How do I install the Besser Dev skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add besser-pearl/besser-dev in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Besser Dev safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Besser Dev?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Besser Dev free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under Apache-2.

Who published Besser Dev?

besser-pearl (@besser-pearl) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Besser Dev by besser-pearl — Agent Skill

Name: Besser Dev
Author: besser-pearl

Besser Dev

Contributor guide for developing BESSER itself (https://github.com/BESSER-PEARL/BESSER). Use this skill whenever the user is working *inside* the BESSER source tree — adding a new generator (the most common contribution), adding a new metamodel or sub-DSL under `besser/BUML/metamodel/`, writing pytest tests for generators or metamodels, writing JSON↔BUML converters for the web editor, building Sphinx documentation under `docs/source/`, registering a generator in `SUPPORTED_GENERATORS`, or preparing a pull request to BESSER. Trigger on phrases like "add a new generator", "register in the web editor", "GeneratorInterface", "json_to_buml", "buml_to_json", "write tests for my generator", "build the docs", "open a PR to BESSER", or any work that touches `besser/generators/`, `besser/BUML/metamodel/`, `besser/utilities/web_modeling_editor/`, or `tests/`. Prefer this skill over besser-user when the user is contributing *to* BESSER rather than *using* BESSER to build something else.

besser-pearl cdcb3dc 7 files · 22.3 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Contributing to BESSER

This skill covers the procedural workflows for contributing to the BESSER codebase. For architecture details and code conventions, also consult the BESSER repo's CLAUDE.md (auto-loaded in Claude Code; with other agents, read CLAUDE.md at the repo root directly).

Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/BESSER.git
cd BESSER
python -m venv venv
# Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
# macOS/Linux: source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -r docs/requirements.txt  # for building docs
pip install -e .                       # editable install

Verify: python tests/BUML/metamodel/structural/library/library.py

Python 3.11+ is required (enforced by python_requires = >=3.11 in setup.cfg; CI tests 3.11 and 3.12).

Reference layout

This skill keeps SKILL.md short. Reach into references/ for the procedure you need:

Task	Read
Add a new generator (the most common contribution) — 6 steps + scaffold	`references/adding-a-generator.md`
Add a new metamodel / sub-DSL, plus JSON↔BUML converters	`references/adding-a-metamodel.md`
Write pytest tests (fixtures, `tmp_path`, what to assert)	`references/testing.md`
Build the Sphinx docs and cross-reference them	`references/docs-and-build.md`
Code style, commit/PR conventions, cross-repo, CI/release	`references/contributing-workflow.md`

Related skills for the using side (not contributing):

Running or customizing an existing generator → the besser-generators skill.
Diagnosing install/import/generation errors → the besser-troubleshooting skill.
The user-facing shape of a model type (doc templates) → the besser-user skill's references/.

Common Contribution Pitfalls

Don't duplicate logic — shared helpers go in besser/utilities/, not in individual generators.
Maintain determinism — generators must produce identical output for identical input.
Keep converters symmetric — if JSON → BUML supports a feature, BUML → JSON must too.
Update docs — any backend change likely needs docs/source/ updates.
Don't touch the frontend submodule unless explicitly required. UI changes go to the upstream WME repo.
Clean up resources — always use try/finally for temp directories and file handles.
Test round-trips — especially for converters (JSON → BUML → JSON should be identity).

---name: besser-devdescription: Contributor guide for developing BESSER itself (https://github.com/BESSER-PEARL/BESSER). Use this skill whenever the user is working *inside* the BESSER source tree — adding a new generator (the most common contribution), adding a new metamodel or sub-DSL under `besser/BUML/metamodel/`, writing pytest tests for generators or metamodels, writing JSON↔BUML converters for the web editor, building Sphinx documentation under `docs/source/`, registering a generator in `SUPPORTED_GENERATORS`, or preparing a pull request to BESSER. Trigger on phrases like "add a new generator", "register in the web editor", "GeneratorInterface", "json_to_buml", "buml_to_json", "write tests for my generator", "build the docs", "open a PR to BESSER", or any work that touches `besser/generators/`, `besser/BUML/metamodel/`, `besser/utilities/web_modeling_editor/`, or `tests/`. Prefer this skill over besser-user when the user is contributing *to* BESSER rather than *using* BESSER to build something else.license: Apache-2.0---# Contributing to BESSERThis skill covers the procedural workflows for contributing to the BESSERcodebase. For architecture details and code conventions, also consult theBESSER repo's `CLAUDE.md` (auto-loaded in Claude Code; with other agents,read `CLAUDE.md` at the repo root directly).---## Development Setup```bashgit clone https://github.com/<your-username>/BESSER.gitcd BESSERpython -m venv venv# Windows: venv\Scripts\activate# macOS/Linux: source venv/bin/activatepip install -r requirements.txtpip install -r docs/requirements.txt # for building docspip install -e . # editable install```Verify: `python tests/BUML/metamodel/structural/library/library.py`Python 3.11+ is required (enforced by `python_requires = >=3.11` in`setup.cfg`; CI tests 3.11 and 3.12).---## Reference layoutThis skill keeps SKILL.md short. Reach into `references/` for the procedureyou need:| Task | Read ||------|------|| Add a new generator (the most common contribution) — 6 steps + scaffold | `references/adding-a-generator.md` || Add a new metamodel / sub-DSL, plus JSON↔BUML converters | `references/adding-a-metamodel.md` || Write pytest tests (fixtures, `tmp_path`, what to assert) | `references/testing.md` || Build the Sphinx docs and cross-reference them | `references/docs-and-build.md` || Code style, commit/PR conventions, cross-repo, CI/release | `references/contributing-workflow.md` |Related skills for the *using* side (not contributing):- Running or customizing an existing generator → the **besser-generators** skill.- Diagnosing install/import/generation errors → the **besser-troubleshooting** skill.- The user-facing shape of a model type (doc templates) → the **besser-user** skill's `references/`.---## Common Contribution Pitfalls1. **Don't duplicate logic** — shared helpers go in `besser/utilities/`, not in individual generators.2. **Maintain determinism** — generators must produce identical output for identical input.3. **Keep converters symmetric** — if `JSON → BUML` supports a feature, `BUML → JSON` must too.4. **Update docs** — any backend change likely needs `docs/source/` updates.5. **Don't touch the frontend submodule** unless explicitly required. UI changes go to the upstream WME repo.6. **Clean up resources** — always use `try/finally` for temp directories and file handles.7. **Test round-trips** — especially for converters (`JSON → BUML → JSON` should be identity).

Frequently asked questions