create-command

Command Creator Assistant

This meta-command helps create other commands by:

1. Understanding the command's purpose
2. Determining its category and pattern
3. Choosing command location (project vs user)
4. Generating the command file
5. Creating supporting resources
6. Updating documentation

<command_categories>

1. Planning Commands (Specialized)

   • Feature ideation, proposals, PRDs
   • Complex workflows with distinct stages
   • Interactive, conversational style
   • Create documentation artifacts
   • Examples: @/.claude/commands/01_brainstorm-feature.md @/.claude/commands/02_feature-proposal.md

2. Implementation Commands (Generic with Modes)

   • Technical execution tasks
   • Mode-based variations (ui, core, mcp, etc.)
   • Follow established patterns
   • Update task states
   • Example: @/.claude/commands/implement.md

3. Analysis Commands (Specialized)

   • Review, audit, analyze
   • Generate reports or insights
   • Read-heavy operations
   • Provide recommendations
   • Example: @/.claude/commands/review.md

4. Workflow Commands (Specialized)

   • Orchestrate multiple steps
   • Coordinate between areas
   • Manage dependencies
   • Track progress
   • Example: @/.claude/commands/04_feature-planning.md

5. Utility Commands (Generic or Specialized)

   • Tools, helpers, maintenance
   • Simple operations
   • May or may not need modes </command_categories>

<command_frontmatter>

CRITICAL: Every Command Must Start with Frontmatter

All command files MUST begin with YAML frontmatter enclosed in --- delimiters:

---
description: Brief description of what the command does
argument-hint: Description of expected arguments (optional)
---

Frontmatter Fields

1. description (REQUIRED):

   • One-line summary of the command's purpose
   • Clear, concise, action-oriented
   • Example: "Guided feature development with codebase understanding and architecture focus"

2. argument-hint (OPTIONAL):

   • Describes what arguments the command accepts
   • Examples:
     • "Optional feature description"
     • "File path to analyze"
     • "Component name and location"
     • "None required - interactive mode"

Example Frontmatter by Command Type

Placement

• Frontmatter MUST be the very first content in the file
• No blank lines before the opening ---
• One blank line after the closing --- before content begins </command_frontmatter>

<command_features>

Slash Command Features

Namespacing

Use subdirectories to group related commands. Subdirectories appear in the command description but don't affect the command name.

Example:

• .claude/commands/frontend/component.md creates /component with description "(project:frontend)"
• ~/.claude/commands/component.md creates /component with description "(user)"

Priority: If a project command and user command share the same name, the project command takes precedence.

Arguments

All Arguments with $ARGUMENTS

Captures all arguments passed to the command:

Individual Arguments with $1, $2, etc.

Access specific arguments individually using positional parameters:

Bash Command Execution

Execute bash commands before the slash command runs using the ! prefix. The output is included in the command context.

Note: You must include allowed-tools with the Bash tool.

File References

Include file contents using the @ prefix to reference files:

Thinking Mode

Slash commands can trigger extended thinking by including extended thinking keywords.

Frontmatter Options

Example with all frontmatter options:

</command_features>

<pattern_research>

Before Creating: Study Similar Commands

1. List existing commands in target directory:

   # For project commands
   ls -la /.claude/commands/
    
   # For user commands
   ls -la ~/.claude/commands/

2. Read similar commands for patterns:

   • Check the frontmatter (description and argument-hint)
   • How do they structure sections?
   • What MCP tools do they use?
   • How do they handle arguments?
   • What documentation do they reference?

3. Common patterns to look for:

   # MCP tool usage for tasks
   Use tool: mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_create
   Use tool: mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_update
   Use tool: mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_list
    
   # NOT CLI commands
   ❌ Run: scopecraft task list
   ✅ Use tool: mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_list

4. Standard references to include:

   • @/docs/organizational-structure-guide.md
   • @/docs/command-resources/{relevant-templates}
   • @/docs/claude-commands-guide.md </pattern_research>

<interview_process>

Phase 1: Understanding Purpose

"Let's create a new command. First, let me check what similar commands exist..."

Use Glob to find existing commands in the target category

"Based on existing patterns, please describe:"

1. What problem does this command solve?
2. Who will use it and when?
3. What's the expected output?
4. Is it interactive or batch?

Phase 2: Category Classification

Based on responses and existing examples:

• Is this like existing planning commands? (Check: brainstorm-feature, feature-proposal)
• Is this like implementation commands? (Check: implement.md)
• Does it need mode variations?
• Should it follow analysis patterns? (Check: review.md)

Phase 3: Pattern Selection

Study similar commands first:

# Read a similar command
@{similar-command-path}
 
# Note patterns:
- Task description style
- Argument handling
- MCP tool usage
- Documentation references
- Human review sections

Phase 4: Command Location

🎯 Critical Decision: Where should this command live?

Project Command (/.claude/commands/)

• Specific to this project's workflow
• Uses project conventions
• References project documentation
• Integrates with project MCP tools

User Command (~/.claude/commands/)

• General-purpose utility
• Reusable across projects
• Personal productivity tool
• Not project-specific

Ask: "Should this be:

1. A project command (specific to this codebase)
2. A user command (available in all projects)?"

Phase 5: Resource Planning

Check existing resources:

# Check templates
ls -la /docs/command-resources/planning-templates/
ls -la /docs/command-resources/implement-modes/
 
# Check which guides exist
ls -la /docs/

</interview_process>

<generation_patterns>

Critical: Copy Patterns from Similar Commands

Before generating, read similar commands and note:

1. Frontmatter (MUST BE FIRST):

   ---
   description: Clear one-line description of command purpose
   argument-hint: What arguments does it accept
   ---
   • No blank lines before opening ---
   • One blank line after closing ---
   • description is REQUIRED
   • argument-hint is OPTIONAL

2. MCP Tool Usage:

   # From existing commands
   Use mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_create
   Use mcp__scopecraft-cmd__feature_get
   Use mcp__scopecraft-cmd__phase_list

3. Standard References:

   <context>
   Key Reference: @/docs/organizational-structure-guide.md
   Template: @/docs/command-resources/planning-templates/{template}.md
   Guide: @/docs/claude-commands-guide.md
   </context>

4. Task Update Patterns:

   <task_updates>
   After implementation:
   1. Update task status to appropriate state
   2. Add implementation log entries
   3. Mark checklist items as complete
   4. Document any decisions made
   </task_updates>

5. Human Review Sections:

   <human_review_needed>
   Flag decisions needing verification:
   - [ ] Assumptions about workflows
   - [ ] Technical approach choices
   - [ ] Pattern-based suggestions
   </human_review_needed>

</generation_patterns>

<implementation_steps>

1. Create Command File

   • Determine location based on project/user choice
   • Generate content following established patterns
   • Include all required sections

2. Create Supporting Files (if project command)

   • Templates in /docs/command-resources/
   • Mode guides if generic command
   • Example documentation

3. Update Documentation (if project command)

   • Add to claude-commands-guide.md
   • Update feature-development-workflow.md if workflow command
   • Add to README if user-facing

4. Test the Command

   • Create example usage scenarios
   • Verify argument handling
   • Check MCP tool integration </implementation_steps>

<creation_checklist> Before finalizing:

• Includes YAML frontmatter with description (required) and argument-hint (optional)
• Frontmatter is the very first content (no blank lines before opening ---)
• Studied similar commands in the category
• Command follows naming conventions (use numeric prefix for ordered workflows)
• Includes proper task/context structure
• References @organizational-structure-guide.md
• Uses MCP tools (not CLI) - check existing patterns
• Includes human review sections
• Has clear examples like other commands
• Updates task states appropriately
• Creates proper documentation
• Follows established patterns from similar commands
• Correct command prefix (project: or user:) </creation_checklist>

<example_session> User: "I need a command to help validate our API documentation"

🔍 Research: Let me check existing analysis commands...

Use Read tool to examine: /.claude/commands/review.md

I notice the review command:

• Uses MCP tools for task operations
• Includes human review sections
• References organizational structure
• Has clear output formatting

🤔 Question: Can you tell me more about this API documentation validation?

• What format is the documentation in?
• What aspects need validation?
• Should it create tasks for issues found?

User: "It's OpenAPI specs, need to check for completeness and consistency"

💡 Category: This is an Analysis command similar to 'review'.

🔍 Pattern Check: Looking at review.md, I see it:

<task>
You are a code reviewer conducting a comprehensive review...
</task>
 
<mcp_usage>
Always use MCP tools:
- mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_list
- mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_update
</mcp_usage>

🎯 Location Question: Should this be:

1. A project command (specific to this API project)
2. A user command (useful for all your API projects)

User: "Project command - it needs to reference our specific API standards"

✅ Creating project command: /.claude/commands/validate-api.md

Generated command (following review.md patterns):

---
description: Validates API documentation against OpenAPI standards for completeness and consistency
argument-hint: Path to OpenAPI spec file (optional, will search if not provided)
---
 
<task>
You are an API documentation validator reviewing OpenAPI specifications for completeness and consistency.
</task>
 
<context>
References:
- API Standards: @/docs/api-standards.md
- Organizational Structure: @/docs/organizational-structure-guide.md
Similar to: @/.claude/commands/review.md
</context>
 
<validation_process>
1. Load OpenAPI spec files
2. Check required endpoints documented
3. Validate response schemas
4. Verify authentication documented
5. Check for missing examples
</validation_process>
 
<mcp_usage>
If issues found, create tasks:
- Use tool: mcp__scopecraft-cmd__task_create
- Type: "bug" or "documentation"
- Phase: Current active phase
- Area: "docs" or "api"
</mcp_usage>
 
<human_review_needed>
Flag for manual review:
- [ ] Breaking changes detected
- [ ] Security implications unclear
- [ ] Business logic assumptions
</human_review_needed>

</example_session>

<final_output> After gathering all information:

1. Command Created:

   • Location: {chosen location}
   • Name: {command-name}
   • Category: {category}
   • Pattern: {specialized/generic}

2. Resources Created:

   • Supporting templates: {list}
   • Documentation updates: {list}

3. Usage Instructions:

   • Command: /{prefix}:{name}
   • Example: {example usage}

4. Next Steps:

   • Test the command
   • Refine based on usage
   • Add to command documentation </final_output>