skill-builder

name	skill-builder
description	Create and scaffold new RooGent skills with proper structure, documentation templates, and helper scripts. Use when building custom automation capabilities.
tags	["skill-development","framework","automation","meta","roogent-skill","tooling","scaffolding"]
permissions	["read_file","write_to_file","execute_command"]
required_mode	["code"]

🛠️ Skill Builder

Overview

The skill-builder helps you create new RooGent skills with the correct directory structure, documentation templates, and helper scripts. Use this when building custom automation or extending RooGent capabilities.

🚀 Quick Start

To create a new skill:

.roo/skills/skill-builder/scripts/init_skill.sh my-skill-name

This generates:

• .roo/skills/my-skill-name/ directory
• SKILL.md with proper frontmatter and structure
• scripts/ directory with example script
• Executable permissions set automatically

📋 Instructions

1. Initialize the Skill

Run the initialization script with your skill name:

.roo/skills/skill-builder/scripts/init_skill.sh <skill-name>

Naming requirements:

• Use lowercase letters only
• Separate words with hyphens (kebab-case)
• Be descriptive but concise
• Examples: pre-deployment-safety-checks, project-cost-analyzer, api-tester

2. Edit SKILL.md

Open .roo/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md and customize:

1. Frontmatter: Update description, tags, permissions, and required_mode
2. Overview: Explain what the skill does and when to use it
3. Instructions: Provide step-by-step usage guide
4. Examples: Show expected inputs and outputs

3. Create Helper Scripts

Add scripts to .roo/skills/<skill-name>/scripts/:

# Create your script
touch .roo/skills/<skill-name>/scripts/my_script.sh

# Make it executable
chmod +x .roo/skills/<skill-name>/scripts/my_script.sh

Script guidelines:

• Start with #!/bin/bash and set -e
• Validate input parameters early
• Use emoji in output for clarity (🚀 ✅ ❌ ⚠️)
• Provide helpful error messages
• Exit with appropriate codes (0 = success, 1 = error)

4. Register the Skill

Add your skill to .roo/skills.index.json:

{
  "name": "your-skill-name",
  "description": "Brief description of what it does",
  "tags": ["relevant", "tags"],
  "path": ".roo/skills/your-skill-name",
  "keywords": ["searchable", "terms"],
  "required_tools": ["execute_command"],
  "required_modes": ["code"]
}

5. Test the Skill

Verify your skill works:

# Test the script directly
.roo/skills/<skill-name>/scripts/your_script.sh <test-params>

# Test through RooGent
# Ask RooGent to use your skill with appropriate parameters

📝 SKILL.md Template Structure

---
name: skill-name
description: What this skill does
tags: [category, keywords]
permissions: [required_tools]
required_mode: [allowed_modes]
---

# Skill Name

## Overview
Brief explanation of purpose and use cases

## Instructions
1. Step one with details
2. Step two with examples
3. Step three with expected results

## Prerequisites
- Required tools or permissions
- Environment setup needed

## Examples
Show typical usage patterns

🎯 Best Practices

Documentation

• ✅ Use clear, action-oriented language
• ✅ Include code examples with syntax highlighting
• ✅ Show expected outputs for clarity
• ✅ Document prerequisites and dependencies
• ✅ Use emoji markers for visual scanning

Scripts

• ✅ Validate all input parameters
• ✅ Provide informative error messages
• ✅ Use consistent exit codes
• ✅ Add comments for complex logic
• ✅ Test with various inputs

Organization

• ✅ Keep related scripts in scripts/ directory
• ✅ Use descriptive file names
• ✅ Set proper file permissions
• ✅ Document script parameters in SKILL.md

Registration

• ✅ Choose relevant tags for discoverability
• ✅ Include comprehensive keywords
• ✅ Specify accurate tool requirements
• ✅ List appropriate modes

🔧 Helper Script Reference

init_skill.sh

Purpose: Bootstrap a new skill with proper structure

Usage:

.roo/skills/skill-builder/scripts/init_skill.sh <skill-name>

Parameters:

• skill-name: Name in kebab-case (lowercase-with-hyphens)

Output:

• Creates skill directory structure
• Generates SKILL.md template
• Creates example script
• Sets executable permissions
• Provides next steps

Validation:

• Checks name format (lowercase, hyphens only)
• Prevents overwriting existing skills
• Ensures parent directories exist

💡 Common Patterns

GCP Integration

# Get project ID from user
# Run gcloud commands
# Parse and format output
# Report results with emoji

API Interaction

# Validate credentials
# Make API requests
# Handle errors gracefully
# Format response data

File Processing

# Check file exists
# Validate file format
# Process content
# Generate output

⚠️ Troubleshooting

Skill not found: Ensure it's registered in .roo/skills.index.json

Permission denied: Run chmod +x on script files

Invalid name format: Use lowercase letters and hyphens only

Skill already exists: Choose a different name or remove existing skill