Use when creating a plan using Plan model and enhancing structured design plans in Cursor Plan mode for Java implementations. Use when the user wants to create a plan, design an implementation, structure a development plan, or use plan mode for outside-in TDD, feature implementation, or refactoring work. Part of the skills-for-java project
76
69%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
Pending
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/040-planning-plan-mode/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.
The description has strong trigger term coverage and good completeness with explicit 'Use when' clauses. However, it lacks specificity about what concrete outputs or actions the skill performs (e.g., what does a 'plan' look like, what structure does it follow). The description could also be more distinctive by clarifying how it differs from general Java development or generic planning skills.
Suggestions
Add concrete actions describing what the skill produces, e.g., 'Generates step-by-step implementation plans with file-level changes, test specifications, and dependency analysis for Java projects'
Clarify what makes this distinct from general Java development skills by specifying the Plan model structure or Cursor Plan mode format it follows
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description names the domain (Java implementations, Cursor Plan mode) and mentions some actions like 'creating a plan', 'enhancing structured design plans', 'outside-in TDD', 'feature implementation', 'refactoring work', but these are more categories of work than concrete specific actions. It doesn't list what the skill actually produces or does in detail (e.g., generates plan documents, creates step-by-step implementation outlines, etc.). | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | The description explicitly answers both 'what' (creating and enhancing structured design plans in Cursor Plan mode for Java implementations) and 'when' (multiple 'Use when' clauses covering plan creation, implementation design, development planning, outside-in TDD, feature implementation, and refactoring). The explicit trigger guidance is present. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Good coverage of natural trigger terms users would say: 'create a plan', 'design an implementation', 'development plan', 'plan mode', 'TDD', 'feature implementation', 'refactoring', 'Java'. These are terms users would naturally use when requesting planning assistance for Java development. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | While it specifies Java and Cursor Plan mode which narrows the scope, terms like 'create a plan', 'design an implementation', and 'refactoring work' are quite broad and could overlap with general planning skills, Java coding skills, or refactoring-specific skills. The 'Plan model' and 'Cursor Plan mode' references add some distinctiveness but could still conflict with other planning-oriented skills. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
57%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
The skill provides a reasonable overview of the plan creation workflow with good progressive disclosure to a reference file, but it falls short on actionability by not including any concrete examples (sample frontmatter, example plan snippet, or Mermaid diagram). The workflow is implied through constraints rather than explicitly sequenced, and the 'When to use this skill' section is verbose with near-duplicate trigger phrases.
Suggestions
Add a concrete example showing sample YAML frontmatter and at least one plan section (e.g., a minimal Task List with Status column) so Claude has a copy-paste-ready template.
Replace the constraint list with an explicit numbered workflow sequence (1. Run `date` → 2. Read reference template → 3. Ask clarifying questions → 4. Validate summary → 5. Wait for confirmation → 6. Generate plan) to improve workflow clarity.
Trim the 'When to use this skill' section to 2-3 distinct triggers rather than 8 near-synonymous phrases.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Mostly efficient but includes some unnecessary content like the 'What is covered in this Skill?' section which largely duplicates the constraints and reference material. The 'When to use this skill' section lists many near-synonymous trigger phrases that add little value. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides concrete constraints (run `date`, ask one or two questions at a time, validate summary before proceeding) but lacks executable examples—no sample YAML frontmatter, no example plan snippet, no Mermaid diagram example. The actual actionable content is deferred to the reference file. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The workflow steps are implied (gather context → ask questions → validate summary → get confirmation → generate plan → update status) but not explicitly sequenced with numbered steps or validation checkpoints. The constraints mention validation ('Does this capture what you need?') but the overall multi-step process lacks a clear, ordered sequence with explicit feedback loops. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Clean structure with a concise overview in the SKILL.md and a single, clearly signaled one-level-deep reference to the detailed template file. Content is appropriately split between the skill overview and the reference document. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 9 / 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.
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Table of Contents
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