/skill-gap

Identify gaps in the skill library based on recent implementation work — propose new skills or updates to existing ones.

Structured execution spec: protocol.yon. Read it for the canonical rules and step sequence; this file is explanation. The two must stay in sync — if you edit one, update the other and refresh the @STAMP date.

Skill Discovery Protocol — ensures reusable patterns don't stay buried in implementation code.

Phase 1 — Recent Work Scan

1. Gather recent context — conversation history, changed files, new patterns introduced. Summarize: what was built, which libraries/frameworks were used, what novel patterns emerged.
2. Load skill index — Resolve the actual supplied or host/repository skill catalog and record its scope before duplicate checking. If unavailable, keep candidates provisional and explicitly mark duplicate coverage incomplete; a missing index is never an empty library.

Phase 2 — Gap Analysis

Cross-reference patterns from Phase 1 against the skill index. Classify each pattern:

• (A) Skill exists and covers it — no action
• (B) Skill exists but is incomplete — propose update; specify which sections are missing or outdated
• (C) No skill exists — evaluate against new-skill criteria below

Criteria for a new skill:

• Pattern is reusable (used 2+ times, or clearly will be)
• Pattern involves non-obvious decisions or gotchas
• Pattern spans multiple files or concepts

Gate: gap analysis must be documented before proceeding.

Phase 3 — Skill Proposals

For each gap, draft a skill specification:

• Skill name — domain-prefix convention (e.g., drizzle-*, nextjs16-*)
• Skill family — domain prefix
• Prerequisites — what the user needs to know first
• Complexity estimate — how large/involved the skill content will be
• Key sections to cover — what the skill should teach

Check skill-smith for template requirements before drafting. Present proposals to the user and wait for approval before proceeding.

Phase 4 — Execution (only if approved)

Create approved skills and apply approved targeted updates through Skill Smith’s selected create or update/write route. Preserve exact existing approval, canonical ownership, preimages and affected references; approval does not replace write prerequisites.

Rules

• MUST verify no existing skill covers the same domain before proposing a new one.
• MUST follow the domain-prefix naming convention.
• MUST specify which sections are missing or outdated when proposing updates.
• MUST check skill-smith for template requirements before proposing new skills.
• MUST NOT propose skills for one-off patterns with no reuse potential.
• SHOULD recommend immediate creation (not deferral) when reuse potential is HIGH.

Next Steps

• /skill-smith — to build approved skills

Human output. This skill's handler-facing output obeys the human-output contract (human-output/SKILL.md).

Next skills. On completion, run the Next Skills protocol (next-skills/SKILL.md): surface the next-skills recommendations from front-matter for the caller to pick. Offer only — never auto-invoke.

Self-improvement. On completion, run the Self-Improvement Protocol (self-improve/SKILL.md): apply its signal taxonomy and threshold to this run; surface any surviving proposal for handler approval. Conservative — silent otherwise. Never auto-apply.