Agent skill

Scaffold

by genkovich in genkovich/sdd

A skill your agent uses to materialize the greenfield skeleton that survey's foundation session planned.

MITAuto-check passedTesting & QA

Install Scaffold

skills CLI
$ npx skills add genkovich/sdd --skill scaffold -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install genkovich/sdd scaffold --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/genkovich/sdd.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/scaffold .claude/skills/scaffold && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.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/

Facts

Skill name
scaffold
GitHub stars
171
Token cost
~1.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
840 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
21
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

A skill your agent uses to materialize the greenfield skeleton that survey's foundation session planned.

  • Works in 8 steps: Hard gate. Both inputs must exist:… → Ensure the settings file (first thing,… → Materialize sequentially inline. Execute… → …
  • Materialize the greenfield skeleton that surveys foundation session planned
  • SKILL.md covers Owner, Inputs, Protocol and Definition of Done, plus 1 more section
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Scaffold is an agent skill from genkovich/sdd. Use to materialize the greenfield skeleton that survey's foundation session planned. Reads docs/architecture-map.md (mode: greenfield-bootstrap) plus docs/features/scaffold/tasks.json and builds the real project structure: folders + entry point, test harness + smoke test, migration tooling, CI, the conventions doc. Triggers on "scaffold the skeleton", "materialize the skeleton", "bootstrap the project skeleton", "/sdd:scaffold", "матеріалізуй скелет", "розгорни скелет проєкту", "збудуй каркас". Runs the S-tasks…

Its SKILL.md is about 1.8k 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 Testing & QA, covering QA and bug reports and Test generation. The repository describes itself as: Spec-Driven Development for Claude Code: 12 atomic Socratic skills + a TDD implement engine (agent-team & dynamic-workflow modes). The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Materialize the greenfield skeleton that surveys foundation session planned
  • Scaffold the skeleton
  • Materialize the skeleton
  • Bootstrap the project skeleton

Example prompts

  • “scaffold the skeleton”
  • “materialize the skeleton”
  • “bootstrap the project skeleton”
  • “/scaffold”

Workflow steps

8 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Hard gate. Both inputs must exist: docs/architecture-map.md whose frontmatter says
  2. Ensure the settings file (first thing, after this skill's own gate). If .claude/sdd.local.md is
  3. Materialize sequentially inline. Execute the S-tasks one by one in dependency order, in this
  4. Drive the smoke test green. Write the smoke test as part of the harness task, then run the
  5. Reconcile the map's machine keys. If the commands that actually worked differ from the map's
  6. Commit — scaffold: materialize skeleton.
  7. Structural self-check — per ../_shared/self-check.md: verify
  8. Handoff. Emit the stage-handoff block per ../_shared/handoff.md —

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 4403913. 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.

    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

Scaffold loads about 1.8k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 197 tokens; SKILL.md has 840 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~197
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.8k

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 genkovich/sdd at commit 4403913, republished under its MIT licence (© genkovich). 840 words, ~1,842 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/scaffold/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
scaffold
description
Use to materialize the greenfield skeleton that survey's foundation session planned. Reads docs/architecture-map.md (mode: greenfield-bootstrap) plus docs/features/_scaffold/tasks.json and builds the real project structure: folders + entry point, test harness + smoke test, migration tooling, CI, the conventions doc. Triggers on "scaffold the skeleton", "materialize the skeleton", "bootstrap the project skeleton", "/sdd:scaffold", "матеріалізуй скелет", "розгорни скелет проєкту", "збудуй каркас". Runs the S-tasks sequentially inline (no team/workflow orchestration), anchored on the skeleton smoke test — builds + boots + empty test suite runs + migration tool runs — commits, and hands off to /sdd:specify. Hard-refuses without the greenfield foundation: run survey first.
model
inherit
effort
medium

Skill: scaffold

The materialization step between survey's greenfield foundation and the first feature. survey fixes the foundation (stack / structure / conventions in docs/architecture-map.md, marked mode: greenfield-bootstrap) and emits the scaffold plan (docs/features/_scaffold/tasks.json, tasks S1–S5 per ../survey/references/foundation.md); scaffold turns that plan into a repo that builds, boots, tests and migrates — then the normal per-feature flow (specify → … → implement) builds into it. This skill exists so the greenfield handoff is a real gate, not a wave of the hand: _scaffold is not a feature (no .size, no .route, no ACs), so it never enters implement's engine or its team/workflow decision tree.

The skeleton smoke test is the TDD anchor (canonical here). Scaffold tasks have no feature ACs, so red→green anchors on the structural smoke test: RED = the project does not build / boot / the tooling doesn't run; GREEN = build + boot + the empty test suite + the migration tool all succeed. That keeps the discipline meaningful for structural work — no per-folder TDD theatre.

Owner

Architect / Tech Lead — the same person who fixed the foundation in survey.

Inputs

  • docs/architecture-map.md with mode: greenfield-bootstrap — the decided stack, module structure, conventions, and the machine keys (build_cmd, test_cmd, lint_cmd, migration_tool, frontend).
  • docs/features/_scaffold/tasks.json — the S1–S5 scaffold plan (layer: scaffold, slug: "_scaffold").

Protocol

  1. Hard gate. Both inputs must exist: docs/architecture-map.md whose frontmatter says mode: greenfield-bootstrap, AND docs/features/_scaffold/tasks.json parsing as the scaffold contract (slug: "_scaffold", layer: scaffold tasks with id/title/deps/dod/files_hint). Either missing → refuse: «run survey first — its greenfield session fixes the foundation and emits the scaffold plan». A map without the greenfield marker means the repo is already real — refuse too and point at /sdd:specify <slug>. If the skeleton already exists (every S-task's output present and the smoke test green), say so and STOP — nothing to materialize.
  2. Ensure the settings file (first thing, after this skill's own gate). If .claude/sdd.local.md is absent, create it now from the canonical template — documented defaults + the self-documenting body — and patch .gitignore; if it exists, read it and never overwrite. The one procedure lives in ../_shared/settings-file.md. Creating is unconditional; changing values is only ever offered by config. Say one line: «.claude/sdd.local.md created with documented defaults — /sdd:config to tune it». Then read the foundation. From the map: stack, folder/module structure, conventions catalog, the machine keys. From tasks.json: the S-tasks in dependency order. The map is the only source of decisions — scaffold never re-litigates stack/style choices (that was survey's session).
  3. Materialize sequentially inline. Execute the S-tasks one by one in dependency order, in this session — deliberately no agent team, no Workflow, no implement decision tree: _scaffold has no .size/.route, and five structural tasks need no orchestration. Per task: create the files its files_hint names, to the map's conventions; verify its dod; record it done. A task that genuinely doesn't apply (e.g. no datastore → the migration task) is explicitly dropped with a stated reason — never silently skipped.
  4. Drive the smoke test green. Write the smoke test as part of the harness task, then run the full anchor with the map's machine-key commands: build + boot + the empty test suite + the migration tool (apply + revert). Iterate until GREEN — a red skeleton is not done.
  5. Reconcile the map's machine keys. If the commands that actually worked differ from the map's frontmatter (build_cmd / test_cmd / lint_cmd / migration_tool), update the map — implement's command-detection cascade reads these keys; stale keys poison every later feature.
  6. Commit — scaffold: materialize skeleton.
  7. Structural self-check — per ../_shared/self-check.md: verify 4 items: (1) the smoke test was actually executed and is green (build + boot + empty suite + migration tool — command output in hand, not assumed); (2) every S-task is done or explicitly dropped with a reason; (3) the map's machine keys match the commands that just ran (updated if they diverged); (4) the commit contains the skeleton files. Fix + re-check ≤2 cycles; surface anything unresolved.
  8. Handoff. Emit the stage-handoff block per ../_shared/handoff.md — What I did (tasks materialized, smoke-test result, «self-check: 4/4 pass») + Review before continuing (the committed skeleton diff + docs/architecture-map.md) + Run next: /clear, then /sdd:specify <slug> — the first real feature, with a real repo to build into.
Show full SKILL.md (173 more words)Show less

Definition of Done

  • Every S-task from docs/features/_scaffold/tasks.json is materialized (or explicitly dropped with a reason), to the conventions the map fixes.
  • The skeleton smoke test is green: the project builds, boots, the empty test suite runs, the migration tool applies + reverts.
  • The map's machine keys reflect the commands that actually work; the skeleton is committed.

Anti-patterns

  • Orchestrating five structural tasks. No team mode, no Workflow, no DAG engine — _scaffold is repo-level bootstrap, not a feature; sequential inline is the design, not a fallback.
  • Per-folder TDD theatre. The smoke test is the one anchor; writing a failing test per directory is ceremony without information.
  • Re-deciding the foundation. Stack/structure/convention choices live in the map + its ADRs (survey's session); scaffold materializes, it never re-litigates. A gap in the map goes back to survey, not into an improvised decision here.
  • Handing off red. «Skeleton written but doesn't boot» is not done — GREEN is the exit condition.
  • Treating _scaffold as a feature. No .size/.route, no spec, no ACs — it never enters the per-feature pipeline or its size/route machinery.

© genkovich, 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/scaffold of genkovich/sdd.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 4403913

Compare with similar skills

Scaffold 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.

Scaffold compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Scaffold this skillgenkovich/sdd171—~1.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Test Planquran/quran.com-frontend-next1.9k—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Atmos Testscloudposse/atmos1.4k—~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Exploratory Testtobihagemann/turbo409—~2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Exploratory Testtobihagemann/turbo409—~2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Scenario DesignBlackBeltTechnology/pi-agent-dashboard315—~2.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Scaffold

What does Scaffold do?

A skill your agent uses to materialize the greenfield skeleton that survey's foundation session planned. Scaffold is an agent skill from genkovich/sdd. Use to materialize the greenfield skeleton that survey's foundation session planned.

When should I use Scaffold?

Scaffold fits situations like: materialize the greenfield skeleton that surveys foundation session planned; scaffold the skeleton; materialize the skeleton; bootstrap the project skeleton.

How do I install Scaffold in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add genkovich/sdd --skill scaffold -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/scaffold in genkovich/sdd) into .claude/skills/scaffold in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Scaffold in Codex?

Run `npx skills add genkovich/sdd --skill scaffold -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/scaffold in genkovich/sdd) into .agents/skills/scaffold in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Scaffold 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 genkovich/sdd --skill scaffold -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/scaffold, .gemini/skills/scaffold, .github/skills/scaffold and .opencode/skills/scaffold in your project.

What does Scaffold need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Scaffold is instructions for the agent only.

Does Scaffold 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 Scaffold 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 Scaffold use?

Scaffold 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 Scaffold use?

About 1.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.4k 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 Scaffold?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Scaffold: Test Plan (quran/quran.com-frontend-next, 1.9k stars), Atmos Tests (cloudposse/atmos, 1.4k stars), Exploratory Test (tobihagemann/turbo, 409 stars) and Exploratory Test (tobihagemann/turbo, 409 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Scaffold?

genkovich (a GitHub user) maintains it in genkovich/sdd, which has 171 GitHub stars. The repository holds 21 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 5, 2026.

Source: genkovich/sdd on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.