181-java-observability-logging

Use when you need to implement or improve Java logging and observability — including selecting SLF4J with Logback/Log4j2, applying proper log levels (ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, TRACE), parameterized logging, correlation context, secure logging without sensitive data exposure, environment-specific configuration, log aggregation, monitoring, and alerting. This should trigger for requests such as Improve logging; Apply logging; Refactor logging; Add logging support; Review SLF4J structured logging in Java code. Part of Plinth Toolkit

Quality

83%

Does it follow best practices?

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Securityby

Passed

No findings from the security scan

Quality

Content

78%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, actionable content with a clear validated workflow and clean one-level-deep reference usage. The main weakness is mild redundancy between the body lists and the frontmatter description, and a stop-don't-retry error path rather than an explicit fix loop.

Suggestions

Trim the 'When to use this skill' list since those trigger phrases already appear verbatim in the frontmatter description, or cross-reference it instead of restating.

Convert the compile-failure guidance from 'stop immediately' into an explicit fix-and-retry feedback loop (e.g., 'review errors, fix, re-run compile until it passes') to reach the top workflow anchor.

Optionally inline one tiny good/bad logging snippet (e.g., parameterized vs string concatenation) so the skill is minimally useful before opening the reference.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The body is lean (~50 lines) and avoids explaining concepts Claude already knows, but the 'What is covered' and 'When to use this skill' lists duplicate content already present in the frontmatter description, leaving minor redundancy that could be trimmed.	4 / 5
Actionability	Provides concrete, executable commands ('./mvnw compile', 'mvn clean verify') and a specific reference path; the actual logging code lives appropriately in the reference, leaving only minor gaps inline.	4 / 5
Workflow Clarity	A clear four-step sequence with explicit validation gates (compile-before with 'stop immediately if compilation fails', verify-after), but the error path says 'stop' rather than describing an explicit fix-and-retry feedback loop, so it falls just short of the top anchor.	4 / 5
Progressive Disclosure	A clear overview in SKILL.md points to a single, real one-level-deep reference (references/181-java-observability-logging.md, confirmed present) signaled both in the workflow and a dedicated Reference section; content is appropriately split and easy to navigate.	5 / 5
	Total	17 / 20 Passed

Description

87%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 clearly states capabilities and trigger conditions with concrete natural phrases. The only notable issue is second-person voice ('you need to'), which caps specificity.

Suggestions

Rewrite in third person (e.g., 'Use when implementing or improving Java logging...') instead of second person 'you need to' to satisfy the voice requirement.

Add a few synonymous trigger terms or extension hints (e.g., 'logback.xml', 'log4j2.xml', 'structured logging') to broaden natural keyword coverage.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Lists many concrete actions ('selecting SLF4J with Logback/Log4j2', 'parameterized logging', 'correlation context', 'log aggregation, monitoring, and alerting'), giving comprehensive coverage; reduced from 5 to 4 because the second-person 'Use when you need to' violates the third-person-voice rule.	4 / 5
Completeness	Explicitly answers both what ('implement or improve Java logging and observability — including...') and when ('Use when you need to... This should trigger for requests such as...') with concrete trigger phrases.	5 / 5
Trigger Term Quality	Includes natural trigger phrases users would say ('Improve logging; Apply logging; Refactor logging; Add logging support'), but coverage lacks synonyms or file/extension variants, so a few natural terms are missing.	4 / 5
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	A clear niche (Java logging/observability with SLF4J) and distinct triggers make it unlikely to fire for unrelated skills; minimal conflict risk.	5 / 5
	Total	18 / 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/181-java-observability-logging/SKILL.md
Commit: 77b8825

Reviewed: about 23 hours ago

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