alfredxw/denova/references

Skill (skill)

Skills are editable in user or workspace scope. Built-in Skills are read-only; customize one by creating a same-name override. Active precedence is workspace over user over builtin.

Each config_apply changes exactly one root SKILL.md or one supporting reference file. Root and supporting-file updates are complete content replacements.

Identity, scope, and revision

• Skill names support Unicode letters and numbers from any language, combining marks, joiners, underscores, and hyphens. Start with a letter or number; use at most 64 Unicode code points and 240 UTF-8 bytes. Spaces and path separators are not allowed.
• Root document ID is <skill-name>.
• Supporting reference ID is <skill-name>/references/<file>.md; nested paths below references/ are allowed, traversal and backslashes are not.
• Every get, update, and delete must specify exact user or workspace scope.
• Updating/deleting a root requires its latest directory revision. Any supporting-file change invalidates an older root revision.
• A supporting file has its own returned revision for its update/delete.
• Supporting files must be UTF-8 and no larger than 512 KiB.

Use workspace only for book-specific behavior. Use user for reusable personal behavior and normally for same-name built-in overrides.

Root create values

Generated root

Supply name, trigger-oriented description, optional agents, optional catalog category, and optional capabilities. The backend creates valid frontmatter and a concise starter body. Omitted categories resolve to general.

config_apply({
  "operation": "create",
  "resource": "skill",
  "scope": "workspace",
  "value": {
    "name": "scene-continuity-check",
    "description": "Use when reviewing a drafted scene for continuity against nearby chapters and supplied Lore.",
    "category": "writing",
    "agents": ["ide"]
  }
})

Complete root

Supply name plus complete content. The frontmatter name must match the directory name. The optional agent field is a comma-separated availability list; category organizes the management catalog independently from Agent visibility.

config_apply({
  "operation": "create",
  "resource": "skill",
  "scope": "workspace",
  "value": {
    "name": "scene-continuity-check",
    "content": "---\nname: scene-continuity-check\ndescription: Use when reviewing a drafted scene for continuity against nearby chapters and supplied Lore.\ncategory: writing\nagent: ide\n---\n\n# Scene continuity check\n\n1. Read the target scene, the immediately adjacent scenes, and only the relevant Lore entries.\n2. Report contradictions in timeline, location, names, knowledge, inventory, injuries, and unresolved setup.\n3. Separate confirmed contradictions from questions that require author intent.\n\nFinish only when every reported issue cites its source. For the issue format, read `skill://scene-continuity-check/references/report-format.md`.\n"
  }
})

Keep the root actionable and concise. Put resource schemas, variants, and long examples in supporting files, then add a context pointer that says exactly when to read each one. References are not sub-Skills and never use a sub_skill argument.

Use capabilities: [writing-workflow] only for a complete Writing Agent workflow that can safely serve as the configured Writing Skill. Writing-related helpers such as polishing, continuity review, or research should use category: writing without that capability; they remain directly invocable but do not appear in the Writing Skill selector.

Supporting reference lifecycle

The parent root must exist before a supporting file is created:

config_apply({
  "operation": "create",
  "resource": "skill",
  "scope": "workspace",
  "id": "scene-continuity-check/references/report-format.md",
  "value": {
    "content": "# Report format\n\nFor each issue provide: severity, claim, source file/section, conflicting source, and the smallest safe correction.\n"
  }
})

Read and update the exact supporting-file ID:

config_read({
  "operation": "get",
  "resource": "skill",
  "scope": "workspace",
  "ids": ["scene-continuity-check/references/report-format.md"]
})
 
config_apply({
  "operation": "update",
  "resource": "skill",
  "scope": "workspace",
  "id": "scene-continuity-check/references/report-format.md",
  "revision": "REVISION_FROM_GET",
  "value": {
    "content": "# Report format\n\nFor each issue provide: severity, claim, both exact sources, confidence, and the smallest safe correction. Put unresolved author choices in a separate Questions section.\n"
  }
})

Root update example

Read the root in the exact scope and replace its complete content. Preserve frontmatter availability and every context pointer the user did not ask to change:

config_apply({
  "operation": "update",
  "resource": "skill",
  "scope": "workspace",
  "id": "scene-continuity-check",
  "revision": "REVISION_FROM_GET",
  "value": {
    "content": "COMPLETE_UPDATED_SKILL_MD_WITH_MATCHING_FRONTMATTER"
  }
})

The marker means the actual complete document composed from get; never save the marker text.

Overrides, deletion, and verification

Creating a same-name user or workspace Skill shadows lower-priority copies but does not mutate them. After every mutation, read the exact scope and list the catalog to verify both saved content and which scope is active.

Do not delete or disable a Skill unless explicitly requested. Deleting a root removes that editable Skill directory and its references; an effective same-name Skill may then reappear from a lower-priority scope. Deleting one reference leaves the root intact, so also verify that no remaining context pointer requires the deleted file.