inspecting-skills
Discovers and indexes Python code in skills, enabling cross-skill imports. Use when importing functions from other skills or analyzing skill codebases.
Best use case
inspecting-skills is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Discovers and indexes Python code in skills, enabling cross-skill imports. Use when importing functions from other skills or analyzing skill codebases.
Teams using inspecting-skills should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/inspecting-skills/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How inspecting-skills Compares
| Feature / Agent | inspecting-skills | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Discovers and indexes Python code in skills, enabling cross-skill imports. Use when importing functions from other skills or analyzing skill codebases.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Inspecting Skills
Discover Python code across skills and enable universal imports. Solves the dash-underscore naming mismatch between skill directories (e.g., `browsing-bluesky`) and Python imports (e.g., `browsing_bluesky`).
## Installation
```python
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '/home/user/claude-skills')
from inspecting_skills import setup_skill_path, skill_import
```
## Quick Start
### Import a Skill
```python
from inspecting_skills import skill_import
# Import by skill name (dash or underscore form)
bsky = skill_import("browsing-bluesky")
posts = bsky.search_posts("python")
# Import specific functions
search, profile = skill_import("browsing-bluesky", ["search_posts", "get_profile"])
```
### Enable Transparent Imports
```python
from inspecting_skills import setup_skill_path
# Configure once at session start
setup_skill_path("/home/user/claude-skills")
# Now import skills directly (underscore form)
from browsing_bluesky import search_posts, get_profile
from remembering import remember, recall
```
### Discover Available Skills
```python
from inspecting_skills import list_importable_skills
skills = list_importable_skills()
for s in skills:
print(f"{s['name']} -> import {s['module_name']}")
```
## Core Functions
### Discovery
| Function | Purpose |
|----------|---------|
| `discover_skill(path)` | Analyze a single skill directory |
| `discover_all_skills(root)` | Find all skills with Python code |
| `find_skill_by_name(name, root)` | Find skill by name (either form) |
| `skill_name_to_module(name)` | Convert "browsing-bluesky" to "browsing_bluesky" |
### Indexing
| Function | Purpose |
|----------|---------|
| `index_skill(layout)` | Extract symbols from a discovered skill |
| `index_all_skills(root)` | Index all skills in repository |
| `generate_registry(root, output)` | Create registry.json manifest |
### Importing
| Function | Purpose |
|----------|---------|
| `setup_skill_path(root)` | Enable transparent skill imports |
| `skill_import(name, symbols)` | Import skill or specific symbols |
| `register_skill(name, path)` | Register skill at custom path |
| `list_importable_skills()` | List all importable skills |
## Skill Layouts
Skills organize Python code in three patterns:
### 1. Scripts Directory
```
browsing-bluesky/
SKILL.md
__init__.py # Re-exports from scripts/
scripts/
__init__.py
bsky.py # Main implementation
```
### 2. Root-Level Modules
```
remembering/
SKILL.md
__init__.py # Re-exports functions
memory.py # Core functionality
boot.py
config.py
```
### 3. Simple Package
```
simple-skill/
SKILL.md
__init__.py # Contains all code
```
## Generating a Registry
Create a `registry.json` for offline symbol lookup:
```python
from inspecting_skills import generate_registry
from pathlib import Path
registry = generate_registry(
Path("/home/user/claude-skills"),
output_path=Path("registry.json")
)
# Registry structure:
# {
# "version": "1.0.0",
# "skills": {
# "browsing-bluesky": {
# "module_name": "browsing_bluesky",
# "exports": ["search_posts", "get_profile", ...],
# "modules": [...]
# }
# }
# }
```
## Indexing a Single Skill
```python
from inspecting_skills import discover_skill, index_skill
from pathlib import Path
# Discover the skill layout
layout = discover_skill(Path("/home/user/claude-skills/remembering"))
print(f"Layout: {layout.layout_type}")
print(f"Has __init__.py: {layout.has_init}")
print(f"Python files: {[f.name for f in layout.python_files]}")
# Index symbols
index = index_skill(layout)
for module in index.modules:
print(f"\n{module.file_path}:")
for sym in module.symbols:
print(f" {sym.kind} {sym.name}{sym.signature or ''}")
```
## Integration with mapping-codebases
This skill complements `mapping-codebases` which generates `_MAP.md` files:
- **mapping-codebases**: Static documentation via tree-sitter, multi-language
- **inspecting-skills**: Runtime import support, Python-focused, dynamic discovery
Use both together:
1. `mapping-codebases` for navigation and code review
2. `inspecting-skills` for actual code imports and execution
## Troubleshooting
### Import Errors
```python
# If skill_import fails, check:
# 1. Skill exists and has __init__.py
from inspecting_skills import discover_skill
layout = discover_skill(Path("/path/to/skill"))
print(layout.has_init) # Must be True for importing
# 2. Skills root is configured
from inspecting_skills import get_skills_root
print(get_skills_root())
# 3. Symbol is exported in __all__
import ast
init_code = open("/path/to/skill/__init__.py").read()
# Check for __all__ definition
```
### Path Not Found
```python
# Manually set skills root
from inspecting_skills import set_skills_root
set_skills_root("/home/user/claude-skills")
```
## API Reference
### SkillLayout
```python
@dataclass
class SkillLayout:
name: str # "browsing-bluesky"
path: Path # Full path to skill directory
layout_type: str # "scripts" | "root" | "package" | "none"
python_files: list[Path]
has_init: bool # Can be imported as package
entry_module: str # "browsing_bluesky"
```
### SkillIndex
```python
@dataclass
class SkillIndex:
name: str # "browsing-bluesky"
module_name: str # "browsing_bluesky"
layout_type: str
modules: list[ModuleIndex]
exports: list[str] # From __all__
```
### Symbol
```python
@dataclass
class Symbol:
name: str # Function/class name
kind: str # "function" | "class" | "method"
signature: str | None # "(self, x: int)"
line: int | None # 1-indexed
docstring: str | None # First line
children: list[Symbol] # Methods for classes
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