126-java-exception-handling

Use when you need to apply Java exception handling best practices — including using specific exception types, managing resources with try-with-resources, securing exception messages, preserving error context via exception chaining, validating inputs early with fail-fast principles, handling thread interruption correctly, documenting exceptions with @throws, enforcing logging policy, translating exceptions at API boundaries, managing retries and idempotency, enforcing timeouts, attaching suppressed exceptions, and propagating failures in async/reactive code. This should trigger for requests such as Exception handling; Use try-with-resources in Java code; Create exception chaining in Java code; Apply fail-fast validation in Java code; Review Java exception taxonomy and propagation. Part of Plinth Toolkit

Quality

85%

Does it follow best practices?

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Securityby

Passed

No findings from the security scan

Quality

Content

77%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

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

Well-structured content with a clear validated workflow and clean progressive disclosure to one reference file. The main gap is actionability: the body gives concrete build commands but only abstract refactoring direction, offloading the executable guidance entirely to the reference.

Suggestions

Add one or two short inline good/bad code snippets (e.g., try-with-resources or exception chaining) so the body is actionable without forcing a reference read for common cases.

Remove the 'When to use' section or replace it with a pointer, since its trigger phrases duplicate the frontmatter description.

Collapse the redundant compile/verify instructions in 'Constraints' by referencing the Workflow steps instead of restating the commands.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The body is lean and assumes Claude's Java knowledge without padding, but the 'When to use' section repeats trigger phrases already present in the description and the Constraints block duplicates the workflow's compile/verify steps, leaving minor trimmable redundancy.	4 / 5
Actionability	Concrete commands are present (mvn compile, mvn clean verify) and the reference path is explicit, but the core refactoring guidance is abstract ('Refactor to specific exceptions, safe resource handling, error translation') with no inline executable examples, delegating the actionable detail to the reference.	3 / 5
Workflow Clarity	A clearly sequenced 4-step workflow with explicit validation checkpoints — compile before changes, stop immediately on failure, then verify after — providing a proper feedback loop for a code-modification skill.	5 / 5
Progressive Disclosure	SKILL.md serves as a concise overview pointing to a single real one-level-deep reference (references/126-java-exception-handling.md, verified to exist), clearly signaled through both the workflow and a dedicated Reference section.	5 / 5
	Total	17 / 20 Passed

Description

92%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

A strong, comprehensive description that explicitly covers capabilities and trigger conditions in a distinct niche. The only weak spot is trigger-term phrasing, which is thorough but slightly formulaic and lacks natural synonyms.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Enumerates many concrete actions — specific exception types, try-with-resources, exception chaining, fail-fast validation, @throws, retries/idempotency, timeouts, suppressed exceptions, async propagation — giving comprehensive coverage rather than vague abstractions.	5 / 5
Completeness	Explicitly states what the skill does (the long capability enumeration) and when to use it ('This should trigger for requests such as ...'), answering both what and when with concrete trigger phrases.	5 / 5
Trigger Term Quality	Includes natural user-facing phrases like 'Exception handling' and 'Use try-with-resources in Java code', but several triggers are formulaic ('Create exception chaining in Java code') and common synonyms/variations are missing, so it falls just below the comprehensive anchor.	4 / 5
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Scoped tightly to Java exception handling — a clear niche with distinct triggers and minimal overlap risk with other skills.	5 / 5
	Total	19 / 20 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 — 16 / 16 Passed

Validation for skill structure

No warnings or errors.

Repository: jabrena/plinth
Path: skills/126-java-exception-handling/SKILL.md
Commit: 77b8825

Reviewed: about 23 hours ago

Table of Contents

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