Session M3-05: Agent Skills and repository guidance¶
Module: Agentic Workflows Difficulty: Advanced Prerequisites: Sessions M1-01 to M1-03, M2-01 to M2-04 and M3-04 Duration: 3 hours (1 hour trainer content + 2 hours lab)
Overview¶
Skills capture reusable procedures owned by the repository. Build one
skill under .github/skills/. Test when it should run, when it should stay out of
scope, and when a missing reviewer should stop it. Then check live loading and
compare the local decision-interview
skill with a pinned copy of Matt Pocock's grill-me and its grilling dependency.
The accepted interview decisions become inputs to /plan.
Finish by reviewing scoped /chronicle improve suggestions. Use actual session
corrections to decide whether a rule belongs in instructions, a skill, or neither.
Learning outcomes¶
- Create a valid skill directory and
SKILL.md. - Write a description that states when to use the skill and when not to use it.
- Test matching, non-matching, and failed-precondition behavior.
- Stop visibly when required evidence or approval is missing.
- Run the named API scenario and inspect its result.
- Assign an owner and review skill changes in the repository.
- Inspect community skill dependencies and license before loading them.
- Compare two live interviews, then trace owner decisions into an implementation plan.
- Review repository-scoped session suggestions without applying them automatically.
Required access¶
You need Node.js 22 or later and the standalone Copilot CLI with project
skill loading, /plan, and /chronicle improve. Stop if required access is unavailable.
The deterministic runner checks its own contract; it does not replace live skill
invocation. Session M7-02 supplies reusable interview assets but is not a prerequisite.
| Resource | Location |
|---|---|
| Trainer guide | trainer-content/README.md |
| Slides | slides.md |
| Lab | lab/README.md |
| Completed skill | lab/solution/skills-project/.github/skills/api-design/SKILL.md |
| Expected output | lab/solution/skills-project/EXPECTED-OUTPUT.md |
| Pinned community snapshot | lab/starter/community-interview/README.md |
| Interview comparison reference | lab/solution/interview-comparison-reference.md |