Design it step by step
Define verbs and deliverables
Invented request: create a product deck from written notes. Creating and editing are different. Include goals, existing file types, outputs, and constraints; a PPT keyword is insufficient.
Make catalogue boundaries visible
Store IDs, descriptions, input/output types, prerequisites, and exclusions. App-controlled versions and paths matter. Truncating every description to “handle PPT” destroys the distinction.
Retrieve, then inspect fuller descriptions
The official approach ranks candidates and verifies using more detail. An illustrative three-candidate budget needs testing. Check creation support and prerequisites; rank is only reading priority.
Allow none and clarification
If all candidates require a file but the user has notes only, reject them or expand retrieval. Clarify ambiguous requests. A suggestion does not authorize installing a plugin.
Measure completed tasks too
Track recall, wrong loads, unnecessary loads, and task completion separately. Record selected versions and execution outcomes; test creation, editing, conversion, no-skill requests, and stale catalogues.
Worked example · Invented by this site
| Observation | Judgment | Application action |
|---|---|---|
| New deck from notes | Creation capability fits | Check full conditions |
| Existing deck, one text edit | Editing capability fits | Avoid rebuilding |
| No candidate fits | No applicable skill | Return none or expand |
A copyable design draft
Original examples. JSON illustrates request or input structure; Python calculates invented scores without an API call. Verify current interfaces and task policy before integrating.
# Invented candidate contract.
{
"task": "create a new deck from notes",
"available_inputs": ["plain_text"],
"candidates": [
{"id": "deck-author", "inputs": ["plain_text"], "creates_new": true},
{"id": "deck-editor", "inputs": ["pptx"], "creates_new": false}
],
"none_allowed": true
}Common mistakes
- Selecting by extension only.
- Treating rank as confirmation.
- Always forcing a skill.
TRY / THINK / COMPARE
Think first, then compare
The top candidate needs an existing file, but the user has only notes. What next?
Show explanation
Verify creation support; reject an incompatible candidate and seek an authoring capability or return none.
Before handing it over
- Catalogue retains prerequisites and exclusions.
- IDs and versions traceable.
- Verification can reject all.
- Selection and completion evaluated separately.
Common questions
Is a recommendation a load command?
It is a suggestion subject to availability and permission checks.
Are more candidates always better?
No. Validate the recall–cost tradeoff.
Sources and further reading
Inspired by official patterns and Datawhale practice topics. Explanations, examples, and exercises are independently written. These are teaching designs, not live API runs or benchmarks.