simplifying-skill-bodies

Restructures SKILL.md bodies by moving conditional details into references while preserving required behavior.

Updated Jul 9, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/alsdmlals4-eng/Base --skill simplifying-skill-bodies-alsdmlals4-eng
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: simplifying-skill-bodies
Source: https://github.com/alsdmlals4-eng/Base/tree/main/skills/simplifying-skill-bodies
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/alsdmlals4-eng/Base --skill simplifying-skill-bodies-alsdmlals4-eng

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? SKILL.md files and execution routers often grow bloated with long examples, templates, and rare exceptions, making them hard to load and maintain. This Skill restructures them using progressive disclosure so only always-needed execution contracts stay in the body while conditional details move to on-demand references—without losing safety rules, examples, or discoverability. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Always-vs-conditional classification: Sorts each paragraph into categories like Always hard constraint, Conditional default, Judgment space, Fixture/example, Historical, or Duplicate. - Reference extraction workflow: Follows the modes inventory → classify-always-vs-conditional → extract-references → rewrite-router → validate-disclosure, with detailed rules in references/progressive-disclosure-rules.md. - Completeness-first validation: Rejects line-count or size targets as completion criteria and requires proof that decisions, exceptions, and failure conditions survive the move. - Use Case: A SKILL.md has grown to hundreds of lines with embedded templates and edge-case tables. Use this Skill to keep the execution contract in the body, move conditional material into linked references, and verify nothing needed for behavior or safety was lost. ## Quick Start Simplify this SKILL.md by moving conditional details into references while preserving all required behavior, safety rules, and discoverability.

Frequently Asked Questions about simplifying-skill-bodies

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I simplify a SKILL.md without losing required behavior?

Classify each paragraph as always-needed or conditional, keep only the execution contract (purpose, permissions, inputs, modes, outputs, gates) in the body, and move conditional details into linked references. Then validate that representative, variant, and exception requests still find the needed rules.

What content should stay in a SKILL.md body versus move to references?

Keep purpose, invocation conditions, permission boundaries, required inputs, mode order, output contracts, and quality gates in the body. Move long examples, full templates, domain checklists, detailed decision tables, and rare exceptions into references with explicit read conditions.

Is reducing line count a valid goal when simplifying skill files?

No. The completeness-first rule forbids using line count, character count, or file size as completion criteria. Simplification fails if needed judgments become hard to find or content is dropped, even if the file is shorter.

Can examples be deleted when simplifying a skill body?

No. Examples are treated as fixtures that detect normal, failure, boundary, and regression behavior. They may be moved or condensed only if a golden set, test, or reference continues to verify the same behavior.

What are the failure conditions when restructuring a skill router?

Failure includes reducing the body to an empty table of contents, hiding critical safety rules deep in references, merging many documents into one giant reference, or moving files without linking them from the body.