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Shorten skill system prompt listing to compact YAML entries - #222

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gadenbuie merged 2 commits into
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feat/simplify-skill-listing
Sep 25, 2026
Merged

gadenbuie merged 2 commits into
mainfrom
feat/simplify-skill-listing

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Summary

Replaces the verbose <skill>...</skill> XML blocks in the skills system prompt with compact YAML-style entries:

- skill-name: description
  location: /path/to/skill
  • format_skill_prompt() now emits - name: description entries with indented location/compatibility/allowed-tools fields, and multi-line frontmatter values are collapsed onto one line (skill_prompt_line()) so each entry stays together.
  • The <available_skills> wrapper is replaced by a plain Available skills: heading, dropping xml_escape() entirely since the XML scaffolding is gone.
  • btw_skill_prompt() docs and inst/prompts/skills.md updated to match; tests and snapshots adjusted.

Motivation: the XML tags added prompt tokens without adding information for the LLM; the compact listing conveys the same content with fewer tokens.

@gadenbuie
gadenbuie marked this pull request as ready for review September 25, 2026 21:30
@gadenbuie
gadenbuie merged commit 1025d26 into main Sep 25, 2026
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@gadenbuie
gadenbuie deleted the feat/simplify-skill-listing branch September 25, 2026 21:31
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