dependency-upgrade
Manage major dependency version upgrades with compatibility analysis, staged rollout, and comprehensive testing. Use when upgrading framework versions, updating major dependencies, or managing breaking changes in libraries.
69
58%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
79%
1.75xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Advisory
Suggest reviewing before use
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./tests/ext_conformance/artifacts/agents-wshobson/framework-migration/skills/dependency-upgrade/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
82%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
This is a solid description that clearly communicates both what the skill does and when to use it, with good trigger term coverage for dependency upgrade scenarios. Its main weakness is that the capability descriptions are somewhat high-level (e.g., 'compatibility analysis', 'staged rollout') rather than listing granular concrete actions, and it could potentially overlap with more general dependency management or testing skills.
Suggestions
Add more specific concrete actions like 'analyze changelogs for breaking API changes', 'generate migration plans', 'update lock files' to improve specificity.
Differentiate more clearly from general dependency management by specifying what makes this skill unique to *major* version upgrades (e.g., 'codemods, deprecation resolution, peer dependency conflicts').
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (dependency upgrades) and some actions (compatibility analysis, staged rollout, comprehensive testing), but these are somewhat high-level rather than listing multiple concrete specific actions like 'update package.json', 'run migration scripts', 'check API breaking changes'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both 'what' (manage major dependency version upgrades with compatibility analysis, staged rollout, and comprehensive testing) and 'when' (explicit 'Use when' clause covering upgrading framework versions, updating major dependencies, or managing breaking changes). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes strong natural trigger terms users would say: 'dependency version upgrades', 'upgrading framework versions', 'updating major dependencies', 'breaking changes', 'libraries'. These cover common variations of how users would describe this task. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Reasonably specific to major version upgrades, but could overlap with general dependency management skills, package management skills, or CI/CD testing skills. The focus on 'major' upgrades and 'breaking changes' helps distinguish it somewhat, but 'comprehensive testing' is broad enough to conflict. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
35%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill is overly verbose and tries to be a comprehensive reference rather than a focused, actionable guide. It explains many concepts Claude already knows (semver, basic npm commands, what changelogs are) and includes numerous incomplete code stubs that reduce actionability. The staged workflow is reasonable but lacks strong validation checkpoints and error recovery loops, and the massive inline content would benefit from being split into referenced files.
Suggestions
Cut the semver review section entirely and the 'When to Use This Skill' list — Claude knows these concepts. Reduce content by at least 50% by moving detailed configs (Renovate, Dependabot), testing examples, and the compatibility matrix to referenced files.
Complete the stub functions (e.g., `checkCompatibility`, peer dependency test) with real executable logic, or remove them. Incomplete code reduces trust in the skill.
Add explicit validation feedback loops in the staged upgrade workflow: 'If tests fail after upgrading package X, revert X (`git checkout -- package.json package-lock.json && npm ci`) before proceeding.'
Move the testing strategy, automation configs, and compatibility matrix content into the referenced files listed in Resources, keeping only a brief summary and link in the main skill.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose with significant redundancy. Explains concepts Claude already knows (semver basics, what changelogs are, basic npm commands). The compatibility matrix JavaScript stub, visual regression tests, and integration test examples are generic boilerplate. The 'Best Practices' and 'Common Pitfalls' sections largely repeat guidance already given in the workflow sections. The 'When to Use This Skill' list is unnecessary padding. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | Contains concrete commands and executable code snippets (npm commands, jscodeshift usage, Renovate/Dependabot configs), but many examples are incomplete stubs (e.g., `checkCompatibility` function body is empty, peer dependency test says '// Run npm ls and check for warnings'). The compatibility matrix JavaScript is not executable. The migration script uses synchronous glob with callback pattern mixing concerns. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The staged upgrade strategy (Phases 1-3) provides a reasonable sequence, and the upgrade checklist is helpful. However, validation checkpoints are weak — Phase 3's tests are stubs rather than real validation steps. The rollback plan is a shell script labeled as JavaScript. There's no explicit feedback loop for 'if tests fail after upgrading dependency X, revert X before proceeding to Y.' | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | References to external files are listed in the Resources section, which is good structure. However, the main file is a monolithic wall of content (~300 lines) with sections like the full compatibility matrix, all testing strategies, and automation configs that should be in referenced files. The overview doesn't effectively summarize — it dumps everything inline. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 7 / 12 Passed |
Validation
100%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 11 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
No warnings or errors.
- Repository
- Dicklesworthstone/pi_agent_rust
- Commit
47823e3
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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