Harness Handbook skill
A skill that builds a stage-by-stage handbook from code so an agent finds every place an edit touches in a large project.
- 342 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- Apache-2.0
Extended access
Why this level
- Code fragments are sent to the chosen model provider and generation spends paid tokens
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add skills/harness-handbookDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- Code fragments are sent to the chosen model provider and generation spends paid tokens
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Harness Handbook turns source code into a structured stage-by-stage map in markdown and optional HTML. The `build-codebase-handbook` skill sits in `.agents/skills/`, and three folders split the work: `handbook_generate_large/` for large codebases, `handbook_generate_small/` for small ones and `handbook_as_helper/`, where the handbook is attached to an agent's planner and the gain in how precisely it finds edit locations is measured. Static analysis uses tree-sitter, while other phases call a model through an OpenAI-compatible interface. Examples: Handbook Studio for browsing a handbook and a ready handbook for Terminus 2. The description is in English, Chinese and Russian.
Who it is for. Developers whose agent edits a large unfamiliar project and misses related places, and researchers of edit-localization quality.
Good fit when
- An agent cannot find every file a change touches in a large repository.
- A handbook for a project is needed for newcomers and agents.
- You must measure how much a handbook improves edit planning.
- You want to look at a ready example on the Terminus 2 codebase.
Not a fit when
- The project is tiny and the agent copes without a handbook.
- Code cannot be sent to an external model.
- You do not want to set up Python and API access.
Example request
Build a staged handbook for this repository and show which places a change to the configuration format would touch.Limitations
Building a handbook calls a model at each stage apart from static analysis, so it spends tokens and sends code fragments to the chosen provider. Python with tree-sitter and several packages is needed, plus access to an OpenAI-compatible API. Check the result against the code. On large codebases generation takes many model calls and a lot of time, and a stale handbook needs rebuilding after significant code changes.
How to disable. Delete the cloned folder, the `.venv` virtual environment and the skill from `.agents/skills/`. Generated handbooks live in output folders; delete them separately.
FAQ
What does the project consist of?
Two parts: building a handbook from code and using it as a planner helper with the result measured.
Is external model access needed?
Yes. Every phase except static analysis calls a model through an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Is there a demo?
Handbook Studio to browse a handbook and a sample handbook for Terminus 2, linked in the README.
Which languages is the description in?
English, Chinese and Russian.
How do the large and small generators differ?
The first targets large codebases and the second small ones; each folder has its own `README.md`.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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README in short
The handbook splits code into stages, and the helper attaches it to an agent planner and compares edit-location accuracy with and without it.