143-java-functional-exception-handling
Use when you need to apply functional exception handling best practices in Java — including replacing exception overuse with Optional and VAVR Either types, designing error type hierarchies using sealed classes and enums, implementing monadic error composition pipelines, establishing functional control flow patterns, and reserving exceptions only for truly exceptional system-level failures. Part of the skills-for-java project
76
70%
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/143-java-functional-exception-handling/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
85%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 articulates specific capabilities and includes an explicit 'Use when' trigger clause. The description excels at specificity and distinctiveness with concrete technical patterns. The main weakness is that trigger terms lean heavily on technical jargon, potentially missing users who phrase requests more colloquially.
Suggestions
Add common user phrasings like 'error handling without try-catch', 'functional error handling', or 'avoid throwing exceptions' to improve trigger term coverage for less technical requests
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Lists multiple specific concrete actions: 'replacing exception overuse with Optional and VAVR Either types', 'designing error type hierarchies using sealed classes and enums', 'implementing monadic error composition pipelines', 'establishing functional control flow patterns'. These are highly specific technical capabilities. | 3 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what (functional exception handling techniques with specific patterns) AND when ('Use when you need to apply functional exception handling best practices in Java'). The 'Use when' clause is explicit and appears at the start. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Contains relevant technical terms like 'Optional', 'VAVR Either', 'sealed classes', 'monadic', 'exception handling', 'Java'. However, these are somewhat specialized jargon and may miss common user phrasings like 'error handling', 'try-catch alternatives', or 'handle errors without exceptions'. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Highly distinctive with a clear niche: functional exception handling specifically in Java using Optional, VAVR Either, sealed classes. The combination of 'functional', 'exception handling', 'Java', and specific type names creates a unique fingerprint unlikely to conflict with general Java or general error handling skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
54%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill has excellent workflow structure with clear validation checkpoints and appropriate progressive disclosure to a reference file. However, it severely lacks actionability - there are no concrete code examples showing good vs bad patterns, making it essentially a table of contents rather than a useful skill. The content tells Claude what topics exist but doesn't show how to apply them.
Suggestions
Add at least 2-3 concrete before/after code examples showing key patterns (e.g., Optional instead of null checks, Either for business failures) directly in the skill body
Include a minimal executable example of Either usage with flatMap composition to demonstrate the core pattern
Remove or condense the 'What is covered' bullet list since it duplicates what should be shown through examples
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill is reasonably efficient but includes some unnecessary explanation in the 'What is covered' section that could be trimmed. The bullet list of topics is informative but borders on verbose given it's just an overview pointing to a reference. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | No concrete code examples, commands beyond maven validation, or executable guidance. The skill describes concepts and points to a reference file but provides no copy-paste ready patterns or specific implementation examples. | 1 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | Clear workflow with explicit validation checkpoints: validate before changes, stop if validation fails, verify after changes. The MANDATORY/SAFETY/VERIFY structure provides good feedback loops for error recovery. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Appropriate structure with a clear overview and single-level reference to detailed documentation. The skill correctly serves as an entry point pointing to the detailed reference file for examples and patterns. | 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.
- Repository
- jabrena/cursor-rules-java
- Commit
7772a1b
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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