Build command-line interfaces with async-first design, composable commands, and proper output formatting. Use when creating CLI tools, commands, or interactive terminal applications.
74
67%
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/cli-building/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
89%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 solid skill description with explicit 'Use when' guidance and good trigger term coverage for CLI-related tasks. The main weakness is that the capabilities section focuses more on architectural qualities (async-first, composable) rather than concrete actions users would request. Overall effective for skill selection.
Suggestions
Replace architectural descriptors with concrete actions like 'parse arguments, define subcommands, generate help text, handle stdin/stdout'
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (CLI) and mentions some characteristics ('async-first design, composable commands, proper output formatting') but these are more architectural qualities than concrete actions. Missing specific verbs like 'parse arguments', 'handle subcommands', 'format help text'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what ('Build command-line interfaces with async-first design, composable commands, and proper output formatting') and when ('Use when creating CLI tools, commands, or interactive terminal applications') with explicit trigger guidance. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Good coverage of natural terms: 'CLI tools', 'commands', 'command-line interfaces', 'terminal applications' are all phrases users would naturally say when needing this skill. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Clear niche focused specifically on CLI/terminal applications. The combination of 'command-line', 'CLI', and 'terminal' creates a distinct trigger profile unlikely to conflict with web, GUI, or general coding skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
44%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill provides a reasonable overview of CLI building principles with good progressive disclosure to reference materials. However, it leans too heavily on abstract descriptions rather than concrete, executable examples, and lacks a clear workflow for actually building a CLI from start to finish. The code examples are minimal stubs rather than copy-paste ready implementations.
Suggestions
Add a concrete step-by-step workflow section showing the sequence for creating a new CLI (e.g., 1. Initialize project, 2. Define command structure, 3. Implement async handlers, 4. Add output formatting, 5. Test)
Replace abstract descriptions like 'Design commands as reusable modules' with actual code showing command composition patterns
Expand the code examples to be fully executable with realistic implementations including error handling and output formatting
Remove redundant explanations of framework qualities that Claude can infer (e.g., 'Good for complex CLIs', 'Clean and intuitive')
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The content is reasonably efficient but includes some unnecessary explanation (e.g., describing what frameworks are 'good for' when Claude can infer this). The framework descriptions could be tighter, and some bullet points repeat concepts already stated. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides two basic code examples but they are minimal stubs rather than fully executable patterns. Many sections describe concepts abstractly ('Design commands as reusable modules', 'Use strategy pattern for workflow branching') without showing concrete implementation code. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | No clear multi-step workflow is provided. The content lists principles and best practices but doesn't sequence them into a coherent process for building a CLI. No validation checkpoints or feedback loops for the development process. | 1 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Good structure with clear sections and well-signaled references to detailed documentation at the end. The overview is appropriately scoped with one-level-deep references to specific topics like async-patterns.md and composable-commands.md. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 8 / 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.
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