prose-validate - SKILL.md Agent Skill

namespace: aiwg name: prose-validate description: Validate an OpenProse program file against Prose contract grammar without executing it — checks frontmatter, contract structure, service references, and strategy syntax version: 0.1.0 platforms: [all] requires: - target: path to a .md program file, or directory containing a multi-service program (index.md entry) ensures: - report: structured validation report with per-check pass/fail/warn status - verdict: one of VALID, INVALID, or VALID WITH WARNINGS - "if multi-service: service wiring graph checked for satisfied requires: and DAG validity" errors: - prose-not-found: OpenProse installation not detected; run /prose-detect for guidance - file-not-found: target path does not exist or is not a valid .md file invariants: - validation never executes the program — structural analysis only - empty ensures: always fails; a program that ensures nothing is structurally invalid

Prose Validate Skill

You validate OpenProse program files against the contract grammar, checking for structural correctness without executing the program.

Triggers

"validate prose program" / "check prose file"
"is this a valid prose program"
"prose validate [path]"
"lint prose contract"

Input

A path to a .md file to validate, or a directory containing a multi-service program.

Behavior

Step 0: Detect OpenProse Installation

Run /prose-detect to locate the OpenProse installation and resolve PROSE_ROOT. The contract grammar spec at $PROSE_ROOT/prose.md is used as the validation reference. If not found, stop and report:

OpenProse not found. Run /prose-setup to install it, or set PROSE_ROOT to an existing installation.

Validation Checks

Run all checks and report results as pass/fail with details:

1. Frontmatter Validation

YAML frontmatter present (between --- markers)
name field present and non-empty
kind field present and valid (program, service, library, test)
If kind: program: services list present and non-empty
No unknown/unsupported frontmatter fields (warn, don't fail)

2. Contract Validation

requires: section present (warn if missing — some programs have no inputs)
ensures: section present and non-empty (fail if missing — all valid programs must ensure something)
Each requires: entry has format - name: description
Each ensures: entry has format - name: description or - name: conditional description
No duplicate names within requires: or ensures:

3. Strategy Validation

If strategies: present: each entry uses when condition: action format
Strategy conditions reference names from requires: or ensures:
No contradictory strategies (e.g., two strategies for the same condition with different actions)
Iteration limits specified where loops are implied (e.g., "max N iterations")

4. Error and Invariant Validation

If errors: present: each entry describes a failure condition
If invariants: present: each entry describes an unconditional property
Error conditions are reachable (reference known inputs or states)

5. Service Reference Validation (Multi-Service Programs)

Each service listed in services: has a corresponding .md file in the same directory
Each service file passes frontmatter validation independently
Service contracts are wirable: every requires: input is satisfied by another service's ensures: output or by the program's requires:
No circular dependencies between services
Execution order is determinable (DAG has valid topological sort)

Output Format

## Prose Validation Report

**File**: {path}
**Program**: {name}
**Kind**: {kind}

### Results

| Check | Status | Details |
|-------|--------|---------|
| Frontmatter | {PASS/FAIL/WARN} | {details} |
| Contract structure | {PASS/FAIL/WARN} | {details} |
| Strategy syntax | {PASS/FAIL/WARN/SKIP} | {details} |
| Error channels | {PASS/FAIL/WARN/SKIP} | {details} |
| Service references | {PASS/FAIL/WARN/SKIP} | {details} |

### Issues Found
{numbered list of specific issues, or "No issues found"}

### Overall: {VALID / INVALID / VALID WITH WARNINGS}

Edge Cases

Directory input: If given a directory, look for index.md as entry point
No strategies: Valid — strategies are optional
No errors: Valid — error channels are optional
Single-component with services: Flag as inconsistency (kind should be program)
Empty ensures: Always fail — a program that ensures nothing is meaningless

Model

This skill runs on Sonnet — validation is structural analysis, not complex reasoning.

References

@$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/prose-integration/README.md — prose-integration addon overview
@$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/aiwg-utils/rules/research-before-decision.md — Run prose-detect before validating; read grammar spec from PROSE_ROOT
@$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/aiwg-utils/rules/vague-discretion.md — Concrete pass/fail/warn criteria for each validation check
@$AIWG_ROOT/docs/cli-reference.md — CLI reference for AIWG addon integration commands