Standard Creator

This skill provides a complete walkthrough for creating coding standards via the Packmind CLI.

About Coding Standards

Coding standards are collections of rules that capture team conventions, best practices, and coding guidelines. They help maintain consistency across codebases and enable CoPilot to follow your team's specific practices.

What Standards Provide

1. Consistent code style - Rules that enforce naming conventions, formatting, and structure
2. Best practices - Guidelines for error handling, testing, security, and performance
3. Domain knowledge - Company-specific patterns, architectural decisions, and business logic
4. Code examples - Positive/negative examples that demonstrate correct vs incorrect usage

Standard Structure

Every standard consists of:

{
  "name": "Standard Name",
  "description": "What the standard covers and why",
  "summary": "One-sentence description of when to apply the rules (optional)",
  "scope": "Where/when the standard applies (e.g., 'TypeScript files', 'React components')",
  "rules": [
    {
      "content": "Rule description starting with action verb",
      "examples": {
        "positive": "Valid code example",
        "negative": "Invalid code example",
        "language": "TYPESCRIPT"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Note: The Packmind CLI currently requires the scope field. The summary field is used in other workflows (like MCP) but not yet supported by the CLI.

Understanding scope vs summary

• scope (required by CLI): WHERE the standard applies - file patterns, technologies, specific locations
  • Examples: "TypeScript test files (*.spec.ts, *.test.ts)", "React functional components"
• summary (optional, not yet CLI-supported): WHEN/WHY to apply - high-level purpose and trigger condition
  • Examples: "Apply when writing tests to ensure consistency", "Use when handling user data for privacy compliance"

Prerequisites

Before creating a standard, verify that packmind-cli is available:

Check if packmind-cli is installed:

packmind-cli --version

If not available, install it:

npm install -g @packmind/cli

Then login to Packmind:

packmind-cli login

Standard Creation Process

To create a standard, follow this process in order, skipping steps only if there is a clear reason why they are not applicable.

Step 1: Clarify the Request

Gather essential information before drafting the standard.

Clarification Flow

Study the user's request and identify critical gaps. The number of questions should match the request clarity:

• 1-2 questions when the request is well-defined (clear scope, specific examples, detailed context)
• 3-5 questions when the context is unclear or the request is vague

Examples of focused questions:

• "Which service or file shows the expected pattern?"
• "Is there an existing doc or rule we must stay aligned with?"
• "What specific aspect matters most (mocking guidelines, naming conventions, assertion style)?"

Introduce questions with a simple phrase about needing clarification, then list as bullet points—no numbering, no category headers.

Repository Access Guardrail

Do not open or scan repository files unless the user explicitly points to them (provides file paths or requests project-wide review). If source references are needed, ask the user to supply them.

What to Capture

Take brief notes on:

• Title or slug (if mentioned)
• Scope guardrails
• Key references
• Expected outcomes

Keep notes concise—just enough to unlock drafting.

Step 2: Draft Rules

Transform the understanding into concrete rules. Do not add examples yet - examples will be added in Step 3.

Draft Creation (Rules Only)

1. Create a draft markdown file in .packmind/standards/_drafts/ (create the folder if missing) using filename <slug>-draft.md (lowercase with hyphens)
2. Initial draft structure:
   • # <Standard Title>
   • Context paragraph explaining when/why to apply the standard
   • Optional Key References list citing files or authoritative sources
   • ## Rules as bullet points following the Rule Writing Guidelines below
   • DO NOT include examples yet - examples will be added in Phase 2

Rule Writing Guidelines

Each rule should follow these format requirements:

1. Start with an action verb - Use imperative form (e.g., "Use", "Avoid", "Prefer", "Include")
2. Be concise - Max ~25 words per rule
3. Be specific and actionable - Avoid vague guidance
4. Focus on one concept - One rule per convention

Avoid Rationale Phrases

Rules describe WHAT to do, not WHY. Strip justifications and benefits—let examples demonstrate value.

Common fluff patterns to remove:

• "to improve/provide/ensure..." (benefit phrases)
• "while maintaining/preserving..." (secondary concerns)
• "for better/enhanced..." (quality claims)
• "and enable/allow..." (future benefits)

Bad (includes rationale):

Document props with JSDoc comments to provide IDE intellisense and improve developer experience.

Good (action only):

Document component props with JSDoc comments (/** ... */) describing purpose, expected values, and defaults.

Rule Splitting

If a rule addresses 2+ distinct concerns, proactively split it into separate rules:

Bad (too broad):

Create centralized color constants in dedicated files for consistent palettes, using semantic naming based on purpose rather than specific color values.

Good (split into focused rules):

• Define color constants in theme/colors.ts using semantic names (e.g., primary, error)
• Use semantic color tokens instead of literal hex values in components

Inline Examples in Rules

Inline examples (code, paths, patterns) within the rule content are optional. Only include them when they clarify something not obvious from the rule text.

Types of useful inline examples:

• Code syntax: const, async/await, /** ... */
• File paths: infra/repositories/, domain/entities/
• Naming patterns: .spec.ts, I{Name} prefix

Good rules with inline examples:

• "Use const instead of let for variables that are never reassigned"
• "Prefix interface names with I (e.g., IUserService)"
• "Place repository implementations in infra/repositories/"

Good rules without inline examples:

• "Name root describe block after the class or function under test"
• "Run linting before committing changes"
• "Keep business logic out of controllers"

Bad rules:

• "Write good code" (too vague)
• "Use const and prefix interfaces with I" (multiple concepts)
• "Don't use var" (no positive guidance)

Draft Summary

After saving the draft file, write a concise summary that captures:

• One sentence summarizing the standard's purpose
• A bullet list of all rules (each rule ~22 words max, imperative form, with inline code if helpful)

Then proceed directly to Step 3.

Step 3: Add Examples

Add illustrative examples to each rule in the draft file.

Examples Creation

1. Open the existing draft file and add examples to each rule:
   • ### Positive Example showing the compliant approach
   • ### Negative Example highlighting the anti-pattern to avoid
   • Annotate every code block with its language (e.g., typescript, sql, javascript)
   • Keep examples concise and focused on demonstrating the specific rule
2. If a rule doesn't benefit from code examples (e.g., process or organizational rules), skip examples for that rule

Examples Guidelines

• Examples should be realistic and directly relevant to this codebase
• Each example should clearly demonstrate why the rule matters
• Keep code snippets minimal—only include what's necessary to illustrate the point

Valid language values for code blocks:

• TYPESCRIPT, TYPESCRIPT_TSX
• JAVASCRIPT, JAVASCRIPT_JSX
• PYTHON, JAVA, GO, RUST, CSHARP
• PHP, RUBY, KOTLIN, SWIFT, SQL
• HTML, CSS, SCSS, YAML, JSON
• MARKDOWN, BASH, GENERIC

Then proceed directly to Step 4.

Step 4: Creating the Playbook File

Create a JSON playbook file named <standard-name>.playbook.json based on the draft content:

{
  "name": "Your Standard Name",
  "description": "A clear description of what this standard covers, why it exists, and what problems it solves.",
  "scope": "Where this standard applies (e.g., 'TypeScript files', 'React components', '*.spec.ts test files')",
  "rules": [
    {
      "content": "First rule starting with action verb"
    },
    {
      "content": "Second rule with examples",
      "examples": {
        "positive": "const x = getValue();",
        "negative": "let x = getValue();",
        "language": "TYPESCRIPT"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Playbook Requirements

• name: Non-empty string
• description: Non-empty string explaining purpose
• scope: Non-empty string describing applicability
• rules: Array with at least one rule
• rules[].content: Non-empty string starting with action verb (max ~25 words)
• rules[].examples (optional): If provided, must include positive, negative, and language

Valid Language Values

TYPESCRIPT, TYPESCRIPT_TSX, JAVASCRIPT, JAVASCRIPT_JSX, PYTHON, JAVA, GO, RUST, CSHARP, PHP, RUBY, KOTLIN, SWIFT, SQL, HTML, CSS, SCSS, YAML, JSON, MARKDOWN, BASH, GENERIC

Step 5: Review Before Submission

Before running the CLI command, you MUST get explicit user approval:

1. Display a formatted recap of the playbook content:

---
Name: <standard name>

Description: <description>

Scope: <scope>

Rules:

1. <rule content>
   - ✅ <positive example>
   - ❌ <negative example>
2. <rule content>
   - ✅ <positive example>
   - ❌ <negative example>
...
---

2. Provide the file path to the playbook JSON file so users can open and edit it directly if needed.

3. Ask: "Here is the standard that will be created on Packmind. The playbook file is at <path> if you want to review or edit it. Do you approve?"

4. Wait for explicit user confirmation before proceeding to Step 6.

5. If the user requests changes, go back to earlier steps to make adjustments.

Step 6: Confirm and Submit

1. Re-read the playbook file from disk to capture any user edits.

2. Compare with the original content you created in Step 4.

3. If changes were detected:

   • Display the formatted recap again (same format as Step 5)
   • Ask: "The file was modified. Here is the updated content that will be sent. Do you confirm?"
   • Wait for explicit confirmation before proceeding.

4. If no changes: Proceed directly to submission.

5. Run the packmind-cli command:

packmind-cli standards create <path-to-playbook.json>

Example:

packmind-cli standards create ./typescript-conventions.playbook.json

Expected output on success:

packmind-cli Standard "Your Standard Name" created successfully (ID: <uuid>)

Troubleshooting

"Not logged in" error:

packmind-cli login

"Failed to resolve global space" error:

• Verify your API key is valid
• Check network connectivity to Packmind server

JSON validation errors:

• Ensure all required fields are present
• Verify JSON syntax is valid (use a JSON validator)
• Check that rules array has at least one entry

Step 7: Cleanup

After the standard is successfully created, delete the temporary files:

1. Delete the playbook JSON file (e.g., <standard-name>.playbook.json)
2. Delete the draft markdown file in .packmind/standards/_drafts/ if it exists

Only clean up on success - if the CLI command fails, keep the files so the user can retry.

Complete Example

Here's a complete example creating a TypeScript testing standard:

File: testing-conventions.playbook.json

{
  "name": "TypeScript Testing Conventions",
  "description": "Enforce consistent testing patterns in TypeScript test files to improve readability, maintainability, and reliability of the test suite.",
  "scope": "TypeScript test files (*.spec.ts, *.test.ts)",
  "rules": [
    {
      "content": "Use descriptive test names that explain the expected behavior",
      "examples": {
        "positive": "it('returns empty array when no items match filter')",
        "negative": "it('test filter')",
        "language": "TYPESCRIPT"
      }
    },
    {
      "content": "Follow Arrange-Act-Assert pattern in test structure",
      "examples": {
        "positive": "const input = createInput();\nconst result = processInput(input);\nexpect(result).toEqual(expected);",
        "negative": "expect(processInput(createInput())).toEqual(expected);",
        "language": "TYPESCRIPT"
      }
    },
    {
      "content": "Use one assertion per test for better error isolation",
      "examples": {
        "positive": "it('validates name', () => { expect(result.name).toBe('test'); });\nit('validates age', () => { expect(result.age).toBe(25); });",
        "negative": "it('validates user', () => { expect(result.name).toBe('test'); expect(result.age).toBe(25); });",
        "language": "TYPESCRIPT"
      }
    },
    {
      "content": "Avoid using 'should' at the start of test names - use assertive verb-first naming"
    }
  ]
}

Creating the standard:

packmind-cli standards create testing-conventions.playbook.json

Quick Reference