update-hytale-skills

name

update-hytale-skills

description

Updates existing hytale-* skills and detects new documentation pages on the HytaleModding site. Checks the GitHub source repo (HytaleModding/site) for content changes, fetches updated MDX source files, and reconciles skill content. Also cross-references decompiled server source for skills without upstream doc URLs. Use after server updates, periodically, or when new modding docs are published. Triggers - update skills, refresh skills, sync docs, check for skill updates, new documentation, skill maintenance, hytalemodding site changes, update modding docs.

Update Hytale Skills

Procedural skill for keeping all hytale-* skills in .github/skills/ synchronized with upstream documentation from the HytaleModding site and the decompiled server source in lib/.

Related skills: update-server-lib handles updating lib/ with the latest Hytale server JAR and decompiled source. Run that skill first if a new server version is available, then run this skill to update knowledge skills.

---

When to Use This Skill

• After running update-server-lib (new server version deployed)
• When the HytaleModding documentation site has been updated
• Periodically (e.g., weekly) to catch community doc improvements
• When you notice a skill's code examples or API references are outdated
• When a new guide or doc page appears on hytalemodding.dev that has no matching skill

---

Source Repository

All documentation lives in the HytaleModding/site GitHub repository:

• Repo: https://github.com/HytaleModding/site
• Content root: content/docs/en/
• Raw content base URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HytaleModding/site/main/content/docs/en/

Content Directory Structure

content/docs/en/
├── guides/
│   ├── ecs/                          # ECS guides
│   │   ├── entity-component-system.mdx
│   │   ├── hytale-ecs-theory.mdx
│   │   ├── systems.mdx
│   │   ├── example-ecs-plugin.mdx
│   │   └── block-components.mdx
│   ├── java-basics/                  # Java tutorial series (skip — not skill material)
│   │   ├── 00-introduction.mdx ... 13-inheritance.mdx
│   ├── plugin/                       # Plugin guides (most skills map here)
│   │   ├── animated-block-textures.mdx
│   │   ├── chat-formatting.mdx
│   │   ├── creating-commands.mdx
│   │   ├── creating-configuration-file.mdx
│   │   ├── creating-events.mdx
│   │   ├── customizing-camera-controls.mdx
│   │   ├── customizing-hotbar-actions.mdx
│   │   ├── instances.mdx
│   │   ├── inventory-management.mdx
│   │   ├── item-interaction.mdx
│   │   ├── item-registry.mdx
│   │   ├── listening-to-packets.mdx
│   │   ├── logging.mdx
│   │   ├── permission-management.mdx
│   │   ├── player-death-event.mdx
│   │   ├── player-input-guide.mdx
│   │   ├── player-stats.mdx
│   │   ├── playing-sounds.mdx
│   │   ├── send-notifications.mdx
│   │   ├── spawning-entities.mdx
│   │   ├── spawning-npcs.mdx
│   │   ├── tracking-mod-analytics-with-hstats.mdx
│   │   ├── store-persistent-data.mdx
│   │   ├── teleporting-players.mdx
│   │   ├── text-hologram.mdx
│   │   ├── ui.mdx
│   │   ├── world-gen.mdx
│   │   ├── build-and-test.mdx
│   │   ├── browsing-serverjar.mdx
│   │   ├── client-inputs-reference.mdx
│   │   └── creating-block.mdx
│   └── prefabs.mdx
├── official-documentation/
│   ├── custom-ui/                    # Official UI docs
│   │   ├── common-styling.mdx
│   │   ├── layout.mdx
│   │   ├── markup.mdx
│   │   └── type-documentation/       # (subdirectory with type docs)
│   ├── npc/                          # Official NPC template docs (12 chapters)
│   │   ├── 1-know-your-enemy.mdx
│   │   ├── 2-getting-started-with-templates.mdx
│   │   ├── ...through 12-appendix.mdx
│   └── worldgen/                     # Official world gen docs
│       ├── pack-tutorial/
│       ├── technical-hytale-generator/
│       └── worldgen-tutorial/
├── server/                           # Server reference docs
│   ├── argtypes.mdx
│   ├── entities.mdx
│   ├── events.mdx
│   ├── interaction-reference.mdx
│   └── sounds.mdx
└── index.mdx

---

Skill-to-Source Mapping

The table below maps each hytale-* skill to its upstream documentation source(s). Use this to know exactly which files to check for updates.

Skills with Upstream Doc URLs

Skill	GitHub Source Path(s)	Live URL(s)
hytale-camera-controls	guides/plugin/customizing-camera-controls.mdx	customizing-camera-controls
hytale-chat-formatting	guides/plugin/chat-formatting.mdx	chat-formatting
hytale-config-files	guides/plugin/creating-configuration-file.mdx	creating-configuration-file
hytale-ecs	guides/ecs/entity-component-system.mdx, guides/ecs/hytale-ecs-theory.mdx, guides/ecs/systems.mdx, guides/ecs/example-ecs-plugin.mdx, guides/ecs/block-components.mdx	entity-component-system, hytale-ecs-theory, systems, example-ecs-plugin, block-components
hytale-events	guides/plugin/creating-events.mdx, server/events.mdx	creating-events, events
hytale-hotbar-actions	guides/plugin/customizing-hotbar-actions.mdx, guides/plugin/listening-to-packets.mdx, server/interaction-reference.mdx	customizing-hotbar-actions, listening-to-packets, interaction-reference
hytale-instances	guides/plugin/instances.mdx	instances
hytale-inventory	guides/plugin/inventory-management.mdx	inventory-management
hytale-notifications	guides/plugin/send-notifications.mdx, server/entities.mdx	send-notifications, entities
hytale-npc-templates	official-documentation/npc/ (all 12 chapters)	npc
hytale-persistent-data	guides/plugin/store-persistent-data.mdx, guides/ecs/hytale-ecs-theory.mdx, guides/ecs/entity-component-system.mdx, guides/ecs/systems.mdx	store-persistent-data
hytale-player-death-event	guides/plugin/player-death-event.mdx	player-death-event
hytale-player-input	guides/plugin/player-input-guide.mdx, guides/plugin/client-inputs-reference.mdx, guides/plugin/listening-to-packets.mdx, server/interaction-reference.mdx	player-input-guide, client-inputs-reference, listening-to-packets, interaction-reference
hytale-player-stats	guides/plugin/player-stats.mdx	player-stats
hytale-playing-sounds	guides/plugin/playing-sounds.mdx, server/sounds.mdx	playing-sounds, sounds
hytale-spawning-entities	guides/plugin/spawning-entities.mdx, server/entities.mdx	spawning-entities, entities
hytale-spawning-npcs	guides/plugin/spawning-npcs.mdx	spawning-npcs
hytale-teleporting-players	guides/plugin/teleporting-players.mdx	teleporting-players
hytale-text-holograms	guides/plugin/text-hologram.mdx	text-hologram
hytale-ui-modding	official-documentation/custom-ui/common-styling.mdx, official-documentation/custom-ui/layout.mdx, official-documentation/custom-ui/markup.mdx, official-documentation/custom-ui/type-documentation/, guides/plugin/ui.mdx	custom-ui
hytale-world-gen	guides/plugin/world-gen.mdx, official-documentation/worldgen/worldgen-tutorial/README.mdx, official-documentation/worldgen/worldgen-tutorial/density-generation-concepts.mdx, official-documentation/worldgen/worldgen-tutorial/materials-generation-concepts.mdx, official-documentation/worldgen/worldgen-tutorial/prop-generation-concepts.mdx, official-documentation/worldgen/worldgen-tutorial/optimization-wip.mdx, official-documentation/worldgen/technical-hytale-generator/ (all files), official-documentation/worldgen/pack-tutorial/ (all files)	world-gen, worldgen-tutorial
hytale-blocks	guides/plugin/creating-block.mdx, guides/plugin/animated-block-textures.mdx	creating-block, animated-block-textures
hytale-prefabs	guides/prefabs.mdx	prefabs
hytale-commands	guides/plugin/creating-commands.mdx, server/argtypes.mdx	creating-commands, argtypes
hytale-items	guides/plugin/item-interaction.mdx, guides/plugin/item-registry.mdx	item-interaction, item-registry

Skills Without Upstream Doc URLs (Server Source Only)

These skills were built primarily from decompiled server source and do not have matching pages on the docs site. Update them by reviewing changes in lib/hytale-server/src/main/java/com/hypixel/.

Skill	Primary Server Source Packages
hytale-entity-effects	com.hypixel.server.ecs.components.effects, com.hypixel.server.entity.effect
hytale-logging	com.hypixel.server.log, com.hypixel.common.log
hytale-permissions	com.hypixel.server.permission
hytale-plugin-config	com.hypixel.server.plugin
hytale-tag-system	com.hypixel.server.asset, com.hypixel.server.registry

---

Update Procedure

Step 1: Check for Upstream Changes

Use the GitHub API to check recent commits affecting the docs content directory. Fetch the commit history for the content path:

https://api.github.com/repos/HytaleModding/site/commits?path=content/docs/en&since=YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ

Or check specific files using the raw content URL pattern:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HytaleModding/site/main/content/docs/en/{path}

Practical approach using fetch_webpage:

1. Fetch the GitHub commits page for the content directory to see recent changes:

   https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/commits/main/content/docs/en
   

2. For each skill in the mapping table, fetch the raw MDX source for its mapped files:

   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HytaleModding/site/main/content/docs/en/guides/plugin/{filename}.mdx
   

3. Compare the fetched content against the current skill's SKILL.md to identify:

   • New API methods or classes documented
   • Changed method signatures or parameters
   • New code examples or updated examples
   • Deprecated or removed functionality
   • New sections or reorganized content

Step 2: Discover New Documentation Pages & Skills

This is the most important step for keeping skills comprehensive. The HytaleModding site is community-driven and frequently adds new guides and documentation.

2a. Scan All Content Directories

Fetch the directory listings for every content folder on GitHub to build a complete inventory of .mdx files:

Directories to scan:

• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/guides/plugin
• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/guides/ecs
• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/guides (top-level guides like prefabs.mdx)
• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/official-documentation
• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/official-documentation/custom-ui
• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/official-documentation/npc
• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/official-documentation/worldgen
• https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/tree/main/content/docs/en/server

Also scan for new subdirectories that may have been added since the last check — these often indicate major new documentation categories.

2b. Classify Each File

For every .mdx file found, classify it into one of these categories:

Category	Action	Examples
Already mapped	Check for updates (Step 3)	Files in the Skill-to-Source Mapping table
Meta/setup guide	Skip — not skill material	setting-up-env.mdx, build-and-test.mdx, browsing-serverjar.mdx
Extends existing skill	Merge content into the existing skill	A new item-registry.mdx extending hytale-items
New standalone topic	Create a new skill (Step 2c)	A brand new guide on a topic with no skill
New official docs section	Create a new skill (Step 2c)	A new folder under official-documentation/

How to decide "extends existing" vs "new standalone":

• If the doc covers a sub-feature of something an existing skill already handles → extend existing
• If the doc introduces a fundamentally new system, API, or workflow → create new standalone skill
• When in doubt, check the existing skills' description field — if the new doc's trigger keywords overlap heavily, it probably extends an existing skill

2c. New Skill Discovery Procedure

When you find an .mdx file (or new subdirectory) that doesn't map to any existing skill:

1. Fetch the raw MDX content:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HytaleModding/site/main/content/docs/en/{path-to-file}.mdx

2. Analyze the content for skill viability:

A doc page is a good skill candidate if it has at least 2 of these:

• Java code examples with specific API classes/methods
• JSON configuration examples
• A distinct system/feature not covered by existing skills
• Step-by-step procedures developers would need to reference
• API classes or methods that a developer would search for by name

A doc page is NOT a good skill candidate if:

• It's purely conceptual with no actionable code/config
• It's a meta-guide about tooling setup (IDE, build, etc.)
• It duplicates content already in an existing skill
• It's a changelog or release notes page

3. Extract the skill scaffold from the MDX:

From the fetched MDX content, extract:

• Title and topic → becomes the skill name (prefixed with hytale-)
• Key API classes and methods → becomes description trigger keywords
• Code examples → becomes the skill's code reference sections
• JSON examples → becomes data-driven configuration sections
• Concepts and terminology → becomes Quick Reference table entries
• Related upstream URLs → becomes source references in the skill

4. Cross-reference with decompiled server source:

Search lib/hytale-server/src/main/java/com/hypixel/ for the classes mentioned in the doc. This often reveals:

• Additional methods not documented yet
• Constructor signatures for proper usage
• Related classes the doc doesn't mention
• Package paths needed for import statements

5. Create the new skill following the template below (Step 5).

2d. Skills Currently Identified as Without Matching Docs (Known Gaps)

Doc pages without skills (potential new skills):

Doc File	Status	Recommendation
guides/plugin/creating-block.mdx	DONE — hytale-blocks	Block creation, asset packs, block JSON, textures, materials
guides/plugin/animated-block-textures.mdx	Extends hytale-blocks	Animated model blocks, CustomModelTexture, CustomModelAnimation, .blockyanim
guides/prefabs.mdx	DONE — hytale-prefabs	Prefab system, commands, reusable structures
guides/plugin/item-interaction.mdx	DONE — merged into hytale-items	Interaction content in hytale-items skill
guides/plugin/item-registry.mdx	DONE — merged into hytale-items	Registry content in hytale-items skill
guides/plugin/player-input-guide.mdx	Extends hytale-player-input	Core player input flow and packet interception patterns
guides/plugin/client-inputs-reference.mdx	Extends hytale-player-input	Merge reference content into hytale-player-input skill
guides/plugin/listening-to-packets.mdx	Extends hytale-player-input	Merge packet content into hytale-player-input skill
server/interaction-reference.mdx	Extends hytale-player-input and hytale-items	Canonical interaction types, rules, cooldown, chaining, and asset fields
server/argtypes.mdx	Extends hytale-commands	Full authoritative ArgTypes reference
guides/plugin/browsing-serverjar.mdx	Meta-guide	Skip — not skill material
guides/plugin/build-and-test.mdx	Meta-guide	Skip — not skill material
guides/plugin/setting-up-env.mdx	Meta-guide	Skip — not skill material
guides/plugin/tracking-mod-analytics-with-hstats.mdx	Meta-guide unless project uses HStats	Usually skip unless you want a dedicated analytics skill

Update this table each time you run the discovery process. Remove entries that have been addressed and add new ones found.

Step 3: Update Existing Skills

For each skill with detected changes:

1. Fetch the raw MDX source for all mapped files using:

   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HytaleModding/site/main/content/docs/en/{path}
   

2. Read the current SKILL.md for the skill being updated.

3. Identify deltas between the upstream content and the skill:

   • New API methods, classes, or components → Add to skill
   • Updated code examples → Replace stale examples
   • Changed method signatures → Update references
   • New sections or concepts → Incorporate into skill
   • Removed/deprecated content → Remove or mark as deprecated

4. Cross-reference with decompiled server source in lib/hytale-server/src/main/java/com/hypixel/:

   • Verify that code examples in the updated docs are correct against the actual server JAR
   • Check for API changes that the docs may not yet reflect
   • Look for new classes or methods that supplement the doc content

5. Update the SKILL.md following these rules:

   • Preserve the skill's existing structure and organization style
   • Keep the frontmatter description and triggers updated with any new keywords
   • Ensure code examples compile against the current server version
   • Update Quick Reference tables with new methods/approaches
   • Maintain cross-references to related skills (> **Related skills:** ...)
   • Do NOT remove project-specific guidance that was added beyond the upstream docs

Step 4: Update Server-Source-Only Skills

For skills without upstream doc URLs:

1. Check lib/ for changes in the relevant packages (see mapping table above).

2. Look for new classes, methods, or changed signatures in the decompiled source.

3. Update the skill with:

   • New API methods or classes
   • Changed constructor or method parameters
   • New component types or system types
   • Updated code patterns

Step 5: Create New Skills

When a new doc page is detected that warrants its own skill (see Step 2c), follow this complete procedure.

5a. Gather All Source Material

1. Fetch the raw MDX content for the new page(s):

   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HytaleModding/site/main/content/docs/en/{path}
   

2. Search the decompiled server source for key classes mentioned in the doc:

   lib/hytale-server/src/main/java/com/hypixel/
   

   Use grep/search to find:

   • The main API classes referenced in the doc
   • Related classes in the same package
   • Method signatures, constructors, and public fields
   • Enum values or constants relevant to the topic

3. Check lib/Server/ JSON files for any data-driven definitions related to the topic:

   • Entity definitions, block definitions, item definitions, etc.
   • Configuration schemas and default values

4. Review existing skills that are related to identify:

   • Content boundaries (what this skill covers vs what existing skills cover)
   • Cross-reference opportunities
   • Shared patterns to maintain consistency

5b. Choose a Name

Follow the naming convention: hytale-{topic} where {topic} is:

• Lowercase, hyphen-separated
• Describes the primary system or feature
• Matches what a developer would search for

Examples: hytale-blocks, hytale-prefabs, hytale-crafting, hytale-particles

5c. Create the Skill Using the Template

Create the directory and SKILL.md:

.github/skills/hytale-{topic}/
└── SKILL.md

Use this template for the SKILL.md content:

---
name: hytale-{topic}
description: {One sentence describing what this skill covers}. Use when {common use cases}. Triggers - {keyword1}, {keyword2}, {ClassName1}, {ClassName2}, {method1}, {concept1}.
---

# Hytale {Topic Title}

{1-2 sentence summary of when and why to use this skill.}

> **Source:** <{upstream doc URL}>
> **Related skills:** For {related concept}, see `{related-skill-name}`.

---

## Quick Reference

| Task | Approach |
|------|----------|
| {Common task 1} | `{method or approach}` |
| {Common task 2} | `{method or approach}` |
| {Common task 3} | `{method or approach}` |

---

## Key Concepts

### {Concept 1}

{Explanation of the concept and how it fits into the system.}

### {Concept 2}

{Explanation with relevant details.}

---

## Required Imports

```java
import com.hypixel.{...};
```

---

## Code Examples

### {Example 1 Title}

```java
// Full working example with imports context
```

### {Example 2 Title}

```java
// Full working example
```

---

## JSON Configuration (if applicable)

```json
{
  "example": "configuration"
}
```

---

## Edge Cases & Gotchas

- {Important caveat 1}
- {Important caveat 2}
- {Thread safety note if applicable — use `world.execute()` pattern}
```

5d. Write the Description (Critical)

The description field in the frontmatter is what triggers skill selection. It must contain:

1. What it does — First sentence summarizes the skill's purpose
2. When to use it — "Use when..." clause with common scenarios
3. Trigger keywords — "Triggers - " followed by ALL relevant keywords, including:
   • Plain English terms developers would search for (e.g., "block", "create block")
   • Java class names (e.g., BlockComponent, ChunkStore)
   • Method names (e.g., registerBlock, setBlock)
   • JSON-related terms if applicable (e.g., "block JSON", "block definition")

Good example:

description: Documents how to create custom blocks in Hytale plugins using BlockComponent and ChunkStore. Use when creating blocks, defining block properties, registering block components, or working with block JSON definitions. Triggers - block, create block, custom block, BlockComponent, ChunkStore, block JSON, block definition, registerBlock, block properties, block tick, setTicking.

Bad example (too vague, missing triggers):

description: Information about blocks in Hytale.

5e. Fill in Content from Source Material

Working through the template sections:

1. Quick Reference — Extract the most common tasks from the doc and provide one-liner solutions
2. Key Concepts — Summarize the core ideas, focusing on what's unique to this system
3. Required Imports — List ALL imports needed for the code examples (full package paths from decompiled source)
4. Code Examples — Adapt examples from the MDX, verify against decompiled source, add context comments
5. JSON Configuration — Include any JSON definitions from the doc or from lib/Server/ examples
6. Edge Cases — Extract warnings, caveats, and thread-safety notes from the doc and your server source review

5f. Register the Skill

After creating the SKILL.md:

1. Add to .github/copilot-instructions.md in copilot-instructions:

   • Add a <skill> entry in the <skills> section following the existing pattern
   • Include the name, description (matching frontmatter), and file path

2. Update this skill's mapping table — Add the new skill to the "Skills with Upstream Doc URLs" table in this file (update-hytale-skills SKILL.md)

3. Update the known gaps table (Step 2d) — Move the entry from "NEW SKILL CANDIDATE" to the mapping table

5g. Validation

After creating and registering:

• Skill directory name matches the name field in frontmatter
• Description contains meaningful trigger keywords (at least 8-10 keywords)
• Code examples use correct import paths verified against lib/
• Quick Reference table has at least 3 entries
• At least one complete, working code example
• Related skills cross-references are bidirectional (update the related skills too)
• Skill registered in .github/copilot-instructions.md
• Mapping table in this skill updated

---

Post-Update Checklist

After updating any skills, verify:

• Description updated — New trigger keywords added if the upstream added new concepts
• Code examples compile — Run the build task to verify no compilation errors from example code
• Cross-references valid — Related skill references still point to existing skills
• URLs updated — Any referenced doc URLs still resolve correctly
• No duplicate content — Changes didn't introduce overlap with other skills
• Server source alignment — Code examples match the decompiled server API in lib/
• copilot-instructions.md updated — New skills added to the skill list with correct description and trigger info

---

Automation Tips

Batch Checking All Skills

To check all skills at once, iterate through the mapping table and fetch each source file. Compare modification dates or content hashes to quickly identify which skills need attention.

Prioritizing Updates

1. High priority: Skills where the upstream API or method signatures changed (breaking changes)
2. Medium priority: Skills where new features or methods were added
3. Low priority: Skills where only prose, typos, or formatting changed in the docs

Change Detection Heuristic

When comparing upstream MDX to the current SKILL.md, focus on:

• Java code blocks (```java ... ```) — These contain API examples most likely to change
• Class and method names mentioned in prose
• JSON configuration examples
• New headings or sections that indicate new features

---

Full Discovery & Update Workflow (Quick-Start)

Use this as a single checklist when running the full update cycle:

Phase 1: Scan

• Fetch https://github.com/HytaleModding/site/commits/main/content/docs/en — note which files changed recently
• Fetch directory listings for all content directories (Step 2a)
• List all .mdx files found across all directories
• Compare against the Skill-to-Source Mapping table
• Classify each new/unmapped file (Step 2b)

Phase 2: Discover New Skills

• For each "NEW SKILL CANDIDATE" file, fetch raw MDX content
• Evaluate viability using the criteria in Step 2c
• For viable candidates, search decompiled source for related classes
• Create new skills using the template (Step 5c)
• Write descriptions with proper trigger keywords (Step 5d)
• Register new skills and update mapping tables (Step 5f)

Phase 3: Update Existing Skills

• For each skill with upstream changes, fetch the raw MDX source
• Compare against current SKILL.md content section by section
• Update code examples, method signatures, and Quick Reference tables
• Cross-reference against decompiled server source in lib/
• Update description trigger keywords if new concepts were added

Phase 4: Server-Source-Only Skills

• Check lib/hytale-server/ for changes in relevant packages
• Update skills with new/changed APIs from decompiled source

Phase 5: Validate

• Run the build task to ensure no compilation errors
• Verify all cross-references between skills are bidirectional
• Confirm all doc URLs still resolve
• Ensure copilot-instructions.md reflects all current skills