Skill Creator

This skill helps you create new skills for ChatDock.

What are Skills?

Skills are markdown-based instructions that extend the agent's capabilities. Unlike tools (which are code), skills are natural language instructions that guide the agent on how to accomplish specific tasks.

Skill Format

Each skill lives in its own directory under

~/.chatdock/skills/

(user skills) or

src/server/skills/

(built-in skills).

Required file:

SKILL.md

---
name: my-skill
description: Short description of what this skill does
emoji: 🎯
requires:
  bins: ["required-cli-tool"]    # Optional: CLI tools needed
os: ["darwin", "linux"]          # Optional: Supported OS
---

# Skill Name

Instructions for the agent on how to use this skill.

## When to use

Describe trigger phrases and scenarios.

## How to use

Provide step-by-step instructions, commands, and examples.

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Choose a name

Skill names should be:

• Lowercase with hyphens
• Descriptive but concise
• Unique (not conflicting with existing skills)

Step 2: Create the directory

# User skill (persists across updates)
mkdir -p ~/.chatdock/skills/my-skill

# Or built-in skill (requires code access)
mkdir -p src/server/skills/my-skill

Step 3: Create SKILL.md

cat > ~/.chatdock/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md << 'EOF'
---
name: my-skill
description: What this skill does
emoji: 🎯
---

# My Skill

Instructions here...
EOF

Step 4: Test the skill

Restart ChatDock or ask the agent to reload skills. Then try using the skill with a trigger phrase.

Core Principles

1. Be Concise

Skills should be minimal but complete. Avoid unnecessary verbosity.

2. Provide Examples

Always include concrete examples with actual commands.

3. Define Triggers

Clearly state when the agent should use this skill.

4. Handle Errors

Include guidance for common error scenarios.

Example: Creating a Docker Skill

mkdir -p ~/.chatdock/skills/docker

cat > ~/.chatdock/skills/docker/SKILL.md << 'EOF'
---
name: docker
description: Manage Docker containers and images
emoji: 🐳
requires:
  bins: ["docker"]
---

# Docker Skill

Use this skill for Docker container and image management.

## When to use

- "list my containers"
- "start/stop container X"
- "build docker image"
- "show docker logs"

## Common Commands

```bash
# List running containers
docker ps

# List all containers
docker ps -a

# Start a container
docker start <container-id>

# Stop a container
docker stop <container-id>

# View logs
docker logs -f <container-id>

# Build an image
docker build -t <name>:<tag> .

# Run a container
docker run -d --name <name> -p 8080:80 <image>

Cleanup

# Remove stopped containers
docker container prune

# Remove unused images
docker image prune

# Remove everything unused
docker system prune -a

EOF

## Skill Discovery

ChatDock looks for skills in:
1. `~/.chatdock/skills/` (user skills, higher priority)
2. `src/server/skills/` (built-in skills)

Skills are loaded at startup. To reload skills, restart the server.

## Tips

- Put more specific skills before general ones
- Use YAML frontmatter for metadata
- Include both quick-start and detailed usage
- Reference other skills if they complement each other