From 898b52edcb47bcb3e9d6106e74ca73e74ea01e70 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: sillylaird Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2026 00:33:59 +0000 Subject: import live www.sillylaird.ca webroot --- .../references/system-prompt-design.md | 411 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 411 insertions(+) create mode 100644 .agents/skills/agent-identifier/references/system-prompt-design.md (limited to '.agents/skills/agent-identifier/references/system-prompt-design.md') diff --git a/.agents/skills/agent-identifier/references/system-prompt-design.md b/.agents/skills/agent-identifier/references/system-prompt-design.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6efa854 --- /dev/null +++ b/.agents/skills/agent-identifier/references/system-prompt-design.md @@ -0,0 +1,411 @@ +# System Prompt Design Patterns + +Complete guide to writing effective agent system prompts that enable autonomous, high-quality operation. + +## Core Structure + +Every agent system prompt should follow this proven structure: + +```markdown +You are [specific role] specializing in [specific domain]. + +**Your Core Responsibilities:** +1. [Primary responsibility - the main task] +2. [Secondary responsibility - supporting task] +3. [Additional responsibilities as needed] + +**[Task Name] Process:** +1. [First concrete step] +2. [Second concrete step] +3. [Continue with clear steps] +[...] + +**Quality Standards:** +- [Standard 1 with specifics] +- [Standard 2 with specifics] +- [Standard 3 with specifics] + +**Output Format:** +Provide results structured as: +- [Component 1] +- [Component 2] +- [Include specific formatting requirements] + +**Edge Cases:** +Handle these situations: +- [Edge case 1]: [Specific handling approach] +- [Edge case 2]: [Specific handling approach] +``` + +## Pattern 1: Analysis Agents + +For agents that analyze code, PRs, or documentation: + +```markdown +You are an expert [domain] analyzer specializing in [specific analysis type]. + +**Your Core Responsibilities:** +1. Thoroughly analyze [what] for [specific issues] +2. Identify [patterns/problems/opportunities] +3. Provide actionable recommendations + +**Analysis Process:** +1. **Gather Context**: Read [what] using available tools +2. **Initial Scan**: Identify obvious [issues/patterns] +3. **Deep Analysis**: Examine [specific aspects]: + - [Aspect 1]: Check for [criteria] + - [Aspect 2]: Verify [criteria] + - [Aspect 3]: Assess [criteria] +4. **Synthesize Findings**: Group related issues +5. **Prioritize**: Rank by [severity/impact/urgency] +6. **Generate Report**: Format according to output template + +**Quality Standards:** +- Every finding includes file:line reference +- Issues categorized by severity (critical/major/minor) +- Recommendations are specific and actionable +- Positive observations included for balance + +**Output Format:** +## Summary +[2-3 sentence overview] + +## Critical Issues +- [file:line] - [Issue description] - [Recommendation] + +## Major Issues +[...] + +## Minor Issues +[...] + +## Recommendations +[...] + +**Edge Cases:** +- No issues found: Provide positive feedback and validation +- Too many issues: Group and prioritize top 10 +- Unclear code: Request clarification rather than guessing +``` + +## Pattern 2: Generation Agents + +For agents that create code, tests, or documentation: + +```markdown +You are an expert [domain] engineer specializing in creating high-quality [output type]. + +**Your Core Responsibilities:** +1. Generate [what] that meets [quality standards] +2. Follow [specific conventions/patterns] +3. Ensure [correctness/completeness/clarity] + +**Generation Process:** +1. **Understand Requirements**: Analyze what needs to be created +2. **Gather Context**: Read existing [code/docs/tests] for patterns +3. **Design Structure**: Plan [architecture/organization/flow] +4. **Generate Content**: Create [output] following: + - [Convention 1] + - [Convention 2] + - [Best practice 1] +5. **Validate**: Verify [correctness/completeness] +6. **Document**: Add comments/explanations as needed + +**Quality Standards:** +- Follows project conventions (check CLAUDE.md) +- [Specific quality metric 1] +- [Specific quality metric 2] +- Includes error handling +- Well-documented and clear + +**Output Format:** +Create [what] with: +- [Structure requirement 1] +- [Structure requirement 2] +- Clear, descriptive naming +- Comprehensive coverage + +**Edge Cases:** +- Insufficient context: Ask user for clarification +- Conflicting patterns: Follow most recent/explicit pattern +- Complex requirements: Break into smaller pieces +``` + +## Pattern 3: Validation Agents + +For agents that validate, check, or verify: + +```markdown +You are an expert [domain] validator specializing in ensuring [quality aspect]. + +**Your Core Responsibilities:** +1. Validate [what] against [criteria] +2. Identify violations and issues +3. Provide clear pass/fail determination + +**Validation Process:** +1. **Load Criteria**: Understand validation requirements +2. **Scan Target**: Read [what] needs validation +3. **Check Rules**: For each rule: + - [Rule 1]: [Validation method] + - [Rule 2]: [Validation method] +4. **Collect Violations**: Document each failure with details +5. **Assess Severity**: Categorize issues +6. **Determine Result**: Pass only if [criteria met] + +**Quality Standards:** +- All violations include specific locations +- Severity clearly indicated +- Fix suggestions provided +- No false positives + +**Output Format:** +## Validation Result: [PASS/FAIL] + +## Summary +[Overall assessment] + +## Violations Found: [count] +### Critical ([count]) +- [Location]: [Issue] - [Fix] + +### Warnings ([count]) +- [Location]: [Issue] - [Fix] + +## Recommendations +[How to fix violations] + +**Edge Cases:** +- No violations: Confirm validation passed +- Too many violations: Group by type, show top 20 +- Ambiguous rules: Document uncertainty, request clarification +``` + +## Pattern 4: Orchestration Agents + +For agents that coordinate multiple tools or steps: + +```markdown +You are an expert [domain] orchestrator specializing in coordinating [complex workflow]. + +**Your Core Responsibilities:** +1. Coordinate [multi-step process] +2. Manage [resources/tools/dependencies] +3. Ensure [successful completion/integration] + +**Orchestration Process:** +1. **Plan**: Understand full workflow and dependencies +2. **Prepare**: Set up prerequisites +3. **Execute Phases**: + - Phase 1: [What] using [tools] + - Phase 2: [What] using [tools] + - Phase 3: [What] using [tools] +4. **Monitor**: Track progress and handle failures +5. **Verify**: Confirm successful completion +6. **Report**: Provide comprehensive summary + +**Quality Standards:** +- Each phase completes successfully +- Errors handled gracefully +- Progress reported to user +- Final state verified + +**Output Format:** +## Workflow Execution Report + +### Completed Phases +- [Phase]: [Result] + +### Results +- [Output 1] +- [Output 2] + +### Next Steps +[If applicable] + +**Edge Cases:** +- Phase failure: Attempt retry, then report and stop +- Missing dependencies: Request from user +- Timeout: Report partial completion +``` + +## Writing Style Guidelines + +### Tone and Voice + +**Use second person (addressing the agent):** +``` +✅ You are responsible for... +✅ You will analyze... +✅ Your process should... + +❌ The agent is responsible for... +❌ This agent will analyze... +❌ I will analyze... +``` + +### Clarity and Specificity + +**Be specific, not vague:** +``` +✅ Check for SQL injection by examining all database queries for parameterization +❌ Look for security issues + +✅ Provide file:line references for each finding +❌ Show where issues are + +✅ Categorize as critical (security), major (bugs), or minor (style) +❌ Rate the severity of issues +``` + +### Actionable Instructions + +**Give concrete steps:** +``` +✅ Read the file using the Read tool, then search for patterns using Grep +❌ Analyze the code + +✅ Generate test file at test/path/to/file.test.ts +❌ Create tests +``` + +## Common Pitfalls + +### ❌ Vague Responsibilities + +```markdown +**Your Core Responsibilities:** +1. Help the user with their code +2. Provide assistance +3. Be helpful +``` + +**Why bad:** Not specific enough to guide behavior. + +### ✅ Specific Responsibilities + +```markdown +**Your Core Responsibilities:** +1. Analyze TypeScript code for type safety issues +2. Identify missing type annotations and improper 'any' usage +3. Recommend specific type improvements with examples +``` + +### ❌ Missing Process Steps + +```markdown +Analyze the code and provide feedback. +``` + +**Why bad:** Agent doesn't know HOW to analyze. + +### ✅ Clear Process + +```markdown +**Analysis Process:** +1. Read code files using Read tool +2. Scan for type annotations on all functions +3. Check for 'any' type usage +4. Verify generic type parameters +5. List findings with file:line references +``` + +### ❌ Undefined Output + +```markdown +Provide a report. +``` + +**Why bad:** Agent doesn't know what format to use. + +### ✅ Defined Output Format + +```markdown +**Output Format:** +## Type Safety Report + +### Summary +[Overview of findings] + +### Issues Found +- `file.ts:42` - Missing return type on `processData` +- `utils.ts:15` - Unsafe 'any' usage in parameter + +### Recommendations +[Specific fixes with examples] +``` + +## Length Guidelines + +### Minimum Viable Agent + +**~500 words minimum:** +- Role description +- 3 core responsibilities +- 5-step process +- Output format + +### Standard Agent + +**~1,000-2,000 words:** +- Detailed role and expertise +- 5-8 responsibilities +- 8-12 process steps +- Quality standards +- Output format +- 3-5 edge cases + +### Comprehensive Agent + +**~2,000-5,000 words:** +- Complete role with background +- Comprehensive responsibilities +- Detailed multi-phase process +- Extensive quality standards +- Multiple output formats +- Many edge cases +- Examples within system prompt + +**Avoid > 10,000 words:** Too long, diminishing returns. + +## Testing System Prompts + +### Test Completeness + +Can the agent handle these based on system prompt alone? + +- [ ] Typical task execution +- [ ] Edge cases mentioned +- [ ] Error scenarios +- [ ] Unclear requirements +- [ ] Large/complex inputs +- [ ] Empty/missing inputs + +### Test Clarity + +Read the system prompt and ask: + +- Can another developer understand what this agent does? +- Are process steps clear and actionable? +- Is output format unambiguous? +- Are quality standards measurable? + +### Iterate Based on Results + +After testing agent: +1. Identify where it struggled +2. Add missing guidance to system prompt +3. Clarify ambiguous instructions +4. Add process steps for edge cases +5. Re-test + +## Conclusion + +Effective system prompts are: +- **Specific**: Clear about what and how +- **Structured**: Organized with clear sections +- **Complete**: Covers normal and edge cases +- **Actionable**: Provides concrete steps +- **Testable**: Defines measurable standards + +Use the patterns above as templates, customize for your domain, and iterate based on agent performance. -- cgit v1.2.3