| name | pencil-mcp-get-variables |
| description | Read design variables Tokens . Use to get Design Tokens color font variables defined in the current document to ensure consistency. |
| license | Complete terms in LICENSE.txt |
Tools
This skill is designed to call the Pencil MCP tool:
If your client namespaces MCP tools, it may appear as mcp__pencil__get_variables.
When to use this skill
Intent Recognition (CRITICAL)
Even if a trigger phrase matches, you must verify the user's intent:
- Is the user explicitly asking to use "Pencil"?
- Is the current conversation context clearly about "Pencil" design tasks?
If the answer is NO, do NOT use this skill. (e.g., "Get variables" might refer to environment variables or code variables).
CRITICAL PREREQUISITE:
You must ONLY use this skill when the user EXPLICITLY mentions "Pencil".
ALWAYS use this skill when:
- You need to know the available Design Tokens (Colors, Typography, Spacing) in Pencil.
- You want to use semantic names (e.g.,
primary-color) instead of hardcoded hex codes.
- You are checking the current theme.
Trigger phrases include:
- "Get Pencil variables" (获取 Pencil 变量)
- "Read Pencil design tokens" (读取 Pencil 设计令牌)
- "Check Pencil colors" (检查 Pencil 颜色)
- "List Pencil theme values" (列出 Pencil 主题值)
Input Parameters
filePath (string, optional): Path to the .pen file.
How to use this skill
- Call Tool:
get_variables().
- Analyze Output: The result is a list/map of variable definitions.
- Apply: Use the variable IDs or names in
batch_design operations (e.g., fill: { type: "var", id: "var_123" }).
Examples
1. Simple: Get All Variables
Retrieve all variables defined in the current document.
{}
2. Medium: Get from Specific File
Read variables from a different design file (e.g., a shared library).
{
"filePath": "/Users/design/system/tokens.pen"
}
3. Complex: Theme Audit (Conceptual)
Same as simple, but used when auditing themes.
{}
Keywords
English keywords:
get variables, read tokens, design system, theme values, color palette, typography tokens
Chinese keywords (中文关键词):
获取变量, 读取令牌, 设计系统, 主题值, 调色板, 字体令牌
能力边界
✅ 适用场景
- 当你需要使用此技能对应的技术栈时
- 当项目需要遵循最佳实践时
- 当需要快速上手或深入理解核心概念时
⚠️ 需要注意
- 复杂业务逻辑需要结合具体场景调整
- 性能优化需要根据实际数据量评估
❌ 不适用场景
常见陷阱 (Gotchas)
- 版本兼容性:注意框架版本与依赖库的兼容性,不同版本 API 可能有差异
- 配置文件格式:配置文件格式错误是最常见的问题,建议使用编辑器的语法检查
- 环境变量:确保所有必要的环境变量已正确设置,敏感信息不要硬编码
- 依赖冲突:多版本共存时注意依赖冲突,使用 lock 文件锁定版本
- 性能陷阱:大数据量场景下注意性能优化,避免 N+1 查询等常见问题
使用流程
Step 1: 环境准备
确保开发环境已安装必要的依赖和工具。
Step 2: 配置初始化
根据项目需求进行基础配置。
Step 3: 核心功能使用
按照示例代码实现核心功能。
Step 4: 测试验证
运行测试确保功能正常。
Step 5: 部署上线
完成开发后进行部署和监控。