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martincjarvismartincjarvis/development-skills/skills/documentation-scaffold/SKILL.md

documentation-scaffold

Skill4 starsChanged 10 months agoMITView on GitHub

Use this skill when bootstrapping or migrating a repository to ensure the minimum documentation set (including AGENTS.md) is created and aligned before implementation work proceeds.

  • Reads credentials

The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

9 rules. About 0 are common, 7 are distinctive, and 2 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈7

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 2

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Ensure every repository has a minimal, consistent documentation foundation that supports both humans and agents, with AGENTS.md as the …

    line 10
  2. Distinctive:

    Create or update AGENTS.md as canonical context.

    line 46
  3. Distinctive:

    Add a compatible CLAUDE.md only if the repo needs it.

    line 47
  4. Distinctive:

    Ensure README contains setup and verification steps.

    line 48
  5. Distinctive:

    Add ADRs for material decisions.

    line 49
  6. Very specific:

    If local secrets are used, include a safe .env.example and ensure real secrets are excluded from version control.

    line 50
  7. Very specific:

    Verification: Run doc quality gates (documentation-as-code).

    line 52
  8. Distinctive:

    If documentation conflicts with implementation, implementation evidence wins and docs must be corrected before proceeding.

    line 86
  9. Distinctive:

    Use AGENTS.md as the default context file for this repo.

    line 106

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Documentation Scaffold

Intent

Ensure every repository has a minimal, consistent documentation foundation that supports both humans and agents, with AGENTS.md as the canonical assistant context (and optional CLAUDE.md compatibility where required).

When to Use

  • Starting a new repository (greenfield).
  • Migrating a brownfield repo missing or inconsistent docs.
  • Establishing or revising assistant context and onboarding docs.

Precondition Failure Signal

  • No AGENTS.md or equivalent assistant context file exists.
  • README lacks setup, verification, or contribution guidance.
  • ADRs or decision records are missing for major structural decisions.

Postcondition Success Signal

  • AGENTS.md exists and reflects current repo expectations.
  • README provides accurate setup and verification instructions.
  • ADRs are created for significant structural or tooling decisions.
  • Documentation passes documentation-as-code checks.

Process

  1. Source Review: Inspect existing docs for accuracy and gaps.
  2. Scope: Decide whether this is greenfield bootstrap or brownfield cleanup.
  3. Authoring:
    • Create or update AGENTS.md as canonical context.
    • Add a compatible CLAUDE.md only if the repo needs it.
    • Ensure README contains setup and verification steps.
    • Add ADRs for material decisions.
    • If local secrets are used, include a safe .env.example and ensure real secrets are excluded from version control.
  4. Verification: Run doc quality gates (documentation-as-code).
  5. Review: Tech Lead and Software Engineer validate doc accuracy and scope.

Example Test / Validation

  • Documentation checks pass and onboarding steps are reproducible.

Common Red Flags / Guardrail Violations

  • Writing new docs that contradict the actual repo state.
  • Using CLAUDE.md as the only context file when AGENTS.md is required.
  • Skipping ADRs for structural decisions.

Recommended Review Personas

  • Tech Lead - validates architectural intent and decision coverage.
  • Software Engineer - validates onboarding clarity and accuracy.

Skill Priority

P2 - Consistency & Governance

Conflict Resolution Rules

  • If documentation conflicts with implementation, implementation evidence wins and docs must be corrected before proceeding.

Conceptual Dependencies

  • documentation-as-code

Classification

Governance Core

Notes

Use AGENTS.md as the default context file for this repo. Only add CLAUDE.md when compatibility is explicitly required.

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