Library-Reference Distillation — Archetype Playbook

Methodology distillation of the conventions that hold across shipped library-reference distillations in this repo — the archetype that turns one external library into an idiomatic-usage rule pack. Not a generator; a constraint set on the editorial decisions /dev-skill:new cannot make for you.

This is the archetype layer that sits above /dev-skill:new and /dev-skill:ingest. The generator handles the structural shell. This skill handles the four decisions you re-make for every library-ref skill: where to source from, how to pin against version drift, how to shape categories and rules, and how to keep the metadata an honest checksum.

When to Apply

Use this skill when:

• Starting a new library-ref distillation (the library has docs and a stable surface area you want to capture as idiomatic rules)
• Evolving an existing library-ref skill against a new upstream release or major version bump
• Reviewing a draft library-ref skill that "feels like the docs rewritten"
• Picking categories and a prefix scheme for a new skill and the choices feel arbitrary
• Deciding whether to pin the upstream version in SKILL.md heading or only in metadata.json
• Refreshing a skill where you suspect rule drift from upstream (the openai-codex-rust-patterns lesson: codex-rs drifts hard between snapshots)

This skill is not for: