tessl-labs/springboot-error-handling
Error handling for Spring Boot APIs — @ControllerAdvice, structured error
84
75%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
99%
1.76xAverage score across 5 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Quality
Discovery
75%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 description effectively communicates when to use the skill with explicit trigger guidance and establishes a clear niche in Spring Boot error handling. However, it could be stronger by listing specific concrete actions (what patterns/classes it implements) rather than just describing outcomes, and by including more natural trigger terms users might use when seeking error handling help.
Suggestions
Add specific concrete actions like 'Implements @ControllerAdvice global exception handlers, ErrorResponse DTOs, and validation error formatting'
Include additional trigger terms users might naturally say: 'exception handling', 'API errors', '500 errors', 'error responses', '@ExceptionHandler'
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (Spring Boot REST API error handling) and mentions some outcomes (prevent stack trace leaks, inconsistent error formats, silent swallowed exceptions, unstructured validation failures), but doesn't list specific concrete actions like 'create global exception handler' or 'implement ErrorResponse DTOs'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what (production error handling patterns that prevent specific problems) and when ('Apply whenever building, extending, or scaffolding a Spring Boot backend -- even if the task only asks for endpoints or CRUD operations'). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes relevant terms like 'Spring Boot', 'REST API', 'backend', 'endpoints', 'CRUD operations', but misses common variations users might say like 'exception handling', '@ControllerAdvice', 'error responses', 'API errors', or '500 errors'. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Very specific niche targeting Spring Boot REST API error handling specifically, with clear triggers around Spring Boot backend development. Unlikely to conflict with general Java skills or other framework-specific skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
64%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a highly actionable skill with excellent concrete code examples and clear RIGHT/WRONG patterns that make implementation straightforward. The main weaknesses are verbosity in the motivational section (explaining concepts Claude knows), lack of verification steps to confirm error handling works correctly, and a monolithic structure that could benefit from progressive disclosure to separate files.
Suggestions
Remove or drastically shorten the 'Why This Matters From Day One' section - Claude understands why error handling matters; jump straight to the patterns
Add a verification workflow section: 'After implementing, test by: 1) Sending invalid JSON to any endpoint, verify MALFORMED_REQUEST response 2) Sending invalid @Valid fields, verify VALIDATION_ERROR with details 3) Requesting non-existent resource, verify NOT_FOUND format'
Consider splitting into SKILL.md (overview + checklist) and EXAMPLES.md (full code samples) to reduce the main file size
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill includes some unnecessary explanation in the 'Why This Matters From Day One' section that explains concepts Claude already understands (what stack traces are, why consistent formats matter). The code examples are good but the surrounding prose could be tightened significantly. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Excellent executable code examples throughout - complete Java classes, configuration properties, and JSON response formats that are copy-paste ready. The RIGHT/WRONG pattern with concrete examples makes implementation unambiguous. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The checklist at the end provides a clear sequence of what to implement, but there's no validation/verification workflow for confirming the error handling is working correctly. Missing explicit testing steps like 'trigger each exception type and verify response format'. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Content is well-organized with clear sections, but it's a monolithic document (~300 lines) that could benefit from splitting detailed code examples into separate reference files. The checklist could link to expanded guidance for each item. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 9 / 12 Passed |
Validation
90%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 10 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
Reviewed
Table of Contents