dsa-pattern-practice
Use for **any DSA question — interview prep OR day-to-day code work** — algorithm paradigms (BFS, Dijkstra, sliding window, monotonic stack, Union-Find, binary search, backtracking, topological sort, trie, DP), data structures (heap, segment tree, fenwick, trie), Java collection choice (HashMap/TreeMap, ArrayList/LinkedList, ArrayDeque/PriorityQueue, Comparator) while writing production code, graph primitives, complexity analysis, or refactoring existing code for better Big-O. Answers in Signal/Technique/Invariant/Complexity (STIC) card format; persists cards to a user-writable skill-state directory (see references/path-config.md). **Not for software design patterns** — use `design-pattern-practice`. Triggers on "classify this problem", "Java template for X", "shortest path", "HashMap vs TreeMap", "next greater element", "top K elements", "why is this loop slow", "is this O(N²)", "which collection should I use", "optimize this nested loop", "review this for algorithmic complexity".
75
92%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
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The risk profile of this skill
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 specific capabilities, includes abundant natural trigger terms, clearly delineates both what the skill does and when to use it, and explicitly distinguishes itself from related skills. The negative boundary ('Not for software design patterns') is a particularly strong touch. The description is dense but informative rather than padded, and uses appropriate third-person voice throughout.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Lists numerous specific concrete actions and domains: algorithm paradigms (BFS, Dijkstra, sliding window, etc.), data structures (heap, segment tree, fenwick, trie), Java collection choice with specific examples, complexity analysis, refactoring for Big-O, and the STIC card output format. | 3 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both 'what' (DSA questions, algorithm paradigms, data structures, Java collection choice, complexity analysis, refactoring) and 'when' with explicit trigger phrases and a 'Use for' clause at the start. Also includes a negative boundary ('Not for software design patterns') which further clarifies when to use it. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Excellent coverage of natural trigger terms users would actually say: 'classify this problem', 'shortest path', 'HashMap vs TreeMap', 'why is this loop slow', 'is this O(N²)', 'which collection should I use', 'optimize this nested loop'. These are highly natural phrases covering many variations. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Highly distinctive with a clear niche (DSA/algorithms/data structures), explicit negative boundary distinguishing it from the design-pattern-practice skill, and very specific trigger terms that are unlikely to conflict with other skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 12 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
85%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, highly actionable skill that effectively uses progressive disclosure to keep the main file as an overview while delegating detailed specifications to reference files. The workflow clarity is strong with explicit validation checkpoints and scoped behaviors. Minor verbosity in the response structure specification and reference index prevents a perfect conciseness score, but overall the content is dense with useful, non-redundant information.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill is reasonably efficient and avoids explaining basic concepts Claude already knows, but the mandatory response structure table and extensive reference index add bulk. Some sections (like the 7-element response table with its detailed specifications) could be tighter, and there's moderate repetition between the meta-rules summary and the flow descriptions. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | The skill provides concrete, executable guidance: a real Java code example (next-greater-element), specific flow triggers with clear behaviors, a strict invariant validation rule with good/bad examples, and explicit response structure requirements. The code snippet is copy-paste ready and well-annotated. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The four flows (classify, add, template, review) are clearly defined with triggers, behaviors, and explicit scope boundaries ('does not solve', 'does not refactor'). The `add` flow includes an explicit validation checkpoint with pass/fail criteria and a feedback loop (if invariant fails → don't persist → ask user to refine). The mandatory 7-section response structure provides a clear checklist. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Excellent progressive disclosure: the SKILL.md serves as a clear overview with one-line summaries of meta-rules, then points to well-organized reference files for full details (meta-rules.md, flow-details.md, stic-card-schema.md, worked-examples.md, etc.). The reference index table provides clear navigation. All references are one level deep with descriptive content summaries. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 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
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