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harness

Generates CLAUDE.md, docs structure, invariants, and plan templates for a project repository.

Updated May 18, 2024
Search Tags:#architecture#documentation#scaffolding#claude.md#invariants#plan templates#agent legibility
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/joshhornby/dotfiles --skill harness-joshhornby
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: harness
Source: https://github.com/joshhornby/dotfiles/tree/main/.claude/skills/harness
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/joshhornby/dotfiles --skill harness-joshhornby

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Repositories often lack the documentation structure that makes them navigable for AI agents and new contributors. This Skill scaffolds harness engineering artifacts — CLAUDE.md, docs/architecture, invariants, and plan templates — tailored to the actual codebase rather than generic boilerplate. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Project Analysis: Reads package manifests, config files, and source code to understand language, framework, architecture, and existing checks before writing anything. - Docs Scaffolding: Creates docs/architecture (system overview, invariants), docs/plans (plan template), docs/references, and docs/quality directories. - CLAUDE.md Generation: Produces a concise index-style CLAUDE.md under 80 lines with commands, conventions, lookup tables, and project-adapted principles. - Use Case: Point the Skill at a legacy repository with no agent-facing documentation; it inspects the code and produces a system overview, enforced invariants with exact commands, and a plan template the team can adopt immediately. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to apply harness engineering to this project and scaffold CLAUDE.md plus the docs structure.

Frequently Asked Questions about harness

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a CLAUDE.md file for my project?▼

Run the harness skill, which analyzes your codebase and generates a CLAUDE.md acting as an index: project description, docs pointers, exact commands, conventions, and a lookup table. It stays under 80 lines and avoids duplicating linter-enforced rules.

What is harness engineering for repositories?▼

Harness engineering makes a repository the system of record so agents can navigate it. It involves architecture docs, enforced invariants, plan templates written before code, and a concise CLAUDE.md index pointing to deeper documentation.

Does the harness skill work with any programming language?▼

Yes. It detects the language and framework by reading package.json, Gemfile, requirements.txt, go.mod, Cargo.toml, or equivalent manifests, then adapts all generated documentation to that specific stack.

What goes into an invariants document?▼

Invariants are split into structural, runtime, and quality rules that are actually true today, with exact commands for mechanical checks. The skill explicitly avoids aspirational rules that are not yet enforced.

When should I not use the harness skill?▼

Avoid it when you only need a README, since the skill deliberately does not create one. It is also unsuitable if you want generic boilerplate, as every generated sentence must be specific to the actual codebase.

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