041-planning-plan-mode
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. This should trigger for requests such as Create a plan with Cursor Plan mode; Write a plan with Claude Plan mode; Design an implementation plan; Structure a development plan. Part of cursor-rules-java project
80
76%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
—
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/041-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 and example phrases. However, it lacks specificity about what concrete actions the skill performs beyond generic planning language, and some trigger terms are broad enough to risk conflicts with other planning-related skills. The repetitive listing of similar trigger phrases adds verbosity without adding clarity about the skill's unique capabilities.
Suggestions
Add specific concrete actions the skill performs, e.g., 'Generates step-by-step implementation plans with file-level task breakdowns, test specifications, and dependency ordering for Java projects'
Reduce repetitive trigger phrases and instead clarify what distinguishes this from general planning skills—e.g., specify the output format, the Plan model structure, or how it integrates with Cursor's plan mode specifically
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description names the domain (Java implementation plans in Cursor Plan mode) and mentions some actions like 'creating a plan', 'design an implementation', 'structure a development plan', but the actual concrete capabilities are vague—it doesn't specify what the skill produces or how it enhances plans beyond generic terms like 'enhancing structured design plans'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | The description explicitly answers both 'what' (creating and enhancing structured design plans for Java implementations) and 'when' (multiple explicit 'Use when' clauses and example trigger phrases like 'Create a plan with Cursor Plan mode'). The trigger guidance is thorough. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Good coverage of natural trigger terms: 'create a plan', 'design an implementation', 'structure a development plan', 'plan mode', 'Cursor Plan mode', 'Claude Plan mode', 'outside-in TDD', 'feature implementation', 'refactoring'. These are terms users would naturally say when requesting planning assistance. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | While it specifies 'Cursor Plan mode' and 'Java implementations' which help narrow the niche, terms like 'create a plan', 'design an implementation', and 'structure a development plan' are quite generic and could easily overlap with general planning or architecture skills. The coupling to 'cursor-rules-java project' helps somewhat but isn't a strong differentiator in the description itself. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
70%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a well-structured interactive planning skill with strong workflow clarity and good progressive disclosure to a reference file. Its main weakness is the lack of concrete, executable examples—no sample YAML frontmatter, no example Mermaid diagram snippet, and no example plan output—which limits actionability. Minor conciseness improvements could be made by removing the redundant 'When to use' and 'What is covered' sections.
Suggestions
Add a concrete example of the YAML frontmatter (name, overview, todos, isProject) and at least one sample Mermaid diagram snippet to make the skill copy-paste actionable.
Include a minimal example plan output showing the required sections (Requirements Summary, Task List with Status column, Execution Instructions) so Claude knows exactly what to produce.
Remove or consolidate the 'When to use this skill' section since these triggers are already captured in the YAML frontmatter description, saving tokens.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill is mostly efficient but includes some redundancy—the 'When to use this skill' section largely repeats the YAML description triggers, and the 'What is covered' summary restates what the workflow already conveys. Some tightening is possible. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | The skill provides a clear workflow with specific steps and constraints, but lacks concrete executable examples—no sample YAML frontmatter, no example Mermaid diagram, no example plan output. Guidance is specific but not copy-paste ready. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The workflow is clearly sequenced (steps 0-5) with explicit validation checkpoints: validate summary before proceeding, confirm proceed before generating, confirm storage location before writing, and update status after each task before advancing. Feedback loops are present. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The skill provides a clear overview with well-signaled one-level-deep reference to the detailed template file (references/041-planning-plan-mode.md). Content is appropriately split between the overview skill and the reference document. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 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
- jabrena/cursor-rules-java
- Commit
ef4eba3
- Reviewed
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