110-java-maven-best-practices
Use when you need to review, improve, or troubleshoot a Maven pom.xml file — including dependency management with BOMs, plugin configuration, version centralization, multi-module project structure, build profiles, or any situation where you want to align your Maven setup with industry best practices. This should trigger for requests such as Review pom.xml to improve it; Apply Maven best practices to pom.xml; Improve Maven POM configuration. Part of cursor-rules-java project
79
73%
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/110-java-maven-best-practices/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
100%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 strong skill description that clearly defines its scope around Maven pom.xml configuration, lists specific capabilities, includes explicit trigger guidance with example phrases, and occupies a distinct niche. The description is well-structured with a 'Use when' clause, concrete actions, and natural trigger terms that users would actually say.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Lists multiple specific concrete actions: review, improve, troubleshoot pom.xml, dependency management with BOMs, plugin configuration, version centralization, multi-module project structure, build profiles, and aligning with best practices. | 3 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both 'what' (review, improve, troubleshoot pom.xml with specific areas like dependency management, plugin configuration, etc.) and 'when' (explicit 'Use when' clause at the start, plus example trigger phrases like 'Review pom.xml to improve it'). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes strong natural trigger terms users would say: 'pom.xml', 'Maven', 'dependency management', 'BOMs', 'plugin configuration', 'multi-module', 'build profiles', 'Maven best practices', 'Review pom.xml', 'Improve Maven POM configuration'. Good coverage of natural variations. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Highly distinctive — narrowly scoped to Maven pom.xml files specifically, with domain-specific terms like BOMs, multi-module project structure, and build profiles that are unlikely to conflict with other skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 12 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
47%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
The skill has a well-structured workflow with proper validation gates and safety constraints, which is its strongest aspect. However, it suffers from significant redundancy — the multi-module instructions are repeated three times across different sections. The skill lacks any concrete code examples (POM snippets, before/after patterns), deferring everything to a reference file that cannot be verified.
Suggestions
Remove the duplicated multi-module instructions — state them once in the Constraints section or Workflow, not in all three places (intro list, constraints, and workflow).
Add at least one concrete before/after POM snippet inline (e.g., hardcoded version → dependencyManagement pattern) so the skill is actionable without requiring the reference file.
Remove the 'What is covered' bullet list — it largely duplicates the constraints and workflow sections and explains concepts Claude already understands.
Trim the introductory explanations (standard directory layout, what BOMs are) since Claude already knows these Maven concepts.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Significant redundancy: the multi-module discovery and cross-module scope instructions are stated three times (in the intro list, constraints section, and workflow). The 'What is covered' section largely restates what the constraints and workflow already cover. The skill also explains concepts Claude already knows (standard directory layout, what BOMs are). | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | The skill provides concrete commands (`./mvnw validate`, `mvn validate`) and a clear workflow, but all actual guidance is deferred to the reference file. There are no inline code examples, no before/after POM snippets, and no concrete patterns to apply directly from the skill body. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The workflow is clearly sequenced with four numbered steps, includes an explicit validation gate (stop if validation fails, ask user to fix), and has a logical progression from validation → analysis → expansion → recommendations. The safety constraint about not proceeding on failure is a proper feedback loop. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | There is a clear reference to a detailed file (references/110-java-maven-best-practices.md), which is good one-level-deep disclosure. However, the bundle files show no actual files provided, so we cannot verify the reference exists. Additionally, the SKILL.md body itself contains too much duplicated content that could be trimmed, with the detailed lists better placed in the reference file. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 8 / 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
762cb86
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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