trellis-before-dev

Loads project-specific coding guidelines from .trellis/spec/ before implementation begins.

Updated Sep 5, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/jiozhaoyue/ST-BgLoader --skill trellis-before-dev-jiozhaoyue
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: trellis-before-dev
Source: https://github.com/jiozhaoyue/ST-BgLoader/tree/main/.cursor/skills/trellis-before-dev
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/jiozhaoyue/ST-BgLoader --skill trellis-before-dev-jiozhaoyue

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Developers often start coding without reviewing project conventions, leading to inconsistent patterns, missed standards, and rework. This Skill ensures the AI reads the relevant spec indexes, pre-development checklists, and shared guides from the .trellis/spec/ directory before writing any code. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Spec Discovery: Runs get_context.py to enumerate packages and their spec layers, then reads the relevant index.md files for the target package. - Pre-Development Checklists: Follows checklist sections in spec indexes to load concrete guideline files like error-handling.md, conventions.md, and mock-strategies.md. - Change Boundary Declaration: For non-trivial tasks, requires stating the behavior gap, affected files, and explicit scope exclusions before coding. - Use Case: Before modifying the cli/ package, the Skill reads the package's spec index, loads the listed guideline files, and confirms conventions so the implementation matches project standards. ## Quick Start Before writing any code for this task, load the relevant Trellis specs and pre-development checklists for the package I am about to modify.

Frequently Asked Questions about trellis-before-dev

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I load project coding guidelines before writing code?▼

Run the get_context.py script with --mode packages to list spec layers, then read the index.md for each relevant package layer and follow its Pre-Development Checklist to load the actual guideline files.

What is the Trellis spec directory structure?▼

Specs live under .trellis/spec/ organized by package and layer, each with an index.md pointing to guideline files like error-handling.md and conventions.md. Shared guides live in .trellis/spec/guides/index.md.

When should I declare a change boundary before coding?▼

Declare a change boundary for non-trivial tasks that touch more than one file, cross a layer, change a public interface, or edit code you did not just write. Small well-scoped changes can proceed directly.

Does this skill work without prd.md or design.md files?▼

Yes, task artifacts like design.md and implement.md are optional and read only if present. The spec discovery and guideline loading steps still apply regardless of which artifacts exist.

What are the limitations of spec index files?▼

An index.md is not the goal itself; it only points to actual guideline files. You must read the specific files listed in the Pre-Development Checklist to understand the real coding standards and patterns.