Mental-model reset for Salsa, the incremental computation framework for Rust. Use when building or reviewing Salsa databases, tracked functions, input/ tracked/interned structs, query pipelines, accumulators, cancellation, durability, LSP integration, memory management, cycles, or production Salsa architecture. Triggers on #[salsa::db], #[salsa::input], #[salsa::tracked], #[salsa::interned], #[salsa::accumulator], salsa::Storage, memoization, revisions, backdating, red-green algorithm, WillExecute, DidValidateMemoizedValue, Cancelled, returns(ref), no_eq, lru, cycle_fn, cycle_result, durability, or salsa::Event.
90
86%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
95%
1.66xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
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 an excellent skill description that thoroughly covers the Salsa incremental computation framework for Rust. It provides clear 'what' and 'when' guidance, includes an extensive list of specific trigger terms that users would naturally use, and occupies a very distinct niche with no realistic conflict risk. The only minor note is that 'Mental-model reset' as the opening phrase is slightly unusual phrasing for describing what the skill does, but the rest of the description more than compensates.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description lists multiple specific concrete actions and concepts: building/reviewing Salsa databases, tracked functions, input/tracked/interned structs, query pipelines, accumulators, cancellation, durability, LSP integration, memory management, cycles, and production architecture. These are highly specific capabilities. | 3 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both 'what' (mental-model reset for Salsa incremental computation framework) and 'when' with an explicit 'Use when...' clause listing specific scenarios, plus a 'Triggers on' clause enumerating exact keywords. Both dimensions are thoroughly addressed. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Excellent coverage of natural trigger terms including specific Salsa macros (#[salsa::db], #[salsa::input], #[salsa::tracked], etc.), internal concepts (memoization, revisions, backdating, red-green algorithm), and configuration options (returns(ref), no_eq, lru, cycle_fn). A user working with Salsa would naturally use many of these exact terms. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Extremely distinctive — Salsa is a niche Rust framework, and the description includes highly specific macro names and internal concepts (e.g., #[salsa::tracked], red-green algorithm, backdating, WillExecute) that would not overlap with any other skill. Virtually zero conflict risk. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 12 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
72%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a well-structured reference skill with strong progressive disclosure and actionable code examples for each Salsa concept. Its main weaknesses are some verbosity in the 'Real-World Scale' and 'Further Reading' sections that don't directly help Claude write or review Salsa code, and the lack of validation/debugging checkpoints in the workflow. The navigation table is excellent for discovery.
Suggestions
Trim or remove the 'Real-World Scale' section — the detailed project statistics (number of tracked functions, cycle sites, file counts) are informational but not actionable for writing or reviewing Salsa code.
Add a brief troubleshooting or validation section covering common mistakes (e.g., forgetting #[id] fields, missing dependency tracking, debugging when memoization doesn't fire) to improve workflow clarity.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill is generally well-structured but includes some unnecessary content for Claude: the ASCII diagram, the 'Real-World Scale' section with detailed project stats, and the extensive 'Further Reading' links add bulk without proportional instructional value. The introductory paragraph explaining what Salsa is and naming projects that use it is somewhat redundant given the description already covers this. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | The skill provides concrete, executable Rust code examples for every core concept — database setup, inputs, tracked functions, tracked structs, interned structs, and accumulators. The core loop example is copy-paste ready and clearly demonstrates the create-compute-mutate-recompute cycle. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The core loop (create inputs → compute → mutate → recompute) is clearly sequenced, but there are no validation checkpoints or error recovery steps. For a framework where design decisions about granularity and identity are described as 'the hardest part,' there's no guidance on how to verify correctness of those decisions or debug when incremental reuse isn't working as expected. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Excellent progressive disclosure structure: the main file provides a concise overview of each concept with inline code examples, then clearly signals deep-dive references via '→ Deep dive:' links and a well-organized navigation table mapping tasks to specific files. References are one level deep and clearly signaled. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 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.
40067f1
Table of Contents
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