Write, run, debug, package, and make reproducible standalone Python scripts with uv. Use when authoring uv scripts, adding PEP 723 inline metadata, choosing uv run/init/add --script forms, building shebang executables, locking scripts for reproducibility, handling uv cache or CI cache behavior, or picking lightweight script dependencies. Keywords: uv, uv run, uv script, PEP 723, inline metadata, standalone python script, requires-python, uv lock --script, uv add --script, shebang, hook script.
uv Scripts
Use this skill to create Python scripts that are easy to run once, easy to rerun later, and honest about their dependencies.
Workflow
Inspect the local context first: existing script, pyproject.toml, uv.lock, Justfile, Makefile, CI workflow, Python version, and nearby script style.
Choose the execution shape:
No third-party imports: uv run --no-project script.py.
Temporary one-off dependency: uv run --with package --no-project script.py.
Reusable standalone script: PEP 723 inline metadata plus uv run --script script.py.
Executable command: uv shebang plus inline metadata.
Repo application code: use the project's existing uv workflow instead of turning it into a standalone script.
Load the smallest relevant reference file from the map below.
When writing a non-trivial script, inspect the closest exemplar under scripts/ before inventing structure.
Author scripts with linear control flow, explicit CLI arguments, predictable exit codes, pathlib, timeouts for network calls, and no hidden machine-specific paths.
Run the exact script command after editing. Add dependencies with uv add --script when the script should be reusable.
For shared, CI, or release-critical scripts, add a lockfile or reproducibility guard and document the one command users should run.
Reference Map
references/authoring-workflow.md: choose the right script shape, command form, and maintainable Python structure.
references/inline-metadata.md: use PEP 723 metadata, uv add --script, shebangs, Python requirements, indexes, and dependency declarations.
references/reproducibility-locks.md: decide when to lock, pin, use exclude-newer, request Python versions, and commit script artifacts.
references/cache-ci-troubleshooting.md: handle uv cache behavior, refresh/reinstall escape hatches, CI pruning, cache directories, and dynamic metadata.
references/dependency-toolbox.md: pick high-value third-party libraries for CLI UX, HTTP, config, validation, serialization, data work, scraping, testing, and formatting.
references/gold-standard-scripts.md: choose which permanent exemplar script to copy before creating a new script.
Script Exemplars
scripts/cli_click_rich.py: polished Click command surface with Rich output and JSON mode.
scripts/fetch_http.py: HTTP fetching with httpx, bounded retries, durable cache, content handling, and no-network demo mode.
scripts/inspect_files.py: safe file intake for JSON, YAML, TOML, CSV, Excel, XML, PDF, and image files.
scripts/analyze_duckdb.py: local CSV/JSON/Parquet analysis with DuckDB, schemas, samples, SQL, and exports.
scripts/render_template.py: validated YAML data plus Jinja rendering with atomic writes.
scripts/script_quality_gate.py: minimum-bar checker for uv standalone scripts, with optional help and Ruff checks.
scripts/config_and_secrets.py: structured settings, portable app paths, and local keyring usage without plaintext secrets.
scripts/orchestrate_dev.py: long-running dev process supervisor with startup order, health checks, logs, Docker Compose hooks, and cleanup.
scripts/watch_and_run.py: file-watch loop for local development commands.
scripts/document_assets.py: practical PDF and image inspection/transformation.
Quality Rules
Prefer the standard library until a dependency clearly reduces complexity, failures, or user friction.
Use inline script metadata for scripts that another person or future agent should run without reconstructing setup.
Include requires-python when syntax, stdlib APIs, or dependency support require a specific Python range.
Include dependencies = [] for metadata-bearing scripts even when no third-party packages are needed.
Use --no-project for repo-adjacent scripts that should not install or import the current project.
Prefer --refresh or --refresh-package over deleting caches when dependency data may be stale.
Never edit uv cache directories manually; use uv cache commands.
Keep secrets out of script metadata, lockfiles, command examples, and committed configs.
If exact uv CLI behavior matters, verify against the current Astral docs before making a precise claim.
