create-tooluniverse-skill

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 88e2f9d3eaea · 20 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publishermims-harvard GitHub organizationOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source foldermims-harvard/tooluniverse/skills/create-tooluniverse-skillThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceApache-2.0As the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict88e2f9d3eaeaA new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 1 day ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Create high-quality ToolUniverse skills following test-driven, implementation-agnostic methodology.

---
name: create-tooluniverse-skill
description: Create high-quality ToolUniverse skills following test-driven, implementation-agnostic methodology.
disable-model-invocation: true
---

# Create ToolUniverse Skill

Systematic workflow for creating production-ready ToolUniverse skills.

> **The `devtu-*` skills this one hands off to are no longer in this
> repository.** `devtu-optimize-skills`, `devtu-create-tool` and
> `devtu-fix-tool` moved to the **tu-harness** plugin
> ([tooluniverse/tooluniverse-harness](https://github.com/tooluniverse/tooluniverse-harness)),
> because they operate on this repository rather than being something a user of
> it calls. Install them with
> `claude plugin install tu-harness@tooluniverse-harness`; the references below
> name them by skill, so they resolve once that plugin is present. This skill
> is maintainer-facing too -- it is not in the user-facing plugin mirror -- and
> belongs beside them; it has not moved yet only because nothing forced the
> question.

## Core Principles

Build on the 10 pillars from `devtu-optimize-skills`:
1. TEST FIRST - never document untested tools
2. Verify tool contracts - don't trust function names
3. Handle SOAP tools - add `operation` parameter
4. Implementation-agnostic docs - no Python/MCP code in SKILL.md
5. Foundation first - query aggregators before specialized tools
6. Disambiguate carefully - resolve IDs properly
7. Implement fallbacks - Primary -> Fallback -> Default
8. Grade evidence - T1-T4 tiers on claims
9. Quantified completeness - numeric minimums per section
10. Synthesize - models and hypotheses, not just lists

See `OPTIMIZE_INTEGRATION.md` for detailed application of each pillar.

## 7-Phase Workflow

| Phase | Duration | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| 1. Domain Analysis | 15 min | Understand use cases, data types, analysis phases |
| 2. Tool Discovery | 30-45 min | Search, read configs, test tools (MANDATORY) |
| 3. Tool Creation | 0-60 min | Create missing tools via devtu-create-tool |
| 4. Implementation | 30-45 min | Write python_implementation.py with tested tools |
| 5. Documentation | 30-45 min | Write SKILL.md (agnostic) + QUICK_START.md |
| 6. Validation | 15-30 min | Run test suite, validate checklist, manual verify |
| 7. Packaging | 15 min | Create summary, update tracking |

**Total**: ~1.5-2 hours (without tool creation).

### Phase 1: Domain Analysis

- Gather concrete use cases and expected outputs
- Identify inputs, outputs, and intermediate data types
- Break workflow into logical phases
- Review existing skills in `skills/` for patterns

### Phase 2: Tool Discovery and Testing

Search tools in `/src/tooluniverse/data/*.json` (186 tool files). For each tool, read its config to understand parameters and return schema. See `PARAMETER_VERIFICATION.md` for common pitfalls.

**Create and run a test script** using `test_tools_template.py`. For each tool: call with known-good params, verify response format, document corrections. See `TESTING_GUIDE.md` for the full test suite template and procedures.

### Phase 3: Tool Creation (If Needed)

Invoke `devtu-create-tool` when required functionality is missing and analysis is blocked. Use `devtu-fix-tool` if new tools fail tests.

### Phase 4: Implementation

Create `skills/tooluniverse-[domain]/` with:
- `python_implementation.py` - use only tested tools, try/except per phase, progressive report writing
- `test_skill.py` - test each input type, combined inputs, error handling

Use templates from `CODE_TEMPLATES.md`.

### Phase 5: Documentation

Write implementation-agnostic SKILL.md using `SKILL_TEMPLATE.md`. Write multi-implementation QUICK_START.md using `QUICKSTART_TEMPLATE.md`. Key rules: zero Python/MCP code in SKILL.md, equal treatment of both interfaces in QUICK_START.

See `IMPLEMENTATION_AGNOSTIC.md` for format guidelines with examples.

### Phase 6: Validation

Run the comprehensive test suite (see `TESTING_GUIDE.md`). Validate against `VALIDATION_CHECKLIST.md`. Perform manual verification: load ToolUniverse fresh, copy-paste QUICK_START example, verify output works.

### Phase 7: Packaging

Create summary document using `PACKAGING_TEMPLATE.md`. Update session tracking if creating multiple skills.

## Skill Integration

| Skill | When to Use |
|-------|-------------|
| **devtu-create-tool** | Critical functionality missing |
| **devtu-fix-tool** | Tool returns errors or unexpected format |
| **devtu-optimize-skills** | Evidence grading, report optimization |

## Quality Indicators

**High quality**: 100% test coverage before docs, agnostic SKILL.md, multi-implementation QUICK_START, fallback strategies, parameter corrections table, response format docs.

**Red flags**: Docs before testing, Python in SKILL.md, assumed parameters, no fallbacks, SOAP tools missing `operation`, no test script.

## Reference Files

| File | Content |
|------|---------|
| `SKILL_TEMPLATE.md` | Template for writing SKILL.md |
| `QUICKSTART_TEMPLATE.md` | Template for writing QUICK_START.md |
| `TESTING_GUIDE.md` | Test suite template and procedures |
| `VALIDATION_CHECKLIST.md` | Pre-release quality checklist |
| `PACKAGING_TEMPLATE.md` | Summary document template |
| `PARAMETER_VERIFICATION.md` | Tool parameter verification guide |
| `OPTIMIZE_INTEGRATION.md` | devtu-optimize-skills 10-pillar integration |
| `IMPLEMENTATION_AGNOSTIC.md` | Implementation-agnostic format guide with examples |
| `CODE_TEMPLATES.md` | Python implementation and test templates |
| `test_tools_template.py` | Tool testing script template |

Excerpt, first 5,564 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/mims-harvard/tooluniverse
git -C tooluniverse checkout 88e2f9d3eaea

Works in

1. 2026-10-20
   ✓SAFE B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 88e2f9d3eaea

Questions about create-tooluniverse-skill

• github.com/mims-harvard/tooluniverse/tree/main/skills/create-too — the audited source at commit 88e2f9d3eaea and every finding aboveObserved · 20 Oct 2026

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