Skill Improver

Skill Improver

Execute improvement plans generated by skill-quality-reviewer to automatically update and fix issues in Claude Skills.

Core Workflow

Read improvement-plan-{name}.md
    ↓
Parse improvement items (High/Medium/Low priority)
    ↓
Group changes by file
    ↓
Detect and resolve conflicts
    ↓
Backup original files
    ↓
Execute updates (Edit or Write tools)
    ↓
Verify results
    ↓
Generate update-report

When to Use

Trigger phrases:

• "Apply improvements from improvement-plan-git-workflow.md"
• "Update my skill based on the quality report"
• "Execute the improvement plan for api-helper"
• "Fix the issues identified in quality review"

Use this skill when:

• Applying improvements from an improvement plan
• Updating a skill based on quality review feedback
• Executing recommended fixes from skill-quality-reviewer
• Implementing structured improvements to skill documentation

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Load the Improvement Plan

Read the improvement-plan-{skill-name}.md file generated by skill-quality-reviewer.

# Plan is typically in current directory
ls improvement-plan-*.md

# Or specify full path
read /path/to/improvement-plan-my-skill.md

Validate the plan:

• File exists and is readable
• Contains priority sections (High/Medium/Low)
• Has structured improvement items
• Includes file paths and suggested changes

See references/plan-format.md for detailed plan structure.

Step 2: Parse and Group Changes

Extract all improvement suggestions and organize by target file.

Extract from each item:

• File path (e.g., SKILL.md:line:line or references/file.md)
• Dimension (Description Quality, Content Organization, etc.)
• Impact (+X points)
• Current content
• Suggested content
• Reason for change

Build update queue:

by_file = {
  "SKILL.md": [change1, change2, ...],
  "references/guide.md": [change3, ...],
  "examples/demo.md": [change4, ...],
}

Step 3: Detect and Resolve Conflicts

Check for conflicts when multiple changes affect the same content.

Resolution strategy: 1. High priority takes precedence over medium/low 2. If same priority, preserve first change 3. Flag conflicts for manual review 4. Document resolution in update report

See references/merge-strategies.md for detailed merge logic.

Step 4: Sort by Priority

Order changes by priority within each file.

Priority order: 1. High Priority (execute first) 2. Medium Priority (execute second) 3. Low Priority (execute last)

Step 5: Backup and Execute

Backup location: ~/.claude/skills/backup/{skill-name}-{timestamp}/

# Use backup script
~/.claude/skills/skill-improver/scripts/backup-skill.sh <skill-path>

Apply changes:

• Use Edit tool for existing content
• Use Write tool for new files
• Verify each change was applied

Step 6: Verify and Report

Verification checks: 1. YAML syntax valid 2. All modified files exist and are valid 3. New files were created successfully 4. No unintended changes occurred

# Use verify script
~/.claude/skills/skill-improver/scripts/verify-update.sh <skill-path>

Generate update-report-{skill-name}-{timestamp}.md documenting:

• Summary (files modified, files created, total changes)
• Changes Applied (per-file breakdown)
• Quality Improvement (before/after scores)
• Verification Results
• Backup Location

See examples/update-report-example.md for report template.

Priority Handling

High Priority

Execute first. These typically address:

• Critical description issues
• Major writing style problems
• Missing structural elements
• Security-related concerns

Medium Priority

Execute after High. These typically address:

• Content organization improvements
• Additional examples
• Documentation enhancements

Low Priority

Execute last. These typically address:

• Minor clarifications
• Nice-to-have improvements
• Polish and refinement

Integration with Skill Quality Reviewer

This skill works seamlessly with skill-quality-reviewer:

Current Skill (67/100 D+)
    ↓ [skill-quality-reviewer]
Improvement Plan
    ↓ [skill-improver]
Improved Skill (87/100 B+)
    ↓ [skill-quality-reviewer]
Quality Report (validation)

Iterate until desired quality level reached.

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• `references/plan-format.md` - Improvement plan file structure and format
• `references/merge-strategies.md` - Detailed merge algorithms and conflict resolution
• `references/error-handling.md` - Error handling strategies
• `references/supported-updates.md` - Supported update types with examples

Example Files

• `examples/improvement-plan-example.md` - Sample improvement plan
• `examples/update-report-example.md` - Sample update report

Scripts

• `scripts/backup-skill.sh` - Create backup of skill before updates
• `scripts/verify-update.sh` - Verify skill integrity after updates

Best Practices

Before Applying Updates

1. Review the improvement plan - Understand what will change 2. Verify backup location - Ensure backups can be restored 3. Check for manual changes - Note any uncommitted local modifications 4. Estimate impact - Review expected quality improvement

During Update Execution

1. Process in priority order - High → Medium → Low 2. Verify after each file - Check updates were applied correctly 3. Log all changes - Document what was modified 4. Handle conflicts gracefully - Flag for review if needed

After Applying Updates

1. Review the update report - Confirm all changes were intended 2. Test the skill - Verify it still works correctly 3. Compare scores - Check quality improvement matches expectations 4. Keep backup - Retain backup until confident in changes

Usage Examples

Example 1: Apply improvements to local skill

User: "Apply improvements from improvement-plan-git-workflow.md"

[Claude executes the workflow:]
1. Reads improvement-plan-git-workflow.md
2. Parses all improvement items
3. Groups changes by file
4. Detects and resolves conflicts
5. Sorts by priority
6. Backs up git-workflow skill
7. Executes updates
8. Verifies results
9. Generates update-report-git-workflow-timestamp.md

Example 2: Update skill from quality review

User: "Update my api-helper skill based on quality report"

[Claude:]
1. Locates improvement-plan-api-helper.md
2. Applies all recommended changes
3. Verifies skill structure
4. Reports quality improvement: 72/100 → 91/100

Skill Improvement Plan: example-skill

Priority Summary

• High Priority: 2 items
• Medium Priority: 1 item
• Low Priority: 1 item

High Priority Improvements

1. Fix Description Trigger Phrases

File: SKILL.md:3:4 Dimension: Description Quality Impact: +20 points

Current:

---
name: example-skill
description: A helpful skill for various tasks
---

Suggested:

---
name: api-contract-manager
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "validate API contract", "check API compatibility", or "detect breaking changes"
---

Reason: The current description lacks specific trigger phrases and uses first-person format. The suggested version follows third-person format with clear trigger phrases.

2. Convert to Imperative Form

File: SKILL.md:50:55 Dimension: Writing Style Impact: +15 points

Current:

You should create the file first.
You need to validate the input.

Suggested:

Create the file first.
Validate the input.

Reason: Skills must use imperative form without second-person language.

Medium Priority Improvements

3. Add Progressive Disclosure

File: SKILL.md Dimension: Content Organization Impact: +10 points

Current: All content in SKILL.md (3000+ words)

Suggested: Move detailed content to references/ directory, keep SKILL.md under 2000 words

Reason: SKILL.md should follow progressive disclosure principles with lean main content and detailed references.

Low Priority Improvements

4. Add Examples

File: examples/demo.md (new file) Dimension: Structural Integrity Impact: +5 points

Suggested: Create examples/demo.md with working demonstration

Reason: Examples help users understand how to use the skill effectively.

Estimated Time to Complete

• High Priority: 1 hour
• Medium Priority: 2 hours
• Low Priority: 30 minutes
• Total: 3.5 hours

Expected Score Improvement

• Current: 67/100 (D+)
• After High Priority: 82/100 (B-)
• After All: 87/100 (B+)

Skill Update Report: example-skill

Summary

• Update Date: 2025-01-25 14:30:00
• Improvement Plan: improvement-plan-example-skill.md
• Files Modified: 1
• Files Created: 1
• Total Changes Applied: 4

Changes Applied

SKILL.md

• ✅ Fixed description trigger phrases (line 3-4)
• ✅ Changed to imperative form (line 50, 52, 55)
• ✅ Reorganized content for progressive disclosure

examples/demo.md (new)

• ✅ Created example demonstration file

Quality Improvement

Grade: D+ → B+

Verification Results

• ✅ YAML syntax valid
• ✅ All files updated successfully
• ✅ No unintended changes
• ✅ Skill structure intact

Backup

Original files backed up to: ~/.claude/skills/backup/example-skill-20250125-143000/

Notes

• All high priority changes applied successfully
• Medium priority reorganization completed
• Low priority example file created
• Skill is now ready for use

Error Handling

Parse Errors

Symptom: Cannot read improvement plan

Solutions:

• Verify file exists and is readable
• Check file follows expected format
• Ensure proper markdown structure

Conflict Errors

Symptom: Multiple changes to same content

Solutions:

• Apply highest priority change
• Flag conflict for manual review
• Document decision in report

Edit Failures

Symptom: Cannot find current content to replace

Solutions:

• Verify current content matches exactly
• Check line numbers are correct
• File may have been modified externally
• Skip change and document in report

Verification Failures

Symptom: Update broke skill structure

Solutions:

• Restore from backup
• Review conflicting changes
• Apply changes individually
• Skip problematic changes

Merge Strategies for Skill Updates

Detailed strategies for intelligently merging multiple improvements to the same skill files.

Overview

When applying improvements from an improvement plan, multiple changes may affect the same file or even the same lines. This document defines strategies for detecting conflicts, resolving them, and applying updates in the correct order.

Priority-Based Merging

Priority Order

Changes are applied in strict priority order:

1. High Priority - Critical issues that must be fixed 2. Medium Priority - Important improvements 3. Low Priority - Nice-to-have enhancements

Rationale

• High priority changes often fix fundamental issues
• Applying them first ensures a solid foundation
• Lower priority changes may depend on high priority fixes
• Prevents wasted effort on changes that might be reverted

Per-File Merge Strategy

Single File, Multiple Changes

When multiple changes affect the same file:

1. Group by file

   SKILL.md: [
     { line: 10, priority: high, ... },
     { line: 50, priority: high, ... },
     { line: 100, priority: medium, ... },
     { line: 200, priority: low, ... }
   ]

2. Sort by line number (descending)

• Process from bottom to top
• Prevents line offset issues
• Earlier changes don't affect later line numbers

   SKILL.md: [
     { line: 200, priority: low, ... },      # First
     { line: 100, priority: medium, ... },   # Second
     { line: 50, priority: high, ... },      # Third
     { line: 10, priority: high, ... }       # Fourth
   ]

3. Apply within same line range by priority

• If multiple changes affect same lines
• Higher priority wins
• Document conflict in report

Algorithm

def merge_per_file(changes):
    """Merge changes for a single file."""

    # Group by line range
    by_range = {}
    for change in changes:
        key = (change['start'], change['end'])
        if key not in by_range:
            by_range[key] = []
        by_range[key].append(change)

    # Resolve conflicts within ranges
    resolved = []
    for range_key, range_changes in by_range.items():
        if len(range_changes) == 1:
            resolved.append(range_changes[0])
        else:
            # Conflict: pick highest priority
            priority_order = {'high': 0, 'medium': 1, 'low': 2}
            sorted_changes = sorted(
                range_changes,
                key=lambda c: priority_order[c['priority']]
            )
            winner = sorted_changes[0]
            winner['conflicts_with'] = sorted_changes[1:]
            resolved.append(winner)

    # Sort by line number descending
    resolved.sort(key=lambda c: c['start'], reverse=True)

    return resolved

Cross-File Merge Strategy

Multiple Files, Multiple Changes

When changes span multiple files:

1. Execute all High Priority changes first

• Across all files
• Ensures critical fixes everywhere

2. Then execute all Medium Priority changes

• Build on High Priority foundation

3. Finally execute all Low Priority changes

• Polish and refine

Execution Order

Round 1: High Priority
├── SKILL.md (High changes)
├── references/guide.md (High changes)
└── examples/demo.md (High changes)

Round 2: Medium Priority
├── SKILL.md (Medium changes)
├── references/guide.md (Medium changes)
└── examples/new.md (Medium, new file)

Round 3: Low Priority
└── SKILL.md (Low changes)

Algorithm

def merge_cross_files(all_changes):
    """Merge changes across all files."""

    # Group by priority
    by_priority = {
        'high': [],
        'medium': [],
        'low': []
    }

    for change in all_changes:
        by_priority[change['priority']].append(change)

    # Process each priority level
    execution_order = []
    for priority in ['high', 'medium', 'low']:
        # Group by file within priority
        by_file = {}
        for change in by_priority[priority]:
            file = change['file']
            if file not in by_file:
                by_file[file] = []
            by_file[file].append(change)

        # Merge within each file
        for file, file_changes in by_file.items():
            merged = merge_per_file(file_changes)
            execution_order.extend(merged)

    return execution_order

Conflict Detection

Types of Conflicts

1. Same Line, Different Content

Change A: SKILL.md:10:10
Current: "You should create file"
Suggested: "Create the file"

Change B: SKILL.md:10:10
Current: "You should create file"
Suggested: "Create file now"

Resolution: Higher priority wins, document conflict

2. Overlapping Line Ranges

Change A: SKILL.md:10:15
Current: lines 10-15 content
Suggested: new content for 10-15

Change B: SKILL.md:12:20
Current: lines 12-20 content
Suggested: new content for 12-20

Resolution: Higher priority wins, lower priority is skipped

3. Same Priority Conflicts

Change A: SKILL.md:10:10 (High)
Suggested: "Option A"

Change B: SKILL.md:10:10 (High)
Suggested: "Option B"

Resolution: First in list wins, flag for manual review

Conflict Detection Algorithm

def detect_conflicts(changes):
    """Detect conflicting changes."""

    conflicts = []

    # Sort by line range
    sorted_changes = sorted(changes, key=lambda c: (c['start'], c['end']))

    for i in range(len(sorted_changes)):
        for j in range(i + 1, len(sorted_changes)):
            a = sorted_changes[i]
            b = sorted_changes[j]

            # Check for overlap
            if ranges_overlap(a, b):
                # Check if suggestions differ
                if a['suggested'] != b['suggested']:
                    conflicts.append({
                        'changes': [a, b],
                        'type': 'overlap',
                        'resolution': 'priority'
                    })

    return conflicts

def ranges_overlap(a, b):
    """Check if two line ranges overlap."""

    a_start, a_end = a['start'], a['end']
    b_start, b_end = b['start'], b['end']

    return not (a_end < b_start or b_end < a_start)

Conflict Resolution

Resolution Strategies

1. Priority-Based Resolution

Apply highest priority change:

Conflicting changes:
- High: Fix description
- Low: Clarify text

Resolution: Apply High, skip Low

2. First-Win Resolution

For same priority conflicts:

Conflicting changes (both High):
- #1: Fix description option A
- #2: Fix description option B

Resolution: Apply #1, skip #2, flag for review

3. Manual Review Flag

Document conflicts requiring human review:

## Conflicts Requiring Manual Review

### SKILL.md:10:10
**Applied:** High Priority - Fix description (Option A)
**Skipped:** High Priority - Alternative fix (Option B)
**Reason:** Same priority, first change applied

Review suggested alternative and manually apply if preferred.

Resolution Algorithm

def resolve_conflicts(changes):
    """Resolve conflicts using priority-based strategy."""

    priority_value = {'high': 3, 'medium': 2, 'low': 1}

    # Track applied line ranges
    applied_ranges = []

    # Filter changes
    resolved = []
    skipped = []

    for change in sorted(changes, key=lambda c: (
        -priority_value[c['priority']],  # Higher priority first
        c['start']
    )):
        # Check if range already applied
        conflict = False
        for applied in applied_ranges:
            if ranges_overlap(change, applied):
                conflict = True
                skipped.append({
                    'change': change,
                    'reason': 'overlap_with_higher_priority',
                    'conflicts_with': applied
                })
                break

        if not conflict:
            resolved.append(change)
            applied_ranges.append({
                'start': change['start'],
                'end': change['end']
            })

    return resolved, skipped

Special Cases

New File Creation

When creating new files (no line numbers):

1. Check if file already exists 2. If exists: Verify content matches or skip 3. If not exists: Create with suggested content

def handle_new_file(change, skill_path):
    """Handle new file creation."""

    file_path = os.path.join(skill_path, change['file'])

    if os.path.exists(file_path):
        # File exists, verify content
        existing = read_file(file_path)
        if existing.strip() == change['suggested'].strip():
            return {'status': 'already_exists', 'action': 'skip'}
        else:
            return {
                'status': 'conflict',
                'action': 'skip',
                'reason': 'File exists with different content'
            }
    else:
        # Create new file
        write_file(file_path, change['suggested'])
        return {'status': 'created', 'action': 'created'}

Append Operations

When no line numbers and file exists:

def handle_append(change, skill_path):
    """Handle append to existing file."""

    file_path = os.path.join(skill_path, change['file'])

    if os.path.exists(file_path):
        # Append to end
        existing = read_file(file_path)
        updated = existing + '\n\n' + change['suggested']
        write_file(file_path, updated)
        return {'status': 'appended', 'action': 'appended'}
    else:
        # Treat as new file
        write_file(file_path, change['suggested'])
        return {'status': 'created', 'action': 'created'}

YAML Frontmatter Updates

Special handling for YAML frontmatter:

1. Parse existing frontmatter 2. Update specific fields 3. Preserve other fields 4. Validate YAML syntax

def update_frontmatter(file_path, updates):
    """Update YAML frontmatter fields."""

    # Read file
    content = read_file(file_path)

    # Extract frontmatter
    frontmatter, body = extract_frontmatter(content)

    # Parse YAML
    import yaml
    data = yaml.safe_load(frontmatter)

    # Apply updates
    for key, value in updates.items():
        data[key] = value

    # Serialize back
    new_frontmatter = yaml.dump(data, default_flow_style=False)

    # Reconstruct file
    updated = f"---\n{new_frontmatter}---\n{body}"

    write_file(file_path, updated)

Verification After Merge

Post-Merge Checks

After applying all changes:

1. Verify file existence

   for change in applied_changes:
       file_path = os.path.join(skill_path, change['file'])
       assert os.path.exists(file_path), f"File not found: {file_path}"

2. Verify YAML syntax

   ~/.claude/skills/skill-quality-reviewer/scripts/extract-yaml.sh <skill-path>

3. Verify content was applied

   for change in applied_changes:
       content = read_file(change['file'])
       assert change['suggested'] in content, "Change not found in file"

4. Verify no unintended changes

   # Compare backup with current
   # Only expected changes should be present

Complete Merge Workflow

def execute_merge(improvement_plan, skill_path):
    """Complete merge workflow."""

    # 1. Parse improvement plan
    changes = parse_improvement_plan(improvement_plan)

    # 2. Detect conflicts
    conflicts = detect_conflicts(changes)

    # 3. Resolve conflicts
    resolved, skipped = resolve_conflicts(changes)

    # 4. Sort by execution order
    execution_order = merge_cross_files(resolved)

    # 5. Backup original files
    backup_skill(skill_path)

    # 6. Execute changes
    applied = []
    failed = []

    for change in execution_order:
        try:
            if change['start'] is None:
                # New file or append
                result = handle_new_file(change, skill_path)
            else:
                # Edit existing content
                result = edit_file(
                    change['file'],
                    change['start'],
                    change['end'],
                    change['current'],
                    change['suggested']
                )

            applied.append({
                'change': change,
                'result': result
            })

        except Exception as e:
            failed.append({
                'change': change,
                'error': str(e)
            })

    # 7. Verify results
    verification = verify_merge(skill_path, applied)

    # 8. Generate report
    report = generate_merge_report(
        applied=applied,
        failed=failed,
        skipped=skipped,
        conflicts=conflicts,
        verification=verification
    )

    return report

Best Practices

When Merging

1. Always backup first - Restore if things go wrong 2. Apply high priority first - Critical fixes first 3. Process bottom to top - Avoid line offset issues 4. Verify after each file - Catch errors early 5. Document all decisions - Clear update report

When Conflicts Occur

1. Prioritize by importance - Critical over nice-to-have 2. Flag for review - Let user decide when unsure 3. Don't silently skip - Document everything 4. Preserve originals - Backup enables recovery

After Merging

1. Run verification - Ensure skill still works 2. Review report - Confirm changes match intent 3. Test the skill - Verify functionality 4. Keep backup - Until confident in changes

Error Recovery

If Merge Fails

1. Stop immediately - Don't continue with errors 2. Identify failure point - Which change caused issue 3. Restore from backup - Return to original state 4. Analyze failure - Understand why it failed 5. Retry selectively - Skip problematic changes

Partial Recovery

If some changes applied before failure:

def partial_recovery(applied, backup_path):
    """Restore only failed changes."""

    # Get list of applied files
    applied_files = set(c['file'] for c in applied)

    # Restore only files that failed
    for file_path in failed_files:
        restore_from_backup(file_path, backup_path)

    return {
        'restored': failed_files,
        'preserved': applied_files
    }

This ensures successful changes are preserved while failed ones are reverted.

Improvement Plan Format

Detailed specification of the improvement-plan-{skill-name}.md file format generated by skill-quality-reviewer and consumed by skill-improver.

File Structure

# Skill Improvement Plan: {skill-name}

## Priority Summary
- **High Priority**: {count} items
- **Medium Priority**: {count} items
- **Low Priority**: {count} items

## High Priority Improvements

### 1. [Issue Title]
**File**: SKILL.md:line:line
**Dimension**: {Dimension Name}
**Impact**: +X points

**Current**:

{current content}

**Suggested**:

{suggested content}

**Reason**: {why this improves quality}

[Repeat for all high priority items...]

## Medium Priority Improvements
[Same format as High Priority...]

## Low Priority Improvements
[Same format as High Priority...]

## Quick Wins (Easy Fixes)
1. {quick fix description}
2. {quick fix description}

## Estimated Time to Complete
- High Priority: X hours
- Medium Priority: X hours
- Low Priority: X hours
- **Total**: X hours

## Expected Score Improvement
- Current: X/100 ({Grade})
- After High Priority: X/100 ({Grade})
- After All: X/100 ({Grade})

Parsing Rules

Priority Section Detection

Identify sections by heading:

## High Priority Improvements
## Medium Priority Improvements
## Low Priority Improvements

Case insensitive but exact match preferred:

• "High Priority Improvements" ✓
• "high priority improvements" ✓ (acceptable)
• "High Priority" ✗ (incomplete)

Item Extraction

Each improvement item starts with:

### N. [Issue Title]

Where N is a sequential number (1, 2, 3, ...)

Required fields within each item:

1. File (required)

   **File**: SKILL.md:line:line
   **File**: references/filename.md
   **File**: examples/filename.md

• Format: filepath:line:line or just filepath
• Line numbers are specific for edits
• File only indicates new file creation or append

2. Dimension (required)

   **Dimension**: Description Quality
   **Dimension**: Content Organization
   **Dimension**: Writing Style
   **Dimension**: Structural Integrity

3. Impact (required)

   **Impact**: +X points

• Points indicate expected score improvement
• Used for calculating expected final score

4. Current (required for edits)

   **Current**:

{exact current content}

   - Must match exactly for Edit operations
   - Code fence specifies format (yaml, markdown, etc.)

5. **Suggested** (required)

Suggested: ```yaml or markdown {suggested replacement content}

   - Content to replace current or create

6. **Reason** (optional but recommended)

Reason: {explanation}

   - Human-readable explanation
   - Included in update report

### Code Fence Formats

**Supported formats:**

---
name: skill-name
---

## Section Header

Content here...

#!/bin/bash
echo "script"

**Format determines:**
- Syntax highlighting
- Validation rules
- Parser expectations

## File Path Patterns

### SKILL.md References

**With line numbers:**

File: SKILL.md:5:10

- Lines 5-10 will be replaced
- Used for Edit operations

**Without line numbers:**

File: SKILL.md

- Typically indicates new file or append

### References/ Files

**Specific file:**

File: references/api-guide.md File: references/examples-bad.md

**With line numbers:**

File: references/patterns.md:50:100

### Examples/ Files

**New file creation:**

File: examples/demo.md

- No line numbers
- Suggested content becomes entire file

**Modification:**

File: examples/basic-usage.sh:20:30

### Scripts/ Files

**Script updates:**

File: scripts/validate.sh:15:25

## Parsing Pseudocode

def parse_improvement_plan(plan_path): """Parse improvement plan file into structured data."""

plan = read_file(plan_path) sections = { 'high': [], 'medium': [], 'low': [] }

current_section = None current_item = None

for line in plan.split('\n'):

Detect section headers

if line.startswith('## High Priority'): current_section = 'high' elif line.startswith('## Medium Priority'): current_section = 'medium' elif line.startswith('## Low Priority'): current_section = 'low'

Detect item start

elif line.startswith('### '): if current_item: sections[current_section].append(current_item) current_item = {'title': line[4:].strip()}

Parse fields within item

elif current_item: if line.startswith('File'): current_item['file'] = parse_file_path(line) elif line.startswith('Dimension'): current_item['dimension'] = line.split(':', 1)[1].strip() elif line.startswith('Impact'): current_item['impact'] = parse_impact(line) elif line.startswith('Current'): current_item['current'] = extract_code_fence(plan, line) elif line.startswith('Suggested'): current_item['suggested'] = extract_code_fence(plan, line) elif line.startswith('Reason'): current_item['reason'] = line.split(':', 1)[1].strip()

Add last item

if current_item: sections[current_section].append(current_item)

return sections

## Line Number Handling

### Single Line

File: SKILL.md:10:10

- Only line 10 is replaced

### Line Range

File: SKILL.md:10:15

- Lines 10-15 are replaced
- Current content should span these lines

### No Line Numbers

File: references/new-file.md

- New file creation
- Or append to existing file

### Line Number Extraction

def parse_file_path(line): """Extract file path and line numbers from File field."""

Remove "File:" prefix

value = line.split(':', 1)[1].strip()

Check for line numbers

if ':' in value: parts = value.split(':') file_path = ':'.join(parts[:-2]) start_line = int(parts[-2]) end_line = int(parts[-1]) return { 'path': file_path, 'start': start_line, 'end': end_line } else: return { 'path': value, 'start': None, 'end': None }

## Impact Extraction

def parse_impact(line): """Extract impact value from Impact field."""

Format: Impact: +X points

value = line.split(':', 1)[1].strip()

Extract number

import re match = re.search(r'\+(\d+)', value) if match: return int(match.group(1)) return 0

## Code Fence Extraction

def extract_code_fence(content, start_line): """Extract code block starting after current line."""

lines = content.split('\n') start_idx = lines.index(start_line)

Find opening fence

for i in range(start_idx, len(lines)): if lines[i].strip().startswith('```'): fence_start = i lang = lines[i].strip()[3:] break

Find closing fence

for i in range(fence_start + 1, len(lines)): if lines[i].strip() == '```': fence_end = i break

Extract content

code_lines = lines[fence_start + 1:fence_end] return '\n'.join(code_lines)

## Validation Rules

### Required Sections

- [ ] High Priority Improvements (may be empty)
- [ ] Medium Priority Improvements (may be empty)
- [ ] Low Priority Improvements (may be empty)

### Required Item Fields

For each improvement item:
- [ ] **File** field present
- [ ] **Dimension** field present
- [ ] **Impact** field present
- [ ] **Current** field present (for edits)
- [ ] **Suggested** field present

### File Path Validity

- [ ] File path is valid format
- [ ] Line numbers are integers (if present)
- [ ] File extension matches content type

### Code Fence Validity

- [ ] Opening fence present
- [ ] Closing fence present
- [ ] Language identifier valid
- [ ] Content non-empty (for suggested)

## Example Improvement Plan

Skill Improvement Plan: example-skill

Priority Summary

• High Priority: 2 items
• Medium Priority: 1 item
• Low Priority: 1 item

High Priority Improvements

1. Fix Description Trigger Phrases

File: SKILL.md:3:5 Dimension: Description Quality Impact: +20 points

Current:

---
name: example-skill
description: Use this for helpful tasks.
---

Suggested:

---
name: example-skill
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "validate data",
"check schemas", or "verify formats". Perform data validation and schema
checking for JSON and YAML files.
---

Reason: Add specific trigger phrases and use third-person format.

2. Fix Writing Style

File: SKILL.md:25:30 Dimension: Writing Style Impact: +15 points

Current:

## Overview
You should use this skill to validate data files. You can choose from
JSON or XML formats.

Suggested:

## Overview
Validate data files in JSON or XML formats with configurable schemas.

Reason: Change to imperative form, remove second person.

Medium Priority Improvements

1. Add Reference Documentation

File: references/validation-rules.md Dimension: Content Organization Impact: +10 points

Suggested:

# Validation Rules

## JSON Schema Rules
- Required fields validation
- Type checking
- Format validation

## YAML Schema Rules
- Structure validation
- Type coercion rules

Reason: Move detailed rules to references for progressive disclosure.

Low Priority Improvements

1. Clarify Description

File: SKILL.md:50:52 Dimension: Writing Style Impact: +5 points

Current:

## Usage
Use the skill when you need to validate files.

Suggested:

## Usage
Invoke skill for file validation tasks.

Reason: Use imperative form for consistency.

Quick Wins (Easy Fixes)

1. Add space after comma in description (+2 points) 2. Fix indentation in examples section (+3 points)

Estimated Time to Complete

• High Priority: 0.5 hours
• Medium Priority: 0.5 hours
• Low Priority: 0.25 hours
• Total: 1.25 hours

Expected Score Improvement

• Current: 65/100 (D)
• After High Priority: 82/100 (B-)
• After All: 88/100 (B+)

## Integration Notes

**Generated by:** `skill-quality-reviewer`
**Consumed by:** `skill-improver`

**Format version:** 1.0
**Compatibility:** Must maintain backward compatibility

Supported Update Types

YAML Frontmatter Updates

Update name or description:

# Current
---
name: my-skill
description: A helpful skill for various tasks.
---

# Suggested
---
name: api-contract-manager
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "validate API contract", "check API compatibility", or "detect breaking changes"
---

SKILL.md Content Updates

Fix writing style (imperative form):

# Current
You should create the file first.
You need to validate the input.

# Suggested
Create the file first.
Validate the input.

References/ File Updates

Add new section:

## New Section

Content to be added...

New File Creation

Create new example file:

# examples/demo.md

Complete example content...