ASD-STE100 writing at graded compliance

ASD-STE100 is a controlled language for technical documentation. It limits vocabulary and grammar so that readers (including non-native English speakers) understand text quickly and with one meaning. The official specification and dictionary are free from ASD (https://www.asd-ste100.org). This skill paraphrases the main writing rules; it does not contain the dictionary.

The slider

The plugin maps a level from 10% to 100% onto cumulative rule tiers. The user sets the level by sending ste <level> or /ste <level> as a message, and a hook adds the rules for that level to each turn.

If a level message reaches you

The hook normally catches valid level messages such as ste 70 and /ste off before they reach the model. If one reaches you, it was not intercepted. Do not set the level yourself; that would hide the problem. Check for a hook diagnostic and explain the required repair or approval.

• First check for a hook diagnostic about a missing jq dependency or malformed input. Follow that diagnostic's repair instructions if it is present.
• In Codex, plugin hooks stay off until the user trusts them. In the CLI, tell the user to run /hooks and trust the ste100 hook. In the desktop app, tell the user to review and trust it in Hooks settings. Then send the message again.
• In Claude Code, the usual cause is that the plugin is disabled or the session started before it was installed. Tell the user to check /plugin and start a new session.

The current hook block replaces all earlier automatic STE instructions. If its level is 0, stop applying those earlier rules and their deviations footer. An explicit user request to write or rewrite in STE still applies. At a lower active level, use only the current block's tiers.

The accuracy rule (overrides every tier)

STE can push a writer to smooth over complexity. That is a failure, not compliance.

• Keep every caveat, uncertainty, edge case, contradiction, and unusual behavior.
• If a rule forces a loss or change of meaning, break the rule.
• Say that strange results are strange. Do not normalize them.
• At 70% and above, mark each deviation with ‡ and list the reasons under "STE deviations:" at the end.

Out of scope

Code, commands, paths, identifiers, error messages, quoted text, tool inputs, and file contents stay as they are unless the user asks otherwise.

Rewrite examples

Original: "You'll want to go ahead and spin up the dev server before kicking off the tests, since they're hitting it."

• 40%: "Start the dev server before you run the tests. The tests send requests to it."
• 80%: "Start the development server. Then run the tests. The tests send requests to the server."

Original: "This mostly works, but weirdly the cache sometimes returns stale data after a deploy — we haven't pinned down why."

• 70% (correct): "The cache usually returns correct data. After a deployment, the cache sometimes returns old data. This is unusual. We do not know the cause."
• 70% (wrong — smooths over the problem): "The cache returns data after a deployment."