Update Topic Skill

This skill adds a timestamped entry to an existing topic file in the .notes/ directory.

Instructions for Claude

When this command is invoked with /ccn:update-topic $ARGUMENTS:

Step 1: Validate argument

If $ARGUMENTS is empty or not provided:

• Show error: "Error: Topic name required"
• Show usage: "Usage: /ccn:update-topic "
• STOP - do not continue

Step 2: Normalize topic name to filename

Take the provided topic name and transform it:

1. Replace all spaces with underscores
2. Replace all hyphens with underscores
3. Convert to UPPERCASE
4. Add .md extension

Examples:

• "api-design" → "API_DESIGN.md"
• "my topic" → "MY_TOPIC.md"
• "error_handling" → "ERROR_HANDLING.md"

Store the result as the filename.

Step 3: Check if file exists

Use the Read tool to check if .notes/{filename} exists.

• If the file DOES NOT exist:

  • Tell user: "Error: Topic not found: .notes/{filename}"
  • Tell user: "Use /ccn:create-topic to create a new topic first"
  • STOP - do not continue

• If the file EXISTS:

  • Continue to next step

Step 4: Prompt for entry details

Ask the user for entry information:

1. Entry title: Ask "What is the title for this entry?"
2. Entry content: Ask "What content would you like to add? (You can provide multiple lines)"

Wait for the user to provide both pieces of information before continuing.

Step 5: Read existing file

Use the Read tool to get the complete current content of .notes/{filename}.

Step 6: Parse and update frontmatter

Extract the YAML frontmatter (the content between the first two --- lines):

1. Parse the frontmatter to preserve existing fields
2. Update the last_updated field to today's date (YYYY-MM-DD)
3. Keep all other fields unchanged

Step 7: Append new entry

Add the new entry to the end of the file with this format:

### [YYYY-MM-DD] {entry title}

{entry content}

Formatting notes:

• Use H3 heading (###) for the entry
• Include today's date in square brackets
• Add a blank line between heading and content
• Add blank lines before and after the entry for readability

Step 8: Write updated file

Use the Write tool to write the complete updated content back to .notes/{filename}.

The final file structure should be:

1. Updated frontmatter (with new last_updated date)
2. All existing content (unchanged)
3. New entry appended at the end

Step 9: Confirm completion

Tell the user: "Updated: .notes/{filename}"

Error Handling

If any tool fails (Read, Write):

• Show the error message
• Explain what went wrong
• Do NOT overwrite files if there's an error parsing content