Build Skill - Unified Agent v3.1
Mission
Provide ONE unified implementation entry point with:
- 12 composable flags for maximum flexibility
- Auto-detection for zero-configuration usage
- Memory integration for continuous improvement
- Progress tracking for transparent workflow
- Quality metrics for objective validation
- Legacy compatibility for smooth migration
Scope Definition
This skill is designed for:
- Building new features
- Implementing functionality
- Creating components
- Adding APIs
- Developing modules
Use alternative skills for:
| Your Task | Use This Skill Instead |
|---|---|
| One-off instructions | Add directly to CLAUDE.md |
| Pure research tasks | /toolkit search or grepai search |
| Questions about code | Read or Grep tools directly |
| Configuration changes | Edit tool directly |
| Documentation review | Dedicated review skills |
| Simple tool usage | Claude's built-in tool knowledge |
Preferred Tools
Always use these tools for their intended purpose:
| Tool | Use For | Command Pattern |
|---|---|---|
grepai search |
Semantic code search | grepai search "pattern" |
/toolkit search |
Structured code discovery | /toolkit search "query" |
Read |
File content inspection | Read file_path |
Edit |
Precise file modifications | Edit file_path old_string new_string |
Write |
New file creation | Write file_path content |
Glob |
Pattern-based file finding | Glob pattern |
Grep |
Content-based file search | Grep pattern |
Tool Selection Decision Tree:
Need to search code?
├─ Semantic understanding needed? → grepai search or /toolkit search
└─ Simple pattern matching? → Grep tool
Need to implement?
└─ /studio build [flags] "task"
Need to read files?
└─ Read tool (never cat/head/tail)
Execution Protocol
Phase 1: EXPLORE (Always First)
Mandatory first step for all implementations:
- Execute
grepai searchor/toolkit searchto find existing implementations - Review related code patterns
- Identify reusable components
- Understand project structure
- Verify library versions (post-2024 libs require web search verification)
Output: Investigation summary with relevant files and patterns
Phase 2: PLAN (Strategy)
- Define implementation approach
- List files to modify/create
- Identify edge cases
- Plan testing strategy
- Estimate complexity
Output: Step-by-step implementation plan
Phase 3: CODE (Implementation)
- Follow existing code patterns exactly
- Use barrel exports (index.ts per folder)
- Write self-documenting code
- Apply delete-first philosophy when appropriate
- Implement with proper TypeScript types
Output: Working implementation following project conventions
Phase 4: TEST (Validation)
- Run linting and type checking
- Execute relevant tests
- Verify no regressions
- Check quality gates (based on flags)
- Measure coverage when applicable
Output: Validation report with quality metrics
Quality Gates
All implementations MUST include:
- Proper TypeScript types (no
any, useunknownor proper types) - Barrel exports in each folder (index.ts)
- Following existing code patterns exactly
- Self-documenting names (no excessive comments)
- Error handling at system boundaries
- Tests for behavior (not implementation details)
- No obvious security vulnerabilities
Additional gates based on flags:
| Flag | Extra Quality Gates |
|---|---|
--clean |
Net code reduction, zero duplication |
--test |
Tests written first, coverage >= 80% |
--debug |
Root cause identified, regression test added |
--quality |
100% type coverage, OWASP compliance |
--docs |
Complete documentation generated |
Success Metrics
Objective measurements after each build:
Code Quality Report
════════════════════════════════════════
Lines Added: [count]
Lines Removed: [count]
Net Change: [delta]
Files Touched: [count]
Barrel Exports: [all proper/partial/missing]
Type Coverage: [percentage]%
Test Coverage: [percentage]%
Complexity: [reduced/unchanged/increased]
Debt: [lines improved/added]
Performance: [measured improvement/not applicable]
Memory: [patterns saved count]
Documentation: [generated files]
Status: [READY FOR MERGE/NEEDS ATTENTION]
════════════════════════════════════════
Flag Quick Reference
Core Flags (v2.0)
| Flag | Aliases | Effect | Use When |
|---|---|---|---|
--speed |
--fast, --quick |
Optimized for velocity | Quick fixes, small features |
--scale |
--thorough, --epct |
Comprehensive workflow | Complex features, multiple files |
--quality |
--validate, --predator |
Quality gates enabled | Critical code, production-ready |
--team |
--swarm, --ralph |
Parallel agent teams | Large projects, multi-domain |
Extended Flags (v3.0)
| Flag | Effect | Use When |
|---|---|---|
--clean |
Delete-first philosophy | Refactoring, removing duplication |
--test |
TDD mode (RED-GREEN-REFACTOR) | Test-critical features |
--debug |
Bug fixing workflow | Fixing existing bugs |
--docs |
Auto-documentation | API docs, guides |
--git |
Git-aware mode | Working with version control |
--branch |
Context-aware behavior | Branch-specific workflows |
--profile |
Performance profiling | Performance optimization |
--types |
TypeScript improvements | Type safety improvements |
Auto-Detection System
When no flags are provided, the system analyzes the task:
| Signal | Detected Profile |
|---|---|
| < 100 chars, no "and/with" | --speed |
| Contains "feature/build/create" | --scale |
| Contains "SaaS/platform/system" | --team |
| Contains "critical/security/payment" | --quality |
| Contains "refactor/cleanup/remove" | --clean |
| Contains "test/TDD/coverage" | --test |
| Contains "fix/bug/error/debug" | --debug |
| Contains "docs/API/guide" | --docs |
| Contains "slow/performance" | --profile |
| Contains "types/TypeScript" | --types |
Flag Combinations
Power Combinations:
| Command | Behavior | Use For |
|---|---|---|
--clean --scale |
Delete-first thorough refactor | Major refactoring |
--test --quality |
TDD with 100% coverage | Critical features |
--debug --git |
Bug fix with proper commit | Production bugs |
--clean --types |
TypeScript improvement | Type safety |
--test --docs --scale |
TDD + docs + thorough | Libraries/APIs |
--debug --clean |
Fix + refactor | Bug with cleanup |
--profile --quality |
Performance optimization | Slow code |
Memory Integration
After each build, automatically save to claude-mem:
Auto-Save Triggers:
- New pattern discovered
- Architecture decision made
- Convention established
- Bug solution found
- Refactoring technique applied
Usage:
# Search memory before implementing
"Let me check claude-mem for similar patterns first"
# Save after solving
"Saving successful pattern to claude-mem for future reference"
Decision Guide
Need to implement?
- Simple fix / small feature? -> --speed
- Complex / multi-file? -> --scale
- Quality-critical / security? -> --quality
- Large project / multi-domain? -> --team
- Refactoring / cleanup? -> --clean
- Test-critical feature? -> --test
- Bug fixing? -> --debug
- Public API / library? -> --docs
- Performance issue? -> --profile
- Type safety issues? -> --types
- Working with Git? -> --git
- Branch-specific workflow? -> --branch
- Not sure? -> (auto-detect)
Integration with Other Skills
Requires:
- semantic-search - For EXPLORE phase
- memory-integration - For saving patterns
Complements:
- refactor - Use after implementation for cleanup
- multi-review - Use for comprehensive code review
- pattern-capture - Use after successful implementation
Used by:
- All smite workflows as primary implementation entry point
Legacy Compatibility
Deprecated commands (still work):
| Old Command | New Equivalent |
|---|---|
/oneshot "..." |
/studio build --speed "..." |
/epct "..." |
/studio build --scale "..." |
/predator "..." |
/studio build --quality "..." |
/ralph "..." |
/studio build --scale --team "..." |
See Also
Full documentation: @REFERENCE.md
Complete flag details, workflow examples, and advanced combinations:
- Detailed flag workflows (--clean, --test, --debug, --docs, etc.)
- Subagent auto-activation
- Branch-based auto-detection
- Progress tracking patterns
- Best practices checklist
- Technical subagents by tech stack
Build Skill v3.1.0 - Positive engineering with 12-flag system
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