Methodology Packs

Methodology packs are curated collections of skills that guide AI agents through structured workflows. Each pack bundles related skills around a domain — debugging, testing, planning, or collaboration.

Available Packs

Commands

skillkit methodology list                    # List available packs
skillkit methodology install debugging       # Install a pack
skillkit methodology apply testing           # Apply pack to current project
skillkit methodology validate planning       # Validate pack skills
skillkit methodology load collaboration      # Load pack into agent context

Pack Structure

Each pack lives under packages/core/src/methodology/packs/ with this structure:

packs/
  debugging/
    pack.json           # Pack manifest (name, skills, tags)
    root-cause-analysis/
      SKILL.md          # Skill content
    trace-and-isolate/
      SKILL.md
    hypothesis-testing/
      SKILL.md

Skills Reference

Debugging

• root-cause-analysis — Five Whys method, structured investigation phases, evidence collection, causal chain verification
• trace-and-isolate — Binary search debugging, git bisect, strategic logging, component isolation, minimal reproduction
• hypothesis-testing — Scientific method for debugging: observe, hypothesize, predict, test, conclude

Testing

• red-green-refactor — Write a failing test, make it pass with minimal code, then refactor while green
• test-patterns — AAA, Given-When-Then, Test Data Builders, Object Mother, parameterized tests, fixtures, spies
• anti-patterns — Flaky tests, over-mocking, brittle assertions, test interdependency, hidden logic

Planning

• design-first — Technical design documents before code: architecture, data models, API definitions, trade-off analysis
• task-decomposition — Vertical slicing, horizontal layering, workflow and component decomposition
• verification-gates — Validation checkpoints between phases with checklists and approval criteria

Collaboration

• structured-review — Five-stage code review: requirements, correctness, quality, testing, security
• parallel-investigation — Coordinate multiple investigation threads with sync points and convergence decisions
• handoff-protocols — Structured work transitions: planned, unplanned, and partial handoffs

Meta

• skill-authoring — Guidelines for writing SKILL.md files: frontmatter, triggers, directive language, content patterns

Using with Agents

Once installed, methodology skills activate automatically based on trigger phrases. For example:

You: "I need to debug this failing API endpoint"
Agent: [Activates root-cause-analysis skill]

You: "Let's write tests first for this feature"
Agent: [Activates red-green-refactor skill]

You: "Break down this feature into tasks"
Agent: [Activates task-decomposition skill]

TUI Integration

Access methodology packs from the TUI by pressing o (Methodology screen). Browse, install, and apply packs interactively.