clj-paren-repair

name	clj-paren-repair
description	Repair Clojure reader syntax errors caused by unbalanced delimiters ((), [], {}) to fix errors like "EOF while reading", "Unexpected EOF", "Unmatched delimiter", or "Unbalanced delimiter".

Unbalanced delimiters repair (Clojure)

Purpose

Clojure source must have balanced delimiters: parentheses (), brackets [], and braces {}. When a file is unbalanced, the reader commonly fails with messages like:

• EOF while reading
• Unexpected EOF
• Unmatched delimiter
• Unbalanced delimiter
• Syntax error reading source / ReaderException

This skill prescribes a single remediation: run the automated repair tool clj-paren-repair via devenv shell.

Hard rules

1. Do NOT manually repair delimiter errors. Do not add/remove/move delimiters “by inspection”, even if it looks obvious.
2. Only run the tool on the specific file(s) implicated by the error, unless the user explicitly requests broader scope.
3. If clj-paren-repair fails or the reader error persists after running it, stop and report that the user must fix the delimiter error manually. Do not attempt further automated or manual delimiter edits.

Command

Run:

devenv shell clj-paren-repair <files...>

Examples:

devenv shell clj-paren-repair src/my/app/core.clj

Workflow

Follow these steps in order:

1. Identify the exact file(s) to repair

   • Prefer files explicitly mentioned in error output/stack traces.
   • If multiple files are implicated, start with the topmost file referenced at the failure point.
   • Do not guess. If no file is identifiable, ask the user for the error output (or for the file they were editing).
   • Run the repair tool on just those files

2. Acknowledge formatting side-effect

   • clj-paren-repair also runs cljfmt on processed files.
   • Expect whitespace/formatting changes in addition to delimiter repairs.

3. Inspect the result

4. Re-run the failing action

   • Re-run the prior evaluation/test/build command that produced the reader error.
   • If the reader error is gone, proceed with whatever task was blocked.
   • If repair did not resolve the issue
     • If clj-paren-repair errors, exits non-zero, or the original reader error persists:
       • Do not attempt manual delimiter edits.
       • Report to the user: the delimiter error requires manual repair (and include the tool’s output if available).

When NOT to use this skill

Do not run clj-paren-repair for:

• Type errors, unresolved symbols, arity errors, spec failures, runtime exceptions, failing tests not involving reader errors.
• Non-Clojure delimiter issues (e.g., EDN embedded in strings) unless the reader error points to a concrete file and the user wants you to try.

Notes / edge cases

• Multi-extension codebases: the tool may be useful for .clj, .cljs, .cljc, and sometimes .edn if supported in your environment—only run it on file types the user is working with.

• If the user is mid-merge or has large unrelated diffs, consider recommending they commit/stash first (do not do it yourself unless your environment supports it and the user asked).

• If the tool makes no changes and the error remains, that is a hard stop per the rules above.