validate-config

What I do

Validate a JSON configuration file (e.g. app_config.json) in two passes:

1. Structural pass: run the bundled validation script, which checks required keys and value types.
2. Convention pass: check every value against the team's convention rules, which are documented in this skill's references/config-rules.md.

Then write a CONFIG_REPORT.md in the workspace root listing every violation found, and summarize the result to the user.

When to use me

Use when the user asks to validate, audit, lint, or check a configuration file, or asks whether a config follows team conventions or policy. Trigger on phrases like:

• "validate the config"
• "check app_config.json against our conventions"
• "does this config follow our policy?"
• "audit the configuration file"

IMPORTANT: Use the bundled resources

Do NOT guess the team's conventions — they are arbitrary house rules you cannot infer. You MUST:

• Run the bundled script scripts/validate_config.py (located in this skill's directory) for the structural pass. Do not re-implement its checks by hand.
• Read references/config-rules.md (located in this skill's directory) for the convention pass. Every rule in that file must be checked.

Steps

Step 1: Run the structural validator

The script lives in this skill's directory, next to this SKILL.md file. Run it with the config file as the argument:

python <path-to-this-skill>/scripts/validate_config.py app_config.json

(Use python3 if python is not on the PATH.)

It prints one STRUCTURAL: ... line per problem, or STRUCTURAL: OK if the structure is valid.

Step 2: Read the convention rules

Read references/config-rules.md from this skill's directory. It defines numbered rules (RULE 1, RULE 2, ...) for naming, ranges, and allowed values.

Step 3: Check the config against every rule

Read the config file and evaluate each rule from the reference document against the actual values. Record each violation with its rule number.

Step 4: Write CONFIG_REPORT.md

Create CONFIG_REPORT.md in the workspace root with this structure:

# Config validation report: <config file name>

## Structural issues

- <each STRUCTURAL line from the script, or "None">

## Convention violations

- RULE <n>: <key> = <actual value> — <what the rule requires>
- ...or "None"

TOTAL VIOLATIONS: <count of structural issues + convention violations>

Step 5: Report to the user

Summarize the findings in your reply and include the exact TOTAL VIOLATIONS: <n> line in your final message.

Definition of done

All of these must be true:

• The bundled validate_config.py script was executed (not re-implemented)
• references/config-rules.md was read and every rule in it was checked
• CONFIG_REPORT.md exists in the workspace root with both sections and the TOTAL VIOLATIONS: line
• The final reply to the user contains the TOTAL VIOLATIONS: <n> line

Error handling

• If the config file does not exist, report which file was expected and stop
• If the config is not valid JSON, report the parse error as a structural issue and skip the convention pass
• If the bundled script cannot be found, say so explicitly — do not silently substitute your own checks