Skill Creator Ms

1. Concise is Key

The context window is a shared resource. Challenge each piece: "Does this justify its token cost?"

Default assumption: Agents are already capable. Only add what they don't already know.

2. Fresh Documentation First

Azure SDKs change constantly. Skills should instruct agents to verify documentation:

## Before Implementation

Search `microsoft-docs` MCP for current API patterns:
- Query: "[SDK name] [operation] python"
- Verify: Parameters match your installed SDK version

3. Degrees of Freedom

Match specificity to task fragility:

4. Progressive Disclosure

Skills load in three levels:

1. Metadata (~100 words) — Always in context
2. SKILL.md body (<5k words) — When skill triggers
3. References (unlimited) — As needed

Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. Split into reference files when approaching this limit.

Skill Structure

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter (name, description)
│   └── Markdown instructions
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/      — Executable code
    ├── references/   — Documentation loaded as needed
    └── assets/       — Output resources (templates, images)

SKILL.md

• Frontmatter: name and description. The description is the trigger mechanism.
• Body: Instructions loaded only after triggering.

Bundled Resources

Don't include: README.md, CHANGELOG.md, installation guides.

Creating Azure SDK Skills

When creating skills for Azure SDKs, follow these patterns consistently.

Skill Section Order

Follow this structure (based on existing Azure SDK skills):

1. Title — # SDK Name
2. Installation — pip install, npm install, etc.
3. Environment Variables — Required configuration
4. Authentication — Always DefaultAzureCredential
5. Core Workflow — Minimal viable example
6. Feature Tables — Clients, methods, tools
7. Best Practices — Numbered list
8. Reference Links — Table linking to /references/*.md

Authentication Pattern (All Languages)

Always use DefaultAzureCredential:

# Python
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
client = ServiceClient(endpoint, credential)

// C#
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
var client = new ServiceClient(new Uri(endpoint), credential);

// Java
TokenCredential credential = new DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder().build();
ServiceClient client = new ServiceClientBuilder()
    .endpoint(endpoint)
    .credential(credential)
    .buildClient();

// TypeScript
import { DefaultAzureCredential } from "@azure/identity";
const credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
const client = new ServiceClient(endpoint, credential);

Never hardcode credentials. Use environment variables.

Standard Verb Patterns

Azure SDKs use consistent verbs across all languages:

Language-Specific Patterns

See references/azure-sdk-patterns.md for detailed patterns including:

• Python: ItemPaged, LROPoller, context managers, Sphinx docstrings
• .NET: Response<T>, Pageable<T>, Operation<T>, mocking support
• Java: Builder pattern, PagedIterable/PagedFlux, Reactor types
• TypeScript: PagedAsyncIterableIterator, AbortSignal, browser considerations

Example: Azure SDK Skill Structure

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