Generate spreadsheets, diagrams, and PDF reports in a phased workflow with explicit iteration budgets and error recovery
This skill provides a structured, phased approach for creating multiple deliverable types (spreadsheets, diagrams, PDF reports) in a single cohesive workflow with explicit iteration budgeting to prevent premature exhaustion.
Use this workflow when you need to:
Allocate iterations BEFORE starting work:
| Phase | Deliverable | Budget | Checkpoint |
|---|
| Phase 1 | Spreadsheet | 8 iterations | File exists + readable |
| Phase 2 | Diagram | 8 iterations | File exists + >1KB |
| Phase 3 | PDF Report | 8 iterations | File exists + ARTIFACT_PATH output |
| Buffer | Error recovery | 6 iterations | Remaining for retries |
| Total | All deliverables | 30 iterations | All verified |
Rules:
Define all deliverables explicitly:
Deliverable 1: hardware_selection_table.xlsx (Excel with comparison data)
Deliverable 2: cnc_workcell_layout.png (PNG diagram of layout)
Deliverable 3: final_report.pdf (PDF summary report)
Verify workspace is accessible:
run_shell
command: ls -la /workspace/ && mkdir -p /workspace/artifacts
Set path variables for consistency:
/workspace/ or /workspace/artifacts/./output.xlsxStep 1.1: Choose approach
| Method | Tool | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Python | execute_code_sandbox | Quick generation, simple tables |
| Shell agent | shell_agent | Complex logic, error recovery |
Step 1.2: Create spreadsheet code
from openpyxl import Workbook
from openpyxl.styles import Font, Alignment, Border, Side
def create_hardware_table():
wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.active
ws.title = "Hardware Selection"
# Headers with styling
headers = ["Component", "Option A", "Option B", "Option C", "Recommendation"]
for col, header in enumerate(headers, 1):
cell = ws.cell(row=1, column=col, value=header)
cell.font = Font(bold=True)
cell.alignment = Alignment(horizontal='center')
# Data rows
data = [
["Controller", "PLC-X100 ($500)", "PLC-Y200 ($650)", "PLC-Z300 ($800)", "PLC-Y200"],
["Motor", "Servo-500W ($300)", "Servo-750W ($400)", "Stepper-1kW ($250)", "Servo-750W"],
["Sensor", "Proximity-S1 ($50)", "Vision-V2 ($200)", "Laser-L3 ($150)", "Vision-V2"]
]
for row_idx, row_data in enumerate(data, 2):
for col_idx, value in enumerate(row_data, 1):
ws.cell(row=row_idx, column=col_idx, value=value)
# Auto-adjust column widths
for col in ws.columns:
max_length = max(len(str(cell.value)) for cell in col if cell.value)
ws.column_dimensions[col[0].column_letter].width = min(max_length + 2, 25)
output_path = '/workspace/hardware_selection_table.xlsx'
wb.save(output_path)
print(f'SUCCESS: Spreadsheet created at {output_path}')
print(f'ARTIFACT_PATH:{output_path}')
return output_path
create_hardware_table()
Step 1.3: Execute with verification
execute_code_sandbox
code: <spreadsheet code from Step 1.2>
language: python
Step 1.4: Verify (REQUIRED before proceeding)
run_shell
command: ls -lh /workspace/*.xlsx && python3 -c "import openpyxl; openpyxl.load_workbook('/workspace/hardware_selection_table.xlsx')"
Checkpoint criteria:
Step 2.1: Choose diagram type and tool
| Diagram Type | Tool | Library |
|---|---|---|
| Flowchart/Blocks | execute_code_sandbox | matplotlib, graphviz |
| Layout/Floorplan | shell_agent | matplotlib, PIL |
| Architecture | execute_code_sandbox | matplotlib, diagram |
Step 2.2: Create diagram code (matplotlib example)
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.patches as patches
def create_layout_diagram():
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(12, 8))
ax.set_xlim(0, 100)
ax.set_ylim(0, 80)
ax.set_aspect('equal')
ax.set_title('CNC Workcell Layout', fontsize=16, pad=20)
# Define workcell components
components = [
{'label': 'CNC Machine', 'xy': (30, 40), 'w': 25, 'h': 20, 'color': '#3498db'},
{'label': 'Robot Arm', 'xy': (60, 40), 'w': 15, 'h': 15, 'color': '#e74c3c'},
{'label': 'Material Rack', 'xy': (10, 20), 'w': 15, 'h': 40, 'color': '#2ecc71'},
{'label': 'Control Panel', 'xy': (75, 60), 'w': 12, 'h': 10, 'color': '#f39c12'},
{'label': 'Safety Zone', 'xy': (25, 35), 'w': 50, 'h': 30, 'color': 'none', 'edge': '#95a5a6', 'dashed': True}
]
for comp in components:
if comp.get('edge'):
rect = patches.Rectangle(
(comp['xy'][0], comp['xy'][1]),
comp['w'], comp['h'],
linewidth=2,
edgecolor=comp['edge'],
facecolor=comp['color'],
linestyle='--' if comp.get('dashed') else '-'
)
else:
rect = patches.Rectangle(
(comp['xy'][0], comp['xy'][1]),
comp['w'], comp['h'],
linewidth=2,
edgecolor='black',
facecolor=comp['color']
)
ax.add_patch(rect)
ax.text(
comp['xy'][0] + comp['w']/2,
comp['xy'][1] + comp['h']/2,
comp['label'],
ha='center', va='center', fontsize=10, fontweight='bold'
)
plt.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
plt.xlabel('Distance (m)')
plt.ylabel('Distance (m)')
output_path = '/workspace/cnc_workcell_layout.png'
plt.savefig(output_path, dpi=150, bbox_inches='tight')
plt.close()
print(f'SUCCESS: Diagram created at {output_path}')
print(f'ARTIFACT_PATH:{output_path}')
return output_path
create_layout_diagram()
Step 2.3: Execute and verify
execute_code_sandbox
code: <diagram code from Step 2.2>
language: python
Verification:
run_shell
command: ls -lh /workspace/*.png && file /workspace/*.png
Checkpoint criteria:
Step 3.1: Prepare content aggregation
Gather data from previous phases:
Step 3.2: Create PDF generation code
from reportlab.lib import colors
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter
from reportlab.platypus import SimpleDocTemplate, Paragraph, Spacer, Table, TableStyle, Image
from reportlab.lib.styles import getSampleStyleSheet, ParagraphStyle
from reportlab.lib.units import inch
from reportlab.lib.enums import TA_CENTER, TA_LEFT
def create_final_report(output_path):
doc = SimpleDocTemplate(output_path, pagesize=letter,
rightMargin=0.75*inch, leftMargin=0.75*inch,
topMargin=0.75*inch, bottomMargin=0.75*inch)
styles = getSampleStyleSheet()
story = []
# Custom styles
title_style = ParagraphStyle('CustomTitle', parent=styles['Heading1'],
fontSize=20, spaceAfter=30, alignment=TA_CENTER,
fontName='Helvetica-Bold')
heading_style = ParagraphStyle('CustomHeading', parent=styles['Heading2'],
fontSize=14, spaceAfter=12, spaceBefore=20,
fontName='Helvetica-Bold')
# Title
story.append(Paragraph("CNC Workcell Implementation Report", title_style))
story.append(Spacer(1, 0.5*inch))
# Executive Summary
story.append(Paragraph("Executive Summary", heading_style))
summary_text = """
This report presents the hardware selection analysis and workcell layout
for the proposed CNC implementation. After evaluating multiple options across
controllers, motors, and sensors, recommended configurations balance cost,
performance, and reliability.
"""
story.append(Paragraph(summary_text, styles['Normal']))
story.append(Spacer(1, 0.3*inch))
# Hardware Selection Table
story.append(Paragraph("Hardware Selection Summary", heading_style))
data = [
['Component', 'Recommended Option', 'Cost', 'Rationale'],
['Controller', 'PLC-Y200', '$650', 'Best cost/performance balance'],
['Motor', 'Servo-750W', '$400', 'Adequate power with precision'],
['Sensor', 'Vision-V2', '$200', 'Enables quality inspection']
]
table = Table(data, colWidths=[1.5*inch, 1.7*inch, 1*inch, 2.3*inch])
table.setStyle(TableStyle([
('BACKGROUND', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors '#2c3e50'),
('TEXTCOLOR', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors.whitesmoke),
('ALIGN', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 'CENTER'),
('FONTNAME', (0, 0), (-1, 0), 'Helvetica-Bold'),
('FONTSIZE', (0, 0), (-1, 0), 11),
('BOTTOMPADDING', (0, 0), (-1, 0), 12),
('BACKGROUND', (0, 1), (-1, -1), colors.beige),
('GRID', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 1, colors.black),
('VALIGN', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 'MIDDLE')
]))
story.append(table)
story.append(Spacer(1, 0.4*inch))
# Layout Diagram Reference
story.append(Paragraph("Workcell Layout", heading_style))
story.append(Paragraph("See attached diagram: cnc_workcell_layout.png", styles['Normal']))
story.append(Spacer(1, 0.2*inch))
# Recommendations
story.append(Paragraph("Implementation Recommendations", heading_style))
rec_text = """
1. Begin with controller installation and configuration
2. Integrate motor drives and verify motion control
3. Install and calibrate vision system
4. Conduct safety zone validation
5. Perform full system integration testing
"""
story.append(Paragraph(rec_text, styles['Normal']))
story.append(Spacer(1, 0.5*inch))
# Footer
story.append(Spacer(1, 0.5*inch))
footer_style = ParagraphStyle('Footer', parent=styles['Normal'],
fontSize=9, alignment=TA_CENTER, textColor=colors.grey)
story.append(Paragraph("Generated by Unified Deliverables Workflow", footer_style))
doc.build(story)
print(f'SUCCESS: PDF report created at {output_path}')
print(f'ARTIFACT_PATH:{output_path}')
return output_path
create_final_report('/workspace/final_report.pdf')
Step 3.3: Execute with explicit artifact path
execute_code_sandbox
code: <PDF code from Step 3.2>
language: python
Step 3.4: Final verification
run_shell
command: ls -lh /workspace/*.pdf && echo "---" && ls -lh /workspace/*.xlsx /workspace/*.png
Checkpoint criteria:
Strategy 1: Use shell_agent (more resilient)
shell_agent
task: Create an Excel file at /workspace/hardware_selection_table.xlsx with hardware comparison data including controllers, motors, and sensors with costs and recommendations
Strategy 2: Simplify the code
Strategy 3: Change output format
| Iterations Remaining | Action |
|---|---|
| < 10 | Skip non-critical formatting, use minimal viable output |
| < 5 | Use simplest possible implementation, skip verification |
| < 3 | Output text summary with file paths, request manual generation |
/workspace/filename.ext, never relative| Task | Primary Tool | Fallback Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet | execute_code_sandbox (openpyxl) | shell_agent (pandas) |
| Diagram | execute_code_sandbox (matplotlib) | shell_agent (graphviz) |
| PDF Report | execute_code_sandbox (reportlab) | shell_agent (fpdf) |
| Verification | run_shell (ls, file) | read_file (for content check) |
| Problem | Immediate Action |
|---|---|
| execute_code_sandbox returns "[ERROR] unknown error" | Retry once, then switch to shell_agent |
| File not found after execution | Check actual path with run_shell: ls /workspace/ |
| ARTIFACT_PATH not output | Re-run with explicit print statement |
| Iteration budget nearly exhausted | Skip remaining deliverables, document what was created |
| Library import fails | Add !pip install <library> at code start |
execute_code_sandbox - Primary tool for code execution (Python)shell_agent - Fallback for complex tasks or when sandbox failsrun_shell - Verification and workspace inspectionread_file - Content verification (type: xlsx, png, pdf)create_file - Alternative for text-based outputs