Dignified Python Standards
docling-project/docling
Applies opinionated production Python conventions chosen by the project's Python version: modern type syntax, pathlib, explicit checks and interface guidance.
A skill your agent uses when fixing, editing, changing, debugging, or working with any Python code.
Install Boy Scout
$ npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills boy-scout --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/python/boy-scout .claude/skills/boy-scout && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "boy-scout" agent skill from https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills/tree/main/skills/python/boy-scout into .claude/skills/boy-scout/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "boy-scout", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills/tree/main/skills/python/boy-scoutType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills boy-scout --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/python/boy-scout .agents/skills/boy-scout && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "boy-scout" agent skill from https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills/tree/main/skills/python/boy-scout into .agents/skills/boy-scout/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "boy-scout", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills boy-scout --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/python/boy-scout .cursor/skills/boy-scout && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "boy-scout" agent skill from https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills/tree/main/skills/python/boy-scout into .cursor/skills/boy-scout/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "boy-scout", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.git --path skills/python/boy-scout--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills boy-scout --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/python/boy-scout .gemini/skills/boy-scout && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "boy-scout" agent skill from https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills/tree/main/skills/python/boy-scout into .gemini/skills/boy-scout/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "boy-scout", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills boy-scoutInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/python/boy-scout .github/skills/boy-scout && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "boy-scout" agent skill from https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills/tree/main/skills/python/boy-scout into .github/skills/boy-scout/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "boy-scout", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills boy-scout --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/python/boy-scout .opencode/skills/boy-scout && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "boy-scout" agent skill from https://github.com/ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills/tree/main/skills/python/boy-scout into .opencode/skills/boy-scout/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "boy-scout", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
boy-scout- GitHub stars
- 197
- Token cost
- ~978 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 395 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 14
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
A skill your agent uses when fixing, editing, changing, debugging, or working with any Python code.
- Works in 4 steps: Complete the requested task first → Identify at least one small cleanup… → Apply the appropriate specialized skill → …
- Working with any Python code
- SKILL.md covers The Philosophy, When Working on Code, The Rule in Practice and Skill Orchestration, plus 3 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Boy Scout is an agent skill from ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills. Use when fixing, editing, changing, debugging, or working with any Python code. Applies the Boy Scout Rule—always leave code cleaner than you found it. Orchestrates other clean code skills as needed.
Its SKILL.md is about 980 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.
It sits in Development, covering Code quality. It works with Python. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Working with any Python code
- Tasks that involve Code quality
Example prompts
- “/boy-scout”
Requirements
- Python 3
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Complete the requested task first
- Identify at least one small cleanup opportunity
- Apply the appropriate specialized skill
- Note the improvement made (e.g., "Also cleaned up: renamed x to results for clarity")
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 1b6b3cc. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are python).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Boy Scout loads about 978 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 52 tokens; SKILL.md has 395 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills at commit 1b6b3cc, republished under its MIT licence (© ertugrul-dmr). 395 words, ~978 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/boy-scout/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- boy-scout
- description
- Use when fixing, editing, changing, debugging, or working with any Python code. Applies the Boy Scout Rule—always leave code cleaner than you found it. Orchestrates other clean code skills as needed.
- when_to_use
- Also trigger on: "while you're at it", "any quick wins", "improve this a bit", "anything else obviously wrong", or when editing existing Python and an…
The Boy Scout Rule
"Always leave the campground cleaner than you found it." — Robert Baden-Powell
"Always check a module in cleaner than when you checked it out." — Robert C. Martin, Clean Code
The Philosophy
You don't have to make every module perfect. You simply have to make it a little bit better than when you found it.
If we all followed this simple rule:
- Our systems would gradually get better as they evolved
- Teams would care for the system as a whole
- The relentless deterioration of software would end
When Working on Code
Every time you touch code, look for at least one small improvement:
Quick Wins (Do These Immediately)
- Rename a poorly named variable → triggers
clean-names - Delete a redundant comment → triggers
clean-comments - Remove dead code or unused imports
- Replace a magic number with a named constant
- Extract a deeply nested block into a well-named function
Deeper Improvements (When Time Allows)
- Split a function that does multiple things → triggers
clean-functions - Remove duplication (DRY) → triggers
clean-general - Add missing boundary checks
- Improve test coverage → triggers
clean-tests
The Rule in Practice
# You're asked to fix a bug in this function:
def proc(d, x, flag=False):
# process data
for i in d:
if i > 0:
if flag:
x.append(i * 1.0825) # tax
else:
x.append(i)
return x
# Don't just fix the bug and leave.
# Leave it cleaner:
TAX_RATE = 0.0825
def process_positive_values(
values: list[float],
apply_tax: bool = False
) -> list[float]:
"""Filter positive values, optionally applying tax."""
rate = 1 + TAX_RATE if apply_tax else 1
return [v * rate for v in values if v > 0]What changed:
- ✅ Descriptive function name (N1)
- ✅ Clear parameter names (N1)
- ✅ Type hints (P3)
- ✅ Named constant for magic number (G25)
- ✅ No output argument mutation (F2)
- ✅ Useful docstring (C4)
Skill Orchestration
This skill coordinates with specialized skills based on what you're doing:
| Task | Trigger Skill |
|---|---|
| Writing/reviewing any Python | python-clean-code (master) |
| Naming variables, functions, classes | clean-names |
| Writing or editing comments | clean-comments |
| Creating or refactoring functions | clean-functions |
| Reviewing code quality | clean-general |
| Writing or reviewing tests | clean-tests |
Show full SKILL.md (145 more words)Show less
The Mindset
Don't:
- Leave code worse than you found it
- Say "that's not my code"
- Wait for a dedicated refactoring sprint
- Make massive changes unrelated to your task
Do:
- Make one small improvement with every commit
- Fix what you see, even if you didn't break it
- Keep changes proportional to your task
- Leave a trail of quality improvements
AI Behavior
When working on code:
- Complete the requested task first
- Identify at least one small cleanup opportunity
- Apply the appropriate specialized skill
- Note the improvement made (e.g., "Also cleaned up: renamed
xtoresultsfor clarity")
When reviewing code:
- Load
python-clean-codefor comprehensive rule checking - Flag violations by rule number
- Suggest incremental improvements, not complete rewrites
The Boy Scout Promise
Every piece of code you touch gets a little better. Not perfect—just better.
Over time, better compounds into excellent.
© ertugrul-dmr, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
Just SKILL.md in skills/python/boy-scout of ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 1b6b3cc
Compare with similar skills
Boy Scout next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boy Scout this skillertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills | 197 | — | ~978 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Dignified Python Standardsdocling-project/docling | 69k | — | ~1.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Code Review Skillawesome-skills/code-review-skill | 2.1k | — | ~2.8k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Code Reviewerjewbetcha/opentrace | 116 | 2 repos | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Code Review Specialistluongnv89/claude-howto | 42k | — | ~764 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Cross-Language Coding Standardszereight/gitlab-mcp | 2k | 1 repos | ~1.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Related
Works with
Categories
Questions about Boy Scout
What does Boy Scout do?
A skill your agent uses when fixing, editing, changing, debugging, or working with any Python code. Boy Scout is an agent skill from ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills. Use when fixing, editing, changing, debugging, or working with any Python code.
When should I use Boy Scout?
Boy Scout fits situations like: working with any Python code; tasks that involve Code quality.
How do I install Boy Scout in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/python/boy-scout in ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills) into .claude/skills/boy-scout in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Boy Scout in Codex?
Run `npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/python/boy-scout in ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills) into .agents/skills/boy-scout in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Boy Scout in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills --skill boy-scout -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/boy-scout, .gemini/skills/boy-scout, .github/skills/boy-scout and .opencode/skills/boy-scout in your project.
What does Boy Scout need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Boy Scout is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.
Does Boy Scout access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Boy Scout safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Boy Scout use?
Boy Scout is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Boy Scout use?
About 978 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Boy Scout?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Boy Scout: Dignified Python Standards (docling-project/docling, 69k stars), Code Review Skill (awesome-skills/code-review-skill, 2.1k stars), Code Reviewer (jewbetcha/opentrace, 116 stars) and Code Review Specialist (luongnv89/claude-howto, 42k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Boy Scout?
ertugrul-dmr (a GitHub user) maintains it in ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills, which has 197 GitHub stars. The repository holds 14 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on April 21, 2026.
Source: ertugrul-dmr/clean-code-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.