g pnpm` |
| `rg` (ripgrep) | any | `brew install ripgrep` / `apt-get install ripgrep` |
| **shellcheck** | **any** | `brew install shellcheck` / `apt-get install shellcheck` |
| `stat` (BSD or GNU) | any | pre-installed on macOS; GNU variant on Linux |
| Python 3 | 3.8+ | pre-installed on most systems |

**`shellcheck` is required.** The `pnpm run lint` script will exit 2 with a
clear error message if `shellcheck` is not on `PATH`.  Every contributor must
install it before running any quality checks.

## Quick start

```bash
# Install dependencies (workspace-aware, no nested package.json modifications)
pnpm install

# Run the full quality suite
pnpm run check
```

## Individual checks

| Command | What it does |
|---------|-------------|
| `pnpm run sync:pi` | Mirror pi skill variants into `pi-package/skills/` |
| `pnpm run verify:pi` | Assert pi resource and workflow invariants |
| `pnpm run verify:reviewers` | Assert reviewer-runtime skill invariants |
| `pnpm run test:installer` | Run root-level Node.js unit tests (22 tests) |
| `pnpm run lint` | ESLint on root scripts + shellcheck on all `.sh` files |
| `pnpm run lint:fix` | Auto-fix ESLint + Prettier (do not run on pre-existing code until M2) |
| `pnpm run typecheck` | TypeScript `tsc --noEmit` in workspace packages |
| `pnpm run test` | Run all tests (root + workspace packages) |
| `pnpm run verify:docs` | markdownlint + offline link-check + docs-flow verifier |
| `pnpm run verify:docs:online` | Same as `verify:docs` but with full external link checking |
| `pnpm run verify:generated` | Assert generated output freshness (stub; fleshed out in M3) |
| `pnpm run check` | Aggregate: run every gate above and report a summary |

## Quality tooling (added in M1)

### ESLint

Root-level flat config in `eslint.config.mjs`.  Covers `scripts/**/*.mjs`
and `scripts/**/*.js`.  Uses `@eslint/js` recommended rules and Node.js
globals.  Nested workspace packages are responsible for their own ESLint
configuration.

### Prettier

Config in `.prettierrc.json` (print-width 100, LF line endings).  Ignore
file at `.prettierignore` excludes generated agent-variant directories and
`pnpm-lock.yaml`.

### markdownlint

Config in `.markdownlint.jsonc` (rules) and `.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc`
(file globs and ignores).  Key overrides vs defaults:

- `MD013` line-length relaxed to 120 chars (code blocks and tables excluded).
- `MD033` (inline HTML) disabled.
- `MD034` (bare URLs) disabled.
- `MD041` (first-line heading) disabled.
- `MD060` (table column style) disabled.

Run `pnpm run verify:docs` to lint all `README.md`, `docs/*.md`, and
`skills/**/SKILL.md` files (node\_modules excluded automatically).

### markdown-link-check

Two configs:

- `markdown-link-check.json` — **offline** mode (default): ignores all
  `http://` and `https://` links.  Safe for local dev and CI.
- `markdown-link-check.online.json` — **online** mode: checks external links
  with a 10 s timeout, 2 retries, and retry-on-429.  Use `--online` flag on
  `scripts/lib/run-link-check.mjs`.

`pnpm run verify:docs` uses the offline config by default.

### shellcheck

Wrapper script at `scripts/lib/run-shellcheck.mjs`.  Discovers every `*.sh`
file under `scripts/` and `skills/` (excluding node\_modules and generated
agent-variant directories) and runs shellcheck on each.

**Installation:**

- macOS: `brew install shellcheck`
- Debian/Ubuntu: `sudo apt-get install shellcheck`
- Other: <https://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck#installing>

The wrapper exits with code **2** (not 1) when shellcheck is missing, so CI
can distinguish "shellcheck absent" from "shellcheck found violations".

## Cross-platform shell support (M2)

All shell scripts under `scripts/` and `skills/reviewer-runtime/` that are
exercised by `verify:pi`, `verify:reviewers`, `sync:pi`, and `test:installer`
must work on both **macOS** (BSD userland) and **Ubuntu/Debian** (GNU
userland) without modification.

### BSD vs GNU differences encountered

| Feature | macOS (BSD) | Linux (GNU) | Portable form |
|---------|-------------|-------------|---------------|
| `stat` permissions | `stat -f '%Lp' <path>` | `stat -c '%a' <path>` | `portable_stat_perms` helper |
| herestrings (`<<<`) | supported (bash) | supported (bash) | OK (scripts use `#!/usr/bin/env bash`) |
| `find -E` (extended regex) | macOS-only | not available | use `grep` or POSIX `-name` |
| `sed -i ''` | macOS form | use `sed -i` on Linux | detect or avoid in-place sed |
| `date -j` (date arithmetic) | macOS-only | use `date -d` on Linux | Node helper or `date +%s` |
| `readlink -f` | not on macOS by default | GNU standard | `realpath` or `cd && pwd` |

### `scripts/lib/portable.sh`

A shared helper that abstracts the two known BSD/GNU divergences hit in
this repo:

```bash
# Source from any script that needs portable stat
# shellcheck source=lib/portable.sh
source "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/lib/portable.sh"

# Returns octal permission string: e.g. "755"
portable_stat_perms "$path"
```

The `shellcheck` wrapper passes `-x --source-path=SCRIPTDIR` so source
directives resolve relative to the script file, not the working directory.

### How to run the Ubuntu smoke test locally

```bash
# Requires Docker
docker run --rm \
  -v "$PWD:/w" \
  -w /w \
  node:20-bookworm \
  bash -lc 'apt-get update -q && apt-get install -y -q shellcheck ripgrep python3 \
            && corepack enable \
            && pnpm install --frozen-lockfile \
            && pnpm run check'
```

This runs the full `pnpm run check` suite (lint, typecheck, test, verify:pi,
verify:reviewers, verify:docs, verify:generated) inside a clean Debian Bookworm
container with Node 20.

## `check` contract (final — M5)

`pnpm run check` is **fully green** on a clean checkout with the documented
prerequisites installed.

```text
PASS  lint
PASS  typecheck
PASS  test
PASS  verify:pi
PASS  verify:reviewers
PASS  verify:docs
PASS  verify:generated
```

This is the only acceptable state for merge.  Any failure on a check not in
`docs/CLEANUP-BASELINE.md` is a regression and must be fixed before merge.

> **History:** In M1 the contract was transitional and allowed pre-existing
> failures recorded in the baseline.  M2 fixed `verify:docs`.  M3 fixed
> `lint` and promoted `verify:generated` from stub to real implementation.
> M4 added abstractions without regressions.  M5 added CI and finalized docs.
> The baseline is now closed out — see `docs/CLEANUP-BASELINE.md`.

## pnpm workspace policy (updated in M3)

The `pnpm-workspace.yaml` at the repo root uses a **positive-include** policy
introduced in M3.  There are no negative-glob exclusions.

**Canonical source packages** (never generated):

- `skills/atlassian/shared/scripts` — shared Atlassian TypeScript runtime
- `skills/web-automation/shared` — shared web-automation runtime template

**Generated agent-variant packages** (uniquely named, positively included):

- `skills/atlassian/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}/scripts`
  → names `@ai-coding-skills/atlassian-{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}`
- `skills/web-automation/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}/scripts`
  → names `@ai-coding-skills/web-automation-{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}`
- `pi-package/skills/atlassian/scripts`
  → name `@ai-coding-skills/atlassian-pi-mirror`
- `pi-package/skills/web-automation/scripts`
  → name `@ai-coding-skills/web-automation-pi-mirror`

**Why unique names matter:**

Each package in a pnpm workspace must have a distinct `name` field.  In M1 all
generated agent-variant packages shared the same non-unique name as their
canonical source package.  In M3 every package receives a scoped unique name
of the form `@ai-coding-skills/<skill>-<agent>`, enabling pnpm to include them
alongside canonical source packages without conflicts.  The pi-package mirrors
use the `-mirror` suffix to distinguish them from the `pi` agent variants.

All generated packages are `"private": true` and are never published to any
registry.

After `pnpm install`, `git status` should show zero modifications to any
package.json file under any generated directory.  If it does not, the workspace
config or generator is broken.

## How to interpret the baseline report

See `docs/CLEANUP-BASELINE.md` for the historical as-is capture from M1.  That
baseline is now **closed** — all pre-existing failures have been resolved.
When a CI run fails on any check it is a regression and must be fixed before
merge.

## How variants are generated (M3)

Every agent-variant directory under `skills/<skill>/<agent>/` and every
`pi-package/skills/<skill>/` mirror is **generator-owned**.  Do not edit
files inside these directories directly — edit the canonical source instead
and run `pnpm run sync:pi` to regenerate.

### Canonical sources (non-generated)

These directories are **never** generated and are **never** inside a generated
root.  They are the single source of truth for all content.

| Skill | Canonical source |
|-------|------------------|
| `atlassian` | SKILL.md: `skills/atlassian/_source/<agent>/SKILL.md`; scripts: `skills/atlassian/shared/scripts/` |
| `web-automation` | SKILL.md: `skills/web-automation/_source/<agent>/SKILL.md`; scripts: `skills/web-automation/shared/` |
| `create-plan` | `skills/create-plan/_source/<agent>/` (SKILL.md + templates) |
| `do-task` | `skills/do-task/_source/<agent>/` (SKILL.md + templates) |
| `implement-plan` | `skills/implement-plan/_source/<agent>/SKILL.md` |
| `reviewer-runtime` (base) | `skills/reviewer-runtime/run-review.sh`, `notify-telegram.sh` |

The `_source/` directories and `shared/` directories sit under the skill root
**outside** every generated root.  Stale-file detection (`verify:generated`)
never traverses them.

### Generated roots (authoritative list)

All paths are relative to the repo root.

```text
skills/atlassian/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}/
skills/web-automation/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}/
skills/create-plan/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}/
skills/do-task/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}/
skills/implement-plan/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}/
skills/reviewer-runtime/pi/
pi-package/skills/{atlassian,create-plan,do-task,implement-plan,web-automation}/
```

### Contributor workflow

1. **Edit the canonical source** in the appropriate `_source/<agent>/`, `shared/`, or
   base `skills/reviewer-runtime/` directory.
2. **Run the generator:**

   ```bash
   pnpm run sync:pi        # regenerates all 31 generated roots
   ```

3. **Verify no drift:**

   ```bash
   pnpm run verify:generated   # must exit 0
   ```

4. **Stage both the canonical source AND the generated output** in the same commit.
   Never commit a canonical change without regenerating.

### File-type-aware header policy

Every generated file (except JSON and `pnpm-lock.yaml`) receives a header
identifying it as generated and pointing to the canonical source.  Headers are
inserted so they do not break parsers or tools:

| File type | Header form | Placement |
|-----------|-------------|----------|
| Markdown (with YAML front matter) | `<!-- ⚠️ GENERATED FILE ... -->` | After closing `---` |
| Markdown (no front matter) | `<!-- ⚠️ GENERATED FILE ... -->` | Top of file |
| Shell script | `# ⚠️ GENERATED FILE ...` | After `#!` shebang |
| TypeScript / JavaScript | `// ⚠️ GENERATED FILE ...` | After `#!` shebang if present, else top |
| YAML (non-lockfile) | `# ⚠️ GENERATED FILE ...` | Top of file |
| JSON | *(no header — recorded in `.generated-manifest.json`)* | — |
| `pnpm-lock.yaml` | *(no header — managed by pnpm)* | — |
| JSONC | `// ⚠️ GENERATED FILE ...` | Top of file |

### `.generated-manifest.json` contract

Each generated root contains a `.generated-manifest.json` that:

- Has a `$schema` marker and a `generator` field for identification.
- Lists every **other** generator-owned path in that root (relative path,
  file mode, SHA-256 hash, kind).
- **Does NOT list itself** (non-self-referential).
- Is scoped to exactly **one** generated root — there is no manifest at
  `skills/<skill>/`.
- Is verified structurally (not byte-for-byte) by `verify:generated`.

### Package metadata (M3 change)

Each generated agent-variant `package.json` carries:

- A **unique private name** in the form `@ai-coding-skills/<skill>-<agent>` (e.g.
  `@ai-coding-skills/atlassian-claude-code`).
- `"private": true` to prevent accidental npm publication.

The pi-package mirrors (`pi-package/skills/atlassian/scripts` and
`pi-package/skills/web-automation/scripts`) use the `-mirror` agent suffix
(`@ai-coding-skills/atlassian-pi-mirror`, `@ai-coding-skills/web-automation-pi-mirror`)
to distinguish them from the `pi` agent variants in the workspace.

This replaces the previous non-unique `name` fields (`atlassian-skill-scripts`,
`web-automation-scripts`).  These packages are private and are never published.
See `CHANGELOG.md` for the full rename list.

## Adding a new agent variant

To add support for a brand-new agent (e.g. `mynewagent`) across all skills:

1. **Create canonical source files** for every skill:

   ```bash
   mkdir -p skills/<skill>/_source/mynewagent
   # Add SKILL.md (copy and adapt from an existing agent variant)
   ```

2. **Update the generator** (`scripts/generate-skills.mjs`):
   - Add `"mynewagent"` to the `AGENTS` array (or the per-skill agent list).
   - Ensure any agent-specific substitution logic is handled.

3. **Regenerate all variants:**

   ```bash
   pnpm run sync:pi
   pnpm run verify:generated     # must exit 0
   ```

4. **Update the workspace** (`pnpm-workspace.yaml`):
   - Add entries for every `skills/<skill>/mynewagent/scripts` package that
     has a `package.json` (e.g. atlassian and web-automation).

5. **Update documentation:**
   - Add a row to the skills table in `README.md`.
   - Add a row to the reviewer matrix in `docs/REVIEWERS.md` if the agent
     exposes a reviewer CLI.
   - Add an install guide at `docs/MYNEWAGENT.md` and link it from
     `docs/README.md`.
   - Add the doc file to the `files` list in root `package.json`.

6. **Verify the full suite:**

   ```bash
   pnpm install
   pnpm run check
   ```

## Adding a new skill

To add an entirely new skill (e.g. `my-skill`):

1. **Create the canonical source tree:**

   ```bash
   mkdir -p skills/my-skill/_source/{claude-code,codex,cursor,opencode,pi}
   # Add SKILL.md to each _source/<agent>/ directory
   ```

2. **Update the generator** (`scripts/generate-skills.mjs`):
   - Add `"my-skill"` to the `SKILLS` array.
   - Provide a `getSkillMeta(skill)` entry with agents list, source resolver,
     and any extra files to copy (templates, scripts, etc.).

3. **Regenerate:**

   ```bash
   pnpm run sync:pi
   pnpm run verify:generated
   ```

4. **Add the pi-package entry** if the skill should be distributed via the
   Pi package:
   - Update `package.json` → `pi.skills` with the new path.
   - Update the `files` array to include the new skill directory.

5. **Write documentation** in `docs/MY-SKILL.md` and link from `docs/README.md`
   and the skills table in `README.md`.

6. **Run the full suite:** `pnpm run check`.

## CI

Two GitHub Actions workflows live in `.github/workflows/`:

| File | Trigger | Purpose |
|------|---------|---------|
| `check.yml` | push, pull_request (all branches) | Full `pnpm run check` on `ubuntu-latest` **and** `macos-latest`. Offline link-checking (no network dependency). |
| `check-online.yml` | weekly schedule (Mon 09:00 UTC) + `workflow_dispatch` | `pnpm run verify:docs:online` with full external link checking. |

### What the `check` workflow does

1. Checks out the repository.
2. Installs `shellcheck` via `apt-get` (Ubuntu) or `brew` (macOS).
3. Installs `ripgrep` via `apt-get` (Ubuntu only; pre-installed on macOS runners).
4. Installs Node.js 22 via `actions/setup-node`.
5. Installs pnpm 10 via `pnpm/action-setup`.
6. Runs `pnpm install --frozen-lockfile`.
7. Runs `pnpm run check` (the same command contributors run locally).

The matrix runs both `ubuntu-latest` and `macos-latest` to guard against
platform-specific regressions. Because M2 made all shell scripts portable
across BSD and GNU coreutils, both runners should stay green.

### Adding new prerequisites to CI

If a new tool is required (e.g. a new binary called by a verify script),
add the install step to **both** OS branches in `check.yml`. Document the
new prerequisite in the Prerequisites table at the top of this file.

## Links

- [CLEANUP-BASELINE.md](./CLEANUP-BASELINE.md) — as-is quality baseline
- [README.md](../README.md) — project overview
- [docs/README.md](./README.md) — documentation index
- [CHANGELOG.md](../CHANGELOG.md) — milestone-by-milestone change record
- [.github/workflows/check.yml](../.github/workflows/check.yml) — CI workflow
- [.github/workflows/check-online.yml](../.github/workflows/check-online.yml) — weekly online link check