initialize

name	initialize
version	1.0.0
description	Initialize a sklock workspace in a project — install sklock, scaffold the skills directory, infer requires[] dependencies from skill descriptions, generate skill.lock, and verify the workspace is healthy. Use when setting up sklock for the first time or onboarding a project that already has skills.

Initialize a sklock workspace

Step 1 — Install sklock

Check whether sklock is already installed:

sklock --version 2>/dev/null && echo "already installed"

If missing, install with whichever package manager the project uses:

npm install -g github:artieax/sklock   # or pnpm / bun

Step 2 — Scaffold the skills directory

sklock init --root skills --no-infer

--no-infer skips the automated static analysis so you can handle dependency inference yourself with full semantic understanding in Step 4.

Step 3 — Scan and validate structure

sklock validate
sklock tree

Fix any structural errors (duplicate IDs, orphan sub-skills) before continuing.

Step 4 — Infer requires[] dependencies

This is the most important step and where your semantic understanding adds value over automated tools.

4a. Run static analysis first

sklock infer

This detects dependencies that are explicitly referenced in file contents (import statements, path patterns, <!-- READ: --> directives). Apply if the suggestions look correct:

sklock infer --apply

4b. Semantic pass — read every skill and reason about relationships

Read each skill's SKILL.md. For every pair (A, B), ask:

• Does A describe a workflow that produces what B describes?
• Does A's description mention B's domain or outputs?
• Would A fail or produce worse results without B?

If yes → add the dependency:

sklock add <skill-a> --dep <skill-b>

Do not add dependencies based on loose thematic similarity — only add them when skill A genuinely requires skill B to function.

Step 5 — Lock and verify

sklock validate
sklock lock
sklock check

Step 6 — Visualize

Show the dependency graph to the user so they can confirm it looks correct:

sklock tree
sklock graph --mermaid

Step 7 — Lint (optional)

sklock lint

Address any warnings that matter (missing descriptions, oversized files).

Step 8 — Document sklock in the project

After the workspace is healthy, record sklock usage in the right place. Use the first matching tier below and stop — don't write to multiple tiers.

Priority 1 — skill-creator skill

Look for a skill whose name or description involves creating, scaffolding, or building skills (e.g. skill-builder, skill-creator, create-skill):

sklock tree | grep -iE "skill.?(builder|creator|create|scaffold|new)"

Also check installed Claude Code plugins:

/plugin list

If found → append to that skill's SKILL.md:

## sklock integration

This project uses sklock to manage the skill workspace.
After creating or editing any `SKILL.md`, run:

\`\`\`bash
sklock validate && sklock lock
\`\`\`

To view the dependency graph: `sklock tree` or `sklock graph --mermaid`

Priority 2 — rules directory

Check for a rules directory used by the agent platform:

ls .claude/rules/ ~/.claude/rules/ .cursor/rules/ 2>/dev/null

If a rules directory exists → create a new rule file there (e.g. .claude/rules/sklock.md) scoped to skills/**:

---
description: Keep skill.lock in sync whenever a SKILL.md is edited
globs: ["skills/**"]
---

# sklock

Skills are managed with [sklock](https://github.com/artieax/sklock).
After any `SKILL.md` edit, run:

\`\`\`bash
sklock validate && sklock lock
\`\`\`

To view the dependency graph: `sklock tree` or `sklock graph --mermaid`

Use the platform-appropriate directory (.claude/rules/ for Claude Code, .cursor/rules/ for Cursor, etc.).

Priority 3 — project-level config (fallback)

Only if neither a skill-creator skill nor a rules directory exists, detect which agent config files are present:

ls CLAUDE.md AGENTS.md GEMINI.md 2>/dev/null

Append to whichever exist (all of them if multiple):

## sklock

Skills are managed with [sklock](https://github.com/artieax/sklock).
After any `SKILL.md` edit, run:

\`\`\`bash
sklock validate && sklock lock
\`\`\`

If none of the above exist, tell the user no config file was found and show the block above for them to paste manually.

When to re-run

Re-run sklock validate && sklock lock after any change to a SKILL.md file. Re-run this skill when adding new skills to an established workspace.