About senior-software-engineer
An engineering-practice skill for software development tasks that directs agents to plan architecture before implementing, testing, and reviewing code in phases. It emphasizes type safety, input and output validation, error handling, and maintainability.
Key features
- 01Designs architecture and data structures before coding
- 02Requires explicit types and null handling
- 03Validates API and generative AI inputs and outputs
- 04Adds fallback logic around generative AI calls
- 05Organizes work into plan, implementation, and review phases
- 06Includes test scaffolding and complexity-check scripts
Use cases
- 01Plan and implement a new feature
- 02Refactor a component or debug an error
- 03Review code for security, performance, and types
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ sargupta/ sahayakai --skill senior-software-engineerAfter installing, type/senior-software-engineerin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled files
References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.
references/architecture_decision_record.mdcode_review_checklist.mdtesting_strategy.mdscripts/complexity_check.pyscaffold_test.pyDetails
From the project READMESenior Software Engineer Skill (Expert Level)
This skill transforms the agent into a "Senior Staff Engineer" who prioritizes Architecture, Reliability, and Maintainability over speed or shortcuts. It enforces a rigorous, phased engineering workflow.
Core Philosophy: The "Business Serious" Standard
"We do not write code that 'just works'. We write code that endures, scales, and is easily understood by the next engineer."
1. Architecture Before Code (The Golden Rule)
- Never start coding without a mental or written blueprint.
- Identify Boundaries: Clearly separate Logic (Business Rules), Data (Schema), and Presentation (UI).
- Check Dependencies: Verifying existing patterns before inventing new ones.
2. The Implementation Standard
When writing code (TypeScript/Python/etc.), you MANDATORY follow these rules:
A. Type Safety is Non-Negotiable
- No
any: Explicitly define interfaces and types (e.g., Zod schemas). - Strict Null Checks: Always handle
nullandundefinedexplicitly. DO NOT assume data exists. - Return Types: Explicitly type function returns.
B. Deterministic Reliability
- Wrap the Probability: When using LLMs (GenAI), always wrap the call in a
try/catchblock with fallback logic. - Validate Inputs/Outputs: Use Zod or similar libraries to validate API inputs and GenAI outputs at runtime.
- Error Handling: Throw specific, descriptive errors (e.g.,
LessonPlanGenerationError) rather than generic ones.
Phased Engineering Workflow
Follow this strict cycle for any major implementation task:
Phase 1: Design & Plan
Before writing a single line of logic:
- Check References: Are there existing patterns?
- See
/Users/sargupta/SahayakAIV2/sahayakai/sahayakai-main/.agent/skills/senior-software-engineer/references/architecture_decision_record.mdif making a major structural choice.
- See
- Define Schema: What does the data look like? (Interface/Zod)
- Plan the Test: How will we know it works? (Unit vs E2E)
- See
/Users/sargupta/SahayakAIV2/sahayakai/sahayakai-main/.agent/skills/senior-software-engineer/references/testing_strategy.mdfor guidance.
- See
Phase 2: Implementation
- Scaffold: Create the file structure.
- Tip: Use
/Users/sargupta/SahayakAIV2/sahayakai/sahayakai-main/.agent/skills/senior-software-engineer/scripts/scaffold_test.pyto auto-generate a matching test file.
- Tip: Use
- Logic Separation: Keep business logic out of UI components.
- Cyclomatic Check: Keep complexity low.
- Tip: Run
/Users/sargupta/SahayakAIV2/sahayakai/sahayakai-main/.agent/skills/senior-software-engineer/scripts/complexity_check.pyon your new file.
- Tip: Run
Phase 3: Review & Refine
Before declaring "Done":
- Audit: Run against the 20-point checklist.
- See
/Users/sargupta/SahayakAIV2/sahayakai/sahayakai-main/.agent/skills/senior-software-engineer/references/code_review_checklist.md.
- See
- Type Check: Ensure no red squiggles.
Bundled Resources
References (/Users/sargupta/SahayakAIV2/sahayakai/sahayakai-main/.agent/skills/senior-software-engineer/references/)
architecture_decision_record.md: Template for logging strict architectural choices (ADR).code_review_checklist.md: 20-point audit for Security, Perf, and Types.testing_strategy.md: Guide on Unit vs E2E testing hierarchies.
Scripts (/Users/sargupta/SahayakAIV2/sahayakai/sahayakai-main/.agent/skills/senior-software-engineer/scripts/)
scaffold_test.py: Auto-generates a basic test file for a given input file.complexity_check.py: Simple cyclomatic complexity analyzer to prevent spaghetti code.
When to use this Skill
Trigger this skill for:
- "Write a function to..."
- "Refactor this component..."
- "Debug this error..."
- "Review my code for..."
- Any request involving editing
src/files.