keep-sorted

name	keep-sorted
description	Automatically detects misordered lists in code (like Android XMLs), injects go/keep-sorted tags, sorts them, and creates CLs.

🧹 Keep-Sorted Finder & Fixer

This skill empowers AI agents to proactively maintain Chromium's code health by identifying lists that should be alphabetically sorted, injecting go/keep-sorted presubmit directives, and automatically fixing the order of elements.

🎯 When to Use This Skill

• Code Reviews: When you notice unsorted lists during a CL review.
• Code Health Audits: When you are proactively looking for technical debt or running a cleanup sidecar.
• Explicit Requests: When the user explicitly requests to "find keep-sorted issues" or clean up resource files.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Identify Target Files

You should scan for files that conventionally require sorted lists but are missing the block tags. Use tools like grep_search or find_by_name. Common Target Types:

• strings.xml (e.g., android/java/res/values/strings.xml)
• colors.xml
• dimens.xml
• ids.xml
• BUILD.gn (for dependency lists)

2. Detect Block Violations

Look for contiguous blocks of similar elements (like <string name="...">, <dimen name="...">, <color name="..."> or deps = [ ... ]) that are naturally suited for alphabetical sorting. Pay close attention to blocks that lack the <!-- go/keep-sorted start --> and <!-- go/keep-sorted end --> tags.

Pattern Examples

Bad (Unsorted, missing tags):

<dimen name="margin_top">16dp</dimen>
<dimen name="margin_bottom">8dp</dimen>

Good (Sorted, with tags):

<!-- go/keep-sorted start -->
<dimen name="margin_bottom">8dp</dimen>
<dimen name="margin_top">16dp</dimen>
<!-- go/keep-sorted end -->

3. Inject Directives & Sort

1. Inject Tags: Manually inject the go/keep-sorted start tag before the first item and the go/keep-sorted end tag after the last item. Use the appropriate comment syntax for the file type (e.g., <!-- --> for XML, # for GN).
2. Alphabetize: Sort the block alphabetically. If available, you can run the local keep-sorted formatter over the file; otherwise, sort the items manually in your script or output.

4. Create Tracking Bugs

Every cleanup CL must be associated with a tracking bug.

• If the user provides a bug ID: Use that bug ID in the CL description.
• If NO bug ID is provided: You MUST first file a new child bug under the parent tracker Bug 544831881 ([Code Health] Maintain keep-sorted). Use this newly created child bug's ID for your CL.

5. Upload Code Health CL

Create a new branch and upload your changes to Gerrit. Your CL commit message must include the [Code Health] tag and reference the tracking bug:

[Code Health] Add keep-sorted for <file_context>

Bug: <BUG_ID>