qmd-runner

Generate tryCatch runners from Quarto .qmd files to isolate failing R chunks.

5|1|Updated Mar 10, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/wolf5996/agentic-skills --skill qmd-runner
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: qmd-runner
Source: https://github.com/wolf5996/agentic-skills/tree/main/qmd-runner
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/wolf5996/agentic-skills --skill qmd-runner

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

It eliminates the slow, frustrating cycle of finding one failing Quarto chunk at a time when quarto render stops early and the error message is hard to interpret.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Chunk-level isolation: Extracts each {r} chunk into a generated sibling .R runner and wraps execution in tryCatch so failures don’t hide downstream issues.
  • Fast iterative repair loop: Repeatedly regenerates the runner from the source .qmd, fixes the real root cause in the .qmd, and re-runs until every chunk is PASS / FAIL / SKIP.
  • Workflow-aware debugging: Supports dependency-order debugging for notebook DAGs (e.g., Seurat/Bioconductor/GSEA/biomaRt/clusterProfiler pipelines) and reduces cascading failures from stale checkpoints.

Quick Start

Use the qmd-runner skill to debug a failing notebook by generating per-chunk tryCatch runners from your .qmd, running the runner to get a PASS/FAIL/SKIP table, then editing the source .qmd to fix each failing chunk and regenerating until everything is green.

Frequently Asked Questions about qmd-runner

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I debug a failing Quarto notebook chunk by chunk instead of stopping at the first error?

Debug a failing Quarto notebook chunk by chunk by generating a sibling `.R` runner that wraps each `{r}` chunk in `tryCatch`, allowing all downstream errors to surface in a single pass with PASS/FAIL/SKIP summaries.

Why does quarto render stop early and hide downstream errors in my .qmd file?

`quarto render` stops early at the first failing chunk because it lacks built-in chunk isolation. Generating a `tryCatch` runner isolates each chunk's execution, revealing hidden downstream errors across your entire `.qmd` file.

Can I isolate and test individual R chunks in a bioinformatics Quarto pipeline without running the whole notebook?

Yes, you can isolate individual R chunks in a bioinformatics Quarto pipeline by parsing the `.qmd` into a sibling `.R` runner, executing chunks independently to produce PASS/FAIL/SKIP results without rendering the entire notebook.

What's the best way to fix cascading failures in a multi-chunk Seurat or Bioconductor Quarto notebook?

The best way to fix cascading failures in a Seurat or Bioconductor Quarto notebook is iterative repair: regenerate the runner from the source `.qmd`, fix root causes, and re-run until all chunks pass before a final `quarto render`.

Does chunk-level debugging work for inherited Quarto notebooks with stale checkpoints?

Chunk-level debugging works for inherited Quarto notebooks by isolating chunk execution in dependency order, identifying stale checkpoints, and repairing the source `.qmd` iteratively until all chunks are green.

What are the limitations of using a tryCatch runner for debugging Quarto notebooks?

A limitation of using a `tryCatch` runner is that it requires regenerating the sibling `.R` file from the source `.qmd` after each fix, and a final `quarto render` is still needed to validate the complete notebook once all chunks pass.