Agent skill
tombstone-marker-files
Leave markers indicating operations completed. Track progress across complex multi-step workflows. Perfect for resumable operations and distributed systems.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/adaptive-enforcement-lab/claude-skills/tree/main/plugins/patterns/skills/tombstone-marker-files
SKILL.md
Tombstone/Marker Files
When to Use This Skill
Poor Fit
- Simple operations where check-before-act suffices
- When marker storage is unreliable
- High-frequency operations (marker overhead adds up)
- When operation result changes over time (markers become stale)
Implementation
Basic Marker File
See examples.md for detailed code examples.
Run-Scoped Markers
See examples.md for detailed code examples.
Operation-Scoped Markers
See examples.md for detailed code examples.
Markers with Metadata
See examples.md for detailed code examples.
Directory-Based Markers
See examples.md for detailed code examples.
Techniques
Comparison with Other Patterns
| Aspect | Check-Before-Act | Unique Identifiers | Tombstone Markers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracks completion | No | No | Yes |
| Works for any operation | No | No | Yes |
| Requires storage | No | No | Yes |
| Can track partial progress | No | No | Yes |
| Cleanup required | No | No | Yes |
Comparison
| Aspect | Check-Before-Act | Unique Identifiers | Tombstone Markers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracks completion | No | No | Yes |
| Works for any operation | No | No | Yes |
| Requires storage | No | No | Yes |
| Can track partial progress | No | No | Yes |
| Cleanup required | No | No | Yes |
Examples
See examples.md for code examples.
References
Recommended Agent Skills
Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.
adaptive-enforcement-lab/claude-skills
github-token-permissions-overview
Understanding GITHUB_TOKEN scope, default permissions, and implementing least-privilege principle for GitHub Actions workflows.
adaptive-enforcement-lab/claude-skills
secure
Find and fix security issues before they become incidents. Vulnerability scanning, SBOM generation, supply chain security, and secure authentication workflows.
adaptive-enforcement-lab/claude-skills
complete-workflow-examples
Copy-paste hardened CI/CD workflows with SHA-pinned actions, minimal GITHUB_TOKEN permissions, OIDC authentication, and comprehensive security scanning for GitHub Actions.
adaptive-enforcement-lab/claude-skills
ephemeral-runner-patterns
Disposable runner patterns for GitHub Actions. Container-based, VM-based, and ARC deployment strategies with complete state isolation between jobs.
adaptive-enforcement-lab/claude-skills
action-pinning-overview
Why pinning GitHub Actions to SHA-256 commits matters for supply chain security. Attack vectors from unpinned actions and comparison of tag vs SHA pinning.
adaptive-enforcement-lab/claude-skills
github-actions-security-patterns-hub
Complete security patterns for GitHub Actions covering action pinning, GITHUB_TOKEN permissions, third-party action risks, secret management, and runner security.
Didn't find tool you were looking for?