114-java-maven-search

Covers Maven Central search (Search API, maven-metadata.xml, artifact URLs) and project-local update reports via versions-maven-plugin (display-property-updates, display-dependency-updates, display-plugin-updates). Use when finding or verifying coordinates, browsing Central, or checking what newer versions apply to the user’s pom.xml. Part of the skills-for-java project

Quality

61%

Does it follow best practices?

Impact

Pending

No eval scenarios have been run

Securityby

Advisory

Suggest reviewing before use

Optimize this skill with Tessl

npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/114-java-maven-search/SKILL.md

Quality

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, well-crafted skill description that clearly identifies its domain (Maven Central search and dependency version management), lists specific concrete capabilities, and includes an explicit 'Use when' clause with natural trigger terms. It uses proper third-person voice throughout and is concise without being vague. The only minor note is the trailing 'Part of the skills-for-java project' which is metadata rather than functional description, but it doesn't detract from the quality.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Lists multiple specific concrete actions: Maven Central search (Search API, maven-metadata.xml, artifact URLs), project-local update reports via versions-maven-plugin with specific goals (display-property-updates, display-dependency-updates, display-plugin-updates). Very detailed and actionable.	3 / 3
Completeness	Clearly answers both what (Maven Central search and versions-maven-plugin update reports) and when ('Use when finding or verifying coordinates, browsing Central, or checking what newer versions apply to the user's pom.xml'). Explicit 'Use when' clause is present with clear triggers.	3 / 3
Trigger Term Quality	Includes strong natural keywords users would say: 'Maven Central', 'coordinates', 'pom.xml', 'newer versions', 'dependency updates', 'plugin updates', 'artifact URLs', 'maven-metadata.xml'. These cover common terms a Java developer would use when needing this skill.	3 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Highly distinctive with a clear niche: Maven Central artifact search and Maven dependency version checking. The specific tools (versions-maven-plugin, Search API, maven-metadata.xml) and file types (pom.xml) make it very unlikely to conflict with other skills.	3 / 3
	Total	12 / 12 Passed

Implementation

22%

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

This skill body functions more as a topic index and keyword list than as actionable guidance. It defers virtually all concrete instructions, examples, and workflows to a reference file, leaving the SKILL.md without executable code, URL patterns, or step-by-step processes. The constraints section hints at important verification practices but doesn't operationalize them.

Suggestions

Add a 'Quick start' section with at least one concrete, executable example — e.g., a curl command to the Maven Central Search API and how to parse the response for coordinates.

Include a minimal workflow with explicit steps for the versions-maven-plugin flow: verify plugin declaration → run goal → interpret output → apply updates, with a validation checkpoint.

Remove or condense the 'When to use this skill' keyword list — this is metadata-level content that doesn't help Claude execute the task and wastes tokens.

Add at least one concrete URL pattern example (e.g., `https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/springframework/boot/spring-boot-starter-parent/maven-metadata.xml`) so the skill is usable without the reference file.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The skill is moderately efficient but includes some unnecessary enumeration of what's covered (the bullet list in the intro is somewhat redundant with the 'When to use this skill' section). The 'When to use this skill' section is essentially a keyword list that adds bulk without much instructional value.	2 / 3
Actionability	The skill provides no executable code, no concrete API query examples, no URL templates, and no command examples beyond naming goals like `./mvnw versions:display-property-updates`. All actual guidance is deferred to the reference file, leaving the SKILL.md as a description rather than an instruction set.	1 / 3
Workflow Clarity	There is no sequenced workflow in the skill body. The constraints mention 'VERIFY' and 'BEFORE APPLYING' but don't define steps, validation checkpoints, or error recovery. The entire workflow is deferred to the reference file with 'Read the reference for step-by-step workflows.'	1 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	There is a clear reference to a single detailed file, which is good one-level-deep disclosure. However, the SKILL.md itself contains almost no actionable quick-start content — it's essentially just a table of contents with no usable overview, making the split too aggressive.	2 / 3
	Total	6 / 12 Passed

Validation

100%

Warnings & errors only

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: 1847adc

Reviewed: about 21 hours ago

Table of Contents

Discovery Implementation Validation

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