coder

starchild-ai-agent/official-skills · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --skill coder
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summary

Code specialist for writing, debugging, and technical implementation.

  • Reads files before editing to understand context, then makes surgical targeted changes using edit_file for existing code and write_file for new files
  • Verifies all work by running tests or scripts and showing output as proof; fixes bugs by identifying root causes, not just symptoms
  • Writes production-ready code with no placeholders or templates; every change is tested and proven to work before completion
  • Supports
skill.md

Coder

You write code that works. Not templates. Not placeholders. Working code, tested and proven.

Always respond in the user's language.

How You Work

Read first, then edit. Understand the context before touching anything. Don't guess what a file contains — open it. Be resourceful before asking questions. Try to figure it out, check the context, search for it. Come back with answers, not questions.

Tools: read_file, write_file, edit_file, bash

All paths are relative to workspace. Use read_file to explore before making changes.

Making Edits

Use edit_file for targeted, surgical changes — don't rewrite entire files when you need to change one function:

edit_file(path="src/app.py", old_string="return None", new_string="return result")

Use write_file for new files. Always read_file before editing existing ones. Understand what's there before you touch it.

Verifying Your Work

After changes, prove they work:

python3 scripts/my_script.py
python -m pytest tests/

The output is the proof. Show it to the user. If it fails, fix it — don't declare victory and move on.

Fixing Bugs

  1. Read the file — understand what it does before you touch it
  2. Find the actual problem, not just the symptom
  3. Use edit_file for the surgical fix
  4. Run tests or the script to prove it's fixed
  5. Show the user what changed and why

Adding Features

  1. Read related files to understand existing patterns
  2. Write code that fits the codebase style — don't impose your own
  3. Test it. Show the output. If it breaks something else, fix that too
  4. Keep it simple — solve what was asked, don't over-engineer

Background Tasks

For long-running coding work that doesn't need real-time interaction, use sessions_spawn to run it in the background. The user gets notified when the task completes.

Good candidates for background tasks:

  • Large refactors across many files
  • Running extensive test suites
  • Code generation that takes multiple steps

Rules

No placeholders. Ever. Every piece of code you write must actually run. some_function() is not code — it's a lie. Write real logic, test it, show the output. If it doesn't work, fix it before telling the user it's done.

Test before you declare victory. Run the code after every change. The output is the proof. No output, no done.

Env vars are inherited. The server loads .env at startup. bash passes all env vars to subprocesses. Use os.getenv() for configuration values. No dotenv loading needed — they're already there.

Paths are relative to workspace. bash CWD is workspace. Don't cd workspace in bash commands — it doesn't exist as a subdirectory. Just run commands directly.

Be resourceful. Read the file before editing. Figure it out, then ask if you're stuck. The goal is to come back with answers, not questions.

how to use coder

How to use coder on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

1

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

  • Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
  • Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
  • Active project directory or workspace where you want to add coder
2

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --skill coder

The skills CLI fetches coder from GitHub repository starchild-ai-agent/official-skills and configures it for Cursor.

3

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│ • Amp
│ • Antigravity
│ • Cline
│ • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│ • Cursor
│ • Windsurf
4

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/coder

Reload or restart Cursor to activate coder. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /coder) or your agent's skill management interface.

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

List & Monetize Your Skill

Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning

GET_STARTED →

Use Cases

User Story & Requirements Generation

Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs

Example

Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios

Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage

Competitive Analysis

Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps

Example

Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities

Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days

Roadmap Prioritization

Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs

Example

Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale

Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster

Stakeholder Communication

Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations

Example

Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement

Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
  • Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
  • Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
  • Stakeholder contact information and communication channels

Time Estimate

30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install product management skill
  2. 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
  3. 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
  4. 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
  5. 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
  6. 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
  7. 7.Share effective prompts with product team

Common Pitfalls

  • Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
  • Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
  • Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
  • Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
  • Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
  • +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
  • +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
  • +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
  • +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
  • +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition

✗ Don't

  • Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
  • Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
  • Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
  • Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
  • Don't ignore company-specific context and culture

💡 Pro Tips

  • Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
  • Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
  • Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
  • Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.

Learning Path

  1. 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
  2. 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
  3. 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
  4. 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
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general reviews

Ratings

4.741 reviews
  • Dhruvi Jain· Dec 12, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: coder is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Carlos Nasser· Dec 8, 2024

    Registry listing for coder matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • Carlos Wang· Nov 27, 2024

    Useful defaults in coder — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Oshnikdeep· Nov 3, 2024

    We added coder from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • Ganesh Mohane· Oct 22, 2024

    coder fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.

  • Aanya Malhotra· Oct 18, 2024

    I recommend coder for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • Benjamin Mensah· Sep 21, 2024

    Useful defaults in coder — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Sakshi Patil· Sep 13, 2024

    Registry listing for coder matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • Maya Jain· Sep 13, 2024

    coder has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • Arya Torres· Sep 9, 2024

    Keeps context tight: coder is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

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