pre-init Skill

Overview

pre-init is an internal skill automatically invoked by the /init command. It initializes projects with configuration templates using a two-tier system:

1. Default templates - Built-in templates in /agent-skills/pre-init/templates/{type}/
2. User templates - Custom templates in ~/.config/pre-init/{type}/ (takes priority)

This ensures consistent setup while allowing flexible customization without being affected by skill updates.

Intended Usage

Primary (Recommended):

/init    # Automatically runs pre-init

Secondary (Manual, not recommended):

/pre-init [type]    # Only if you need to reinitialize

Quick Start

# Recommended: Use official init command
/init    # Automatically handles project initialization with pre-init

# Manual: Reinitialize project (not recommended)
/pre-init lean4
/pre-init

How It Works

Automatic Flow (via /init)

User runs: /init
    ↓
/init detects project type
    ↓
/init calls pre-init automatically
    ↓
pre-init copies template files:
  - CLAUDE.md
  - AGENTS.md
  - .claude/settings.json
    ↓
Project is initialized with config files

What Gets Initialized

The skill copies these files for each project type:

• CLAUDE.md - Claude Code personal rules (coding style, git workflow, testing)
• AGENTS.md - Project-level agent guidelines
• .claude/settings.json - MCP server configuration and hooks
• Other files - Type-specific setup files (e.g., .env.example)

Manual Usage (if needed)

If you need to reinitialize or update templates:

# Explicitly specify type
/pre-init lean4

# Or let it auto-detect
/pre-init

# Review and customize for your project
code CLAUDE.md
code AGENTS.md
code .claude/settings.json

Project Types

Lean4

Mathematical proofs and theorem proving.

Includes:

• Lean 4 compiler hooks
• Lake build configuration
• Mathdoc setup
• Mathlib contributor guidelines

Location: /agent-skills/pre-init/templates/lean4/ (skill default) or ~/.config/pre-init/lean4/ (custom)

Python

Data science, tools, and scripts.

Includes:

• pytest configuration
• Type checking (mypy)
• Poetry/pip setup
• Pre-commit hooks

Location: /agent-skills/pre-init/templates/python/ (skill default) or ~/.config/pre-init/python/ (custom)

Custom Types

Add your own by creating ~/.config/pre-init/{your-type}/ with the same file structure:

~/.config/pre-init/
├── lean4/              (custom Lean4 - overrides skill default)
│   ├── CLAUDE.md
│   ├── AGENTS.md
│   └── .claude/settings.json
├── python/             (custom Python - overrides skill default)
│   ├── CLAUDE.md
│   ├── AGENTS.md
│   └── .claude/settings.json
└── django/             (your custom type)
    ├── CLAUDE.md
    └── ...

Auto-Detection

When you run /pre-init without a type, it checks for:

Save Your Template

Want to save current project as a template for future projects?

/pre-init save-template my-type

This copies all config files to ~/.config/pre-init/my-type/ for reuse.

Example:

# Current project is a Django app - save it as template
/pre-init save-template django

# Later: initialize new Django projects
/pre-init django

Template Structure

Skill Default Templates

Located in /agent-skills/pre-init/templates/:

/agent-skills/pre-init/templates/
├── lean4/              # Lean 4 theorem proving
│   ├── CLAUDE.md
│   ├── AGENTS.md
│   └── .claude/settings.json
└── python/             # Python data science/tools
    ├── CLAUDE.md
    ├── AGENTS.md
    └── .claude/settings.json

User Custom Templates

Located in ~/.config/pre-init/:

~/.config/pre-init/
├── lean4/              # Custom Lean (overrides default)
├── python/             # Custom Python (overrides default)
└── django/             # Your custom types
    └── ... (same structure)

Priority System:

• ~/.config/pre-init/{type}/ (custom) - checked first
• /agent-skills/pre-init/templates/{type}/ (default) - used if custom doesn't exist

This means you can customize any template without affecting skill updates.

Initialization Script

The skill includes init.sh that:

1. Detects project type (if not specified)
2. Finds template with priority system (user > skill default)
3. Copies files to ./{file}
4. Reports what was initialized

Usage:

# Explicit type
bash init.sh lean4

# Auto-detect
bash init.sh

# Save current as template
bash init.sh save-template my-type

# List all available templates
bash init.sh list

Advanced Usage

Overwrite Behavior

• Existing files: Skipped by default (use --force to overwrite)
• New files: Created
• Directories: Created if missing

# Force overwrite all files (careful!)
/pre-init lean4 --force

Reinitialize a Project

If you need to reset configuration files:

# Reinitialize with current type
/pre-init

# Reinitialize with specific type
/pre-init python --force

Debugging

Check what template would be used:

# List available templates
ls -la ~/.config/pre-init/

# View template files
cat ~/.config/pre-init/lean4/CLAUDE.md

If initialization fails:

1. Verify template exists: ls ~/.config/pre-init/{type}/
2. Check permissions: ls -la ~/.config/pre-init/
3. Verify file structure is correct

Example: Initialize a New Project

Recommended Way (Automatic)

# 1. Create project
mkdir my-mathlib-contrib
cd my-mathlib-contrib
git init

# 2. Run init command (automatically calls pre-init)
/init

# 3. Customize if needed
code CLAUDE.md       # Edit coding standards
code AGENTS.md       # Edit agent guidelines
code .claude/settings.json  # Configure MCP

# 4. Commit
git add .
git commit -m "feat: initialize project"

Manual Way (if /init not available)

# Manually run pre-init
/pre-init lean4

# Rest is the same
code CLAUDE.md
git add . && git commit -m "feat: initialize project"

Example: Create Your Own Template

Method 1: Manual Creation

# Set up your custom Django template
mkdir -p ~/.config/pre-init/django/.claude

# Copy your current project config
cp CLAUDE.md ~/.config/pre-init/django/
cp AGENTS.md ~/.config/pre-init/django/
cp .claude/settings.json ~/.config/pre-init/django/.claude/

# Now use it for future Django projects
cd ../new-django-project
/pre-init django

Method 2: Save from Existing Project

# Finish setting up your Django project perfectly
# Then save it as a reusable template:
bash init.sh save-template django

# Later: initialize new Django projects
cd ../another-django-app
/pre-init django

Method 3: Override Skill Templates

# You can customize the default lean4 template
# Just create your version in ~/.config/pre-init/lean4/

mkdir -p ~/.config/pre-init/lean4/.claude
cp my-lean-standards/CLAUDE.md ~/.config/pre-init/lean4/
cp my-lean-standards/AGENTS.md ~/.config/pre-init/lean4/
cp my-lean-standards/.claude/settings.json ~/.config/pre-init/lean4/.claude/

# All new Lean4 projects will use your custom version
cd ../my-math-project
/pre-init    # Will use your custom lean4 template

Tips

• Version control: Keep ~/.config/pre-init/ in git (separate dotfiles repo)
• Team templates: Share custom templates with team via git
• Regular updates: Update templates when you refine your standards
• Dry run: Review files before committing after initialization

Internal Implementation Notes

This skill is designed to be called by the /init command, not invoked directly by users. The two-tier template system ensures:

• ✅ User customizations in ~/.config/pre-init/ take priority
• ✅ Skill updates don't affect personal templates
• ✅ Each project type can be customized independently
• ✅ Fallback to defaults if no custom template exists

Manual invocation (/pre-init) is supported for edge cases but not recommended for normal workflow.

After Initialization

Once initialized (automatically by /init), you can:

• Review CLAUDE.md for project-specific needs
• Review AGENTS.md for agent guidelines
• Configure .claude/settings.json (MCP servers, hooks)
• Commit changes: git add . && git commit -m "feat: initialize project"
• Start work with your agent setup ready

Note

This is an internal skill. Users should use /init instead of calling /pre-init directly. Manual /pre-init usage is only for advanced scenarios like reinitializing a project or debugging template configuration.