Skills Catalog¶

Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2025-10-16 Core Documented Skills: 5 | Total Available: 62+

Overview¶

This catalog provides a comprehensive listing of all available skills in the standards repository. Skills are organized by category and include metadata to help you quickly identify which skills to load for your project.

Quick Reference¶

Skills by Category¶

Category	Skills	Use Cases
Development	coding-standards, testing	Code quality, TDD, maintainability
Security	security-practices, nist-compliance	Zero Trust, compliance, auditing
Meta	skill-loader	Skill discovery, composition

Skills by Token Cost (Level 1)¶

Skill	Tokens	Reading Time	Priority
coding-standards	336	5 min	High
security-practices	409	5 min	Critical (for APIs)
testing	430	5 min	High
nist-compliance	580	5 min	Medium (compliance)
skill-loader	328	5 min	Low (meta)

Total (all Level 1): ~2,083 tokens (~0.5% of Claude context window)

Complete Skills Listing¶

1. Coding Standards¶

Name: coding-standards
Description: Comprehensive coding standards and best practices for maintainable, consistent software development across multiple languages and paradigms
Category: Development
Priority: High

Token Estimates:

Level 1: 336 tokens (5 min)
Level 2: 1,245 tokens (30 min)
Level 3: 1,342 tokens (extended)
Total: 2,923 tokens

What You Get:

Level 1 (Quick Start)

Core principles (Consistency, Readability, Maintainability, Quality)
Quick reference with good vs bad examples
Essential checklist (style guide, naming, complexity, linting)
Common pitfalls (inconsistent naming, complex functions, missing docs)

Level 2 (Implementation)

Code style and formatting by language
Documentation standards (JSDoc, docstrings)
Architecture patterns (SOLID principles, DRY)
Error handling strategies
Automation tools (linters, formatters, pre-commit hooks)

Level 3 (Mastery)

Performance optimization patterns (memoization, caching)
Concurrency patterns
API design best practices
Refactoring strategies
Essential reading list
Tools and frameworks

When to Load:

Starting any new project
Code review preparation
Team onboarding
Establishing coding conventions

Integration Points:

Links to Security Practices for secure coding
Links to Testing for testable code design
Links to NIST Compliance for SI-10, SI-11 controls

Load Command:

# Quick Start
@load skill:coding-standards

# Deep Dive
@load skill:coding-standards --level 2

# Mastery
@load skill:coding-standards --level 3

Product Types:

product:api
product:frontend-web
product:mobile
product:cli
product:data-pipeline
product:ml-service

Languages Supported:

Python
JavaScript/TypeScript
Go
Java
(Extensible via language_mappings in product-matrix.yaml)

2. Security Practices¶

Name: security-practices
Description: Modern security standards including Zero Trust Architecture, supply chain security, container security, and API protection patterns
Category: Security
Priority: Critical (for APIs/web services)

Token Estimates:

Level 1: 409 tokens (5 min)
Level 2: 2,082 tokens (30 min)
Level 3: 1,451 tokens (extended)
Total: 3,942 tokens

What You Get:

Level 1 (Quick Start)

Essential security checklist (auth, secrets, input validation, encryption)
Common vulnerabilities (SQLi, XSS, CSRF, auth bypass)
Quick reference for secure code patterns
Immediate action items

Level 2 (Implementation)

Zero Trust Architecture implementation
Supply chain security (SBOM, dependency scanning)
Container security (image scanning, runtime protection)
API security (authentication, rate limiting, CORS)
Secrets management (vaults, rotation, detection)
Security testing integration

Level 3 (Mastery)

Incident response planning
Cryptography best practices
Security monitoring and alerting
Advanced threat detection
Compliance integration

When to Load:

Building APIs or web services (Critical)
Handling sensitive data (Critical)
Deploying to production (High)
Security audits/reviews (High)
Compliance requirements (High)

Integration Points:

Links to NIST Compliance for control implementation
Links to Coding Standards for secure coding patterns
Links to Testing for security testing

Load Command:

# Quick Start
@load skill:security-practices

# Deep Dive
@load skill:security-practices --level 2

# Full Security Bundle
@load [skill:security-practices + skill:nist-compliance] --level 2

Product Types:

product:api (Critical)
product:web-service (Critical)
product:frontend-web (High)
product:mobile (High)
product:data-pipeline (High)
product:ml-service (High)

NIST Controls Covered:

AC (Access Control): AC-2, AC-3, AC-6
IA (Identification & Authentication): IA-2, IA-5
SC (System & Communications Protection): SC-8, SC-13
SI (System & Information Integrity): SI-10, SI-11

3. Testing Standards¶

Name: testing
Description: Comprehensive testing standards including unit, integration, security, and property-based testing with TDD methodology
Category: Development
Priority: High

Token Estimates:

Level 1: 430 tokens (5 min)
Level 2: 2,225 tokens (30 min)
Level 3: 1,106 tokens (extended)
Total: 3,761 tokens

What You Get:

Level 1 (Quick Start)

Testing pyramid (Unit → Integration → E2E)
TDD Red-Green-Refactor cycle
Essential checklist (unit tests, integration tests, >80% coverage)
Common pitfalls (testing implementation details, slow tests, flaky tests)

Level 2 (Implementation)

Test-Driven Development walkthrough
Property-based testing with fast-check
Integration testing patterns (API tests, database tests)
Security testing (SQLi, XSS, auth bypass)
Performance testing (benchmarks, load tests)
Test organization (AAA pattern, fixtures)

Level 3 (Mastery)

Contract testing with Pact
Chaos engineering
Visual regression testing
Mutation testing
Testing frameworks comparison
Template test suites

When to Load:

Starting new projects (High)
Implementing TDD (High)
Code review for tests (High)
Setting up CI/CD (Medium)
Improving test coverage (Medium)

Integration Points:

Links to Coding Standards for testable code design
Links to Security Practices for security testing
Links to NIST Compliance for SI-10, SI-11 controls

Load Command:

# Quick Start
@load skill:testing

# Deep Dive
@load skill:testing --level 2

# Development Bundle
@load [skill:coding-standards + skill:testing] --level 2

Product Types:

product:api (High)
product:frontend-web (High)
product:mobile (High)
product:cli (Medium)
product:data-pipeline (Medium)
product:ml-service (Critical - model testing)

Frameworks Covered:

Unit Testing: Jest, Vitest, pytest, JUnit
Integration Testing: Supertest, TestContainers
E2E Testing: Playwright, Cypress, Selenium
Property Testing: fast-check, Hypothesis, QuickCheck

4. NIST Compliance¶

Name: nist-compliance
Description: NIST 800-53r5 control implementation guidance with automated tagging, evidence collection, and SSP generation
Category: Security & Compliance
Priority: Medium (when compliance required)

Token Estimates:

Level 1: 580 tokens (5 min)
Level 2: 2,734 tokens (30 min)
Level 3: 731 tokens (extended)
Total: 4,045 tokens

What You Get:

Level 1 (Quick Start)

Control tagging reference (@nist-controls syntax)
Common control families (AC, IA, AU, SC, SI)
Quick Start tagging examples
Essential checklist (tag functions, validate coverage, collect evidence)

Level 2 (Implementation)

AC (Access Control) family implementation
IA (Identification & Authentication) patterns
AU (Audit & Accountability) logging
SC (System & Communications Protection) encryption
SI (System & Information Integrity) validation
Evidence collection automation
SSP generation tools

Level 3 (Mastery)

Continuous compliance monitoring
Automated control testing
Audit preparation
Multi-framework mapping (NIST → SOC2 → ISO27001)
VS Code extension integration

When to Load:

Government/regulated industries (Critical)
Security audits (Critical)
Compliance certifications (Critical)
Security-conscious organizations (Medium)
API services with auth (Medium)

Integration Points:

Links to Security Practices for security implementation
Links to Coding Standards for SI-10, SI-11
Links to Testing for control validation

Load Command:

# Quick Start
@load skill:nist-compliance

# Deep Dive
@load skill:nist-compliance --level 2

# Full Compliance Bundle
@load [skill:security-practices + skill:nist-compliance] --level 2

Product Types:

product:api (Auto-included when security present)
product:web-service (Auto-included)
product:data-pipeline (High for sensitive data)
product:ml-service (Medium)
product:compliance-artifacts (Critical)

Control Families Covered:

AC: Access Control (AC-2, AC-3, AC-6)
IA: Identification & Authentication (IA-2, IA-5)
AU: Audit & Accountability (AU-2, AU-3, AU-12)
SC: System & Communications Protection (SC-8, SC-13)
SI: System & Information Integrity (SI-10, SI-11)
CM: Configuration Management (CM-2, CM-6)
CP: Contingency Planning (CP-9, CP-10)

Tools Included:

VS Code extension for auto-tagging
Validation scripts
Evidence collection automation
SSP generation templates

5. Skill Loader (Meta-Skill)¶

Name: skill-loader
Description: Meta-skill for loading, composing, and applying standards as progressive-disclosure skills with context-aware recommendations
Category: Meta
Priority: Low (infrastructure)

Token Estimates:

Level 1: 328 tokens (5 min)
Level 2: 1,177 tokens (30 min)
Level 3: 15 tokens (extended)
Total: 1,520 tokens

What You Get:

Level 1 (Quick Start)

Quick load commands (@load syntax)
Skill catalog overview
Product type mappings
Token cost reference

Level 2 (Implementation)

Skill resolution engine (TypeScript implementation)
Progressive disclosure loader
Context-aware recommendations (project analysis)
Skill composition patterns
CLI usage examples

Level 3 (Mastery)

Custom skill creation
Skill validation tools
Advanced composition strategies

When to Load:

Understanding the skills system (Informational)
Building custom loaders (Advanced)
Contributing new skills (Authoring)

Integration Points:

References all other skills (meta-skill)
Links to product-matrix.yaml
Links to validation tools

Load Command:

# Learn about the loader
@load skill:skill-loader

# Understand implementation
@load skill:skill-loader --level 2

Note: This is a meta-skill that explains the skills system itself. Most users won't need to load this directly.

Skills by Use Case¶

Starting a New Project¶

Minimal Bundle:

@load [skill:coding-standards + skill:testing]
# Token cost: ~766 tokens (Level 1)

Comprehensive Bundle:

@load product:api
# Auto-loads: coding-standards, security-practices, testing, nist-compliance
# Token cost: ~1,755 tokens (Level 1)

Code Review¶

@load [skill:coding-standards + skill:testing] --level 1
# Quick checklists for review
# Token cost: ~766 tokens

Security Audit¶

@load [skill:security-practices + skill:nist-compliance] --level 2
# Comprehensive security coverage
# Token cost: ~4,907 tokens

Compliance Certification¶

@load [skill:nist-compliance + skill:security-practices] --level 2
# Full compliance implementation
# Token cost: ~4,907 tokens

Team Onboarding¶

# Day 1: Fundamentals
@load skill:coding-standards --level 1

# Week 1: Testing
@load skill:testing --level 1

# Week 2: Security
@load skill:security-practices --level 1

# Week 3: Deep Dive
@load [skill:coding-standards + skill:testing] --level 2

Skills by Product Type¶

product:api¶

@load product:api

# Auto-loads:
# - coding-standards (language-specific patterns)
# - security-practices (API auth, input validation)
# - testing (unit, integration, security tests)
# - nist-compliance (AC, IA, AU controls)

# Token cost: ~1,755 tokens (Level 1)

product:frontend-web¶

@load product:frontend-web

# Auto-loads:
# - coding-standards (TypeScript/framework patterns)
# - security-practices (XSS, CSRF protection)
# - testing (component testing, E2E)

# Token cost: ~1,175 tokens (Level 1)

product:mobile¶

@load product:mobile

# Auto-loads:
# - coding-standards (platform languages)
# - security-practices (mobile auth, secure storage)
# - testing (unit, integration, UI tests)

# Token cost: ~1,175 tokens (Level 1)

product:data-pipeline¶

@load product:data-pipeline

# Auto-loads:
# - coding-standards (Python/Scala patterns)
# - security-practices (data classification, secrets)
# - testing (data quality, integration tests)
# - nist-compliance (data retention, privacy)

# Token cost: ~1,755 tokens (Level 1)

product:ml-service¶

@load product:ml-service

# Auto-loads:
# - coding-standards (ML frameworks)
# - security-practices (model security)
# - testing (model validation, A/B tests)
# - nist-compliance (AI ethics, privacy)

# Token cost: ~1,755 tokens (Level 1)

Skills Roadmap¶

Planned Skills (Coming Soon)¶

Development¶

api-design-patterns - RESTful/GraphQL API design
microservices - Microservice architecture patterns
data-engineering - ETL/ELT best practices
ml-ai - ML model development and deployment

Operations¶

cloud-native - Cloud-native architecture (K8s, containers)
devops - CI/CD, IaC, automation
observability - Logging, monitoring, tracing

Specialized¶

web-design - Frontend design systems
mobile-development - iOS/Android best practices
cost-optimization - Cloud cost management
legal-compliance - Privacy, GDPR, data retention

Contributing New Skills¶

See SKILL_AUTHORING_GUIDE.md to contribute:

Create skill in skills/your-skill-name/
Follow progressive disclosure pattern (Level 1, 2, 3)
Validate with python scripts/validate-skills.py
Submit PR with skill metadata

Skills Maintenance¶

Version History¶

Version	Date	Changes
1.0.0	2025-10-16	Initial release with 5 core skills

Deprecation Policy¶

Skills are versioned and deprecated with 6-month notice:

Deprecation Notice: Added to skill frontmatter
Migration Guide: Published in docs/migration/
6-Month Grace Period: Both old and new skills available
Archive: Deprecated skills moved to skills/archived/

Feedback¶

Help us improve skills:

GitHub Issues: Report issues
Discussions: Suggest improvements
PRs: Contribute enhancements

Additional Resources¶

Documentation¶

User Guide: SKILLS_USER_GUIDE.md
Migration Guide: MIGRATION_GUIDE.md
Authoring Guide: SKILL_AUTHORING_GUIDE.md
API Docs: SKILLS_API.md

Tools¶

Skill Loader: python3 scripts/skill-loader.py
Validator: python3 scripts/validate-skills.py
Generator: python3 scripts/generate-skill.py

Support¶

GitHub: williamzujkowski/standards
Issues: Report bugs
Discussions: Community support

Last Updated: 2025-10-16 Version: 1.0.0 Core Documented Skills: 5 | Total Available: 62+ Maintained by: Standards Repository Team