skill-creator

# Skill Creator Create Ellama skills that are small enough to trigger reliably, explicit enough for local models, and backed by deterministic tools when work should not depend on model memory. ## Workflow 1. Identify concrete trigger examples. - Ask at most one or two questions if the user has not provided examples. - Capture what a user would say, what files/tools are involved, and what a correct output looks like. - Reuse the location the user gave. If none is given, default to `~/.emacs.d/ellama/skills/` for global skills or `skills/` for project-local skills. 2. Choose the skill shape. - Use only `SKILL.md` for a simple procedural skill. - Add `references/` for detailed guidance that should be loaded only when needed. - Add `scripts/` for fragile, repetitive, or mechanically checkable work. - Add `templates/` for reusable `task` subagent prompts. - Add `assets/` only for files copied or transformed into final outputs. 3. Initialize the folder. - Prefer the bundled initializer: `python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/init_ellama_skill.py <name> --path <dir>`. - Use lowercase letters, digits, and hyphens for names. - Make the folder name match the `name` field. 4. Write `SKILL.md`. - Use YAML frontmatter with at least `name` and `description`. - Put all trigger conditions in `description`; the body is loaded only after the model has already selected the skill. - Keep the body as a routing and workflow guide, not a manual. - Link every reference file from `SKILL.md` and say when to read it. 5. Adapt for Ellama tools. - Use `read_file` to load skill instructions and references. - Use `grep`, `grep_in_file`, `lines_range`, and `directory_tree` before broad reads. - Use `write_file` for new files and `edit_file` for precise edits. - Use `shell_command` only when deterministic validation or generation is worth the extra tool risk. - Use `ask_user` only when a missing answer would make the skill wrong. - Use `task` only for clearly separable work; require subagents to finish with `report_result`. 6. Validate. - Run `python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/validate_ellama_skill.py <target-skill>`. - Run or smoke-test any added scripts. - For skills that use `task`, check template placeholders against the documented `arguments` object. 7. Iterate from real failures. - Prefer changing a script, template, reference, or validation check over adding vague warnings to `SKILL.md`. - When a small model repeats the same mistake, add a mechanical example or a narrower instruction near the step where the mistake happens. ## Ellama References Read only the file needed for the current decision: - `references/ellama-skill-format.md`: Ellama skill structure, frontmatter, discovery paths, task templates, and validation rules. - `references/small-model-skill-design.md`: How to make skills robust for small/local models. - `references/porting-codex-skills.md`: How to port Codex/OpenAI skills to Ellama without copying incompatible assumptions. ## Output Shape When creating or updating a skill, report: ```text Skill path: Files created or changed: Validation: Notes: ``` Keep the final answer short. Mention only meaningful tradeoffs, missing inputs, or validation that could not be run.