author-loop

Authors verified .loop.yaml specs for agent coding feedback loops.

1|1|Updated Jun 27, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/ShortStackEngineer/loop-generator --skill author-loop-shortstackengineer
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: author-loop
Source: https://github.com/ShortStackEngineer/loop-generator/tree/main/.claude/skills/author-loop
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ShortStackEngineer/loop-generator --skill author-loop-shortstackengineer

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Writing a loop-generator spec by hand often produces loops that look valid but prove nothing: wrong test commands, checks that were already green, or evaluators the agent can game. This Skill turns a vague coding goal into a lint-clean .loop.yaml whose checks are confirmed RED before any agent budget is spent. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Repo-grounded spec authoring: Inspects the target repository (package.json, Makefile, CI config) to pick the real test, build, and typecheck commands instead of generic scaffold defaults. - Trust policy configuration: Sets baseline, specGuard, and evaluatorGuard options so vacuous checks fail fast and metric-based loops are tamper-evident. - Verification before handoff: Runs loopgen lint in strict mode and manually confirms each check fails for the right reason on the untouched workspace. - Use Case: A developer wants an agent to add retry logic to an API client. The skill interviews them for the goal, finds the repo's real test command, generates the spec, proves the new test fails today, and hands off a runnable loop with the exact run command. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to create a loop-generator spec for your coding task, pointing it at the target repository and describing what done looks like.

Frequently Asked Questions about author-loop

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a .loop.yaml spec for a coding agent?

Run loopgen generate with the task name, type, language, driver, and requirements to get a schema-valid skeleton, then edit it to use the target repo's real test commands and workspace path. Finish by running loopgen lint with --strict and confirming each check fails on the untouched workspace.

How do I write a loop-generator check that actually verifies the requirement?

Write a check that fails today and passes only when the requirement is met, typically a test asserting the new behavior. Run the command yourself in the target repo first; if it passes on unmodified code, the check does not test the requirement.

Which agent drivers does loop-generator support?

The built-in drivers are claude-agent-sdk, grok, github-copilot, opencode for local models, and a scripted mock for offline demos. Unattended runs need each driver's headless auto-approve flag, such as alwaysApprove for grok or allowAllTools for github-copilot.

Why does my loop run fail with baseline-vacuous?

The baseline-vacuous outcome means the checks already pass before the agent does any work, so they do not test the requirement. Fix the evaluators to assert the new behavior, or lower limits.baseline from strict only if the checks have side effects that prevent running twice.

How do I stop an agent from gaming a metric-based eval loop?

Set limits.evaluatorGuard to error and list the scorer, test directory, and datasets in each check's guard field so mid-run edits abort the run as evaluator-tampered. Also score the pass metric on a held-out split the agent never sees in feedback.

Can I run multiple loop specs in sequence with dependencies?

Yes, author a .batch.yaml manifest with items that reference .loop.yaml files and wire ordering through the needs field, which also creates a failure cascade. Items sharing a workspace are auto-serialized, and each spec should be linted and verified individually first.