Agent skill
engineering-package-evaluator
Reusable evaluation framework for assessing Python engineering packages for adoption — license compatibility, maintenance health, integration risk, and dependency strategy.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/vamseeachanta/workspace-hub/tree/main/.claude/skills/_archive/development/engineering-package-evaluator
SKILL.md
Engineering Package Evaluator Skill
Structured evaluation framework for Python engineering packages being considered for adoption into digitalmodel or other MIT-licensed projects.
When to Use This Skill
- Evaluating a new Python package for integration
- Assessing license compatibility for a dependency
- Reviewing maintenance health of an existing dependency
- Deciding between direct dependency vs optional extra vs wrapper
Evaluation Checklist
1. License Compatibility
Package License?
├── MIT / BSD / Apache-2.0 → Direct dependency (safe)
├── LGPL-2.1 / LGPL-3.0 → Direct dependency (dynamic linking OK)
├── GPL-2.0 / GPL-3.0 → Optional extra ONLY (cannot bundle)
├── AGPL → Do not use (viral, affects SaaS)
└── Proprietary / Unknown → Do not use without legal review
2. Maintenance Health
| Metric | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last commit | < 6 months | 6–18 months | > 18 months |
| Last release | < 12 months | 12–24 months | > 24 months |
| Open issues | < 50 | 50–200 | > 200 |
| Response time | < 1 week | 1–4 weeks | > 1 month |
| CI status | Passing | Flaky | Failing/none |
| Python 3.10+ | Supported | Untested | Incompatible |
3. Community & Quality
| Metric | Strong | Moderate | Weak |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | > 500 | 100–500 | < 100 |
| Contributors | > 10 | 3–10 | 1–2 |
| Documentation | Comprehensive | Basic | None/stale |
| Test suite | > 80% coverage | Some tests | No tests |
| JOSS/academic paper | Published | Preprint | None |
4. Dependency Risk
| Risk Factor | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Single maintainer | Thin wrapper, plan for replacement |
| Breaking API changes | Pin version, adapter pattern |
| Large dependency tree | Evaluate transitive deps too |
| C/Fortran extensions | May not build on all platforms |
| Python version lag | Test in CI with target versions |
Integration Patterns
Direct Dependency
# pyproject.toml
[project]
dependencies = ["pygef>=0.12"]
Use when: MIT/BSD/Apache/LGPL, well-maintained, stable API.
Optional Extra
[project.optional-dependencies]
geotechnical-gpl = ["groundhog>=0.12", "openpile>=1.0"]
Use when: GPL license, or large/heavy package not needed by all users.
GPL Guard Pattern
try:
import groundhog
HAS_GROUNDHOG = True
except ImportError:
HAS_GROUNDHOG = False
def compute_with_groundhog(soil_profile):
if not HAS_GROUNDHOG:
raise ImportError(
"groundhog required: pip install digitalmodel[geotechnical-gpl]"
)
return groundhog.some_function(soil_profile)
Thin Wrapper (Isolation)
# parsers/gef_reader.py — thin wrapper around pygef
"""Isolates pygef dependency. If pygef is abandoned, only this file changes."""
from pygef import read_gef
def parse_gef_file(path):
gef = read_gef(path)
return CPTData(
depth_m=gef.df["depth"].values,
qc_MPa=gef.df["qc"].values,
fs_kPa=gef.df["fs"].values,
)
Evaluation Report Template
package:
name: groundhog
version: "0.12.0"
pypi: https://pypi.org/project/groundhog/
repo: https://github.com/snakesonabrain/groundhog
license: GPL-3.0
assessment:
license_compatible: false # GPL vs MIT host
maintenance: green # active development
community: moderate # ~200 stars, 3 contributors, JOSS paper
test_coverage: moderate # some tests, no coverage badge
python_support: ">=3.8"
api_stability: moderate # breaking changes between 0.x versions
decision: optional_extra
strategy: |
Add as optional dependency under [geotechnical-gpl] extra.
Use GPL guard pattern. Core calculations independent.
Thin adapter in _groundhog_adapter.py for cross-validation.
risks:
- Single primary maintainer
- GPL-3.0 prevents bundling in MIT distribution
- 0.x version implies API not yet stable
Related Skills
plugin-management— managing plugin and extension systems
Version History
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 2026-02-26 | Initial skill — license tree, health metrics, integration patterns |
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