create-plugin-from-repo

Create Plugin from Repository

Generate a Claude Code plugin by analyzing an open source repository.

Usage

/create-plugin-from-repo <repo-url> [plugin-name]

• repo-url: GitHub URL or git clone URL for the repository
• plugin-name: Optional name for the plugin (defaults to repo name)

Process

Step 1: Clone Repository

Clone the repository to a temporary directory:

TEMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
git clone --depth 1 <repo-url> "$TEMP_DIR/repo"
cd "$TEMP_DIR/repo"

Step 2: Analyze Repository Structure

Explore the repository to understand its purpose and structure:

1. Read primary documentation:

   • README.md (or README.rst, README.txt)
   • docs/ directory if present
   • Any GETTING_STARTED, QUICKSTART, or TUTORIAL files

2. Identify the technology:

   • Check build files (build.gradle, package.json, Cargo.toml, pyproject.toml, etc.)
   • Determine the language and ecosystem
   • Note any framework dependencies

3. Examine source structure:

   • Main source directories
   • Example or sample directories
   • Test directories (often contain usage patterns)

4. Look for API surface:

   • Public APIs, annotations, decorators
   • Configuration options
   • Extension points

Step 3: Identify Skill Categories

Based on analysis, determine what skills would help users. Common categories:

Step 4: Generate Plugin Structure

Create the plugin in the target marketplace:

plugins/<plugin-name>/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json
├── skills/
│   ├── <plugin-name>-install/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   ├── <plugin-name>-usage/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   └── <plugin-name>-debugging/
│       └── SKILL.md
└── README.md (optional)

Step 5: Write Skill Content

For each skill, create a SKILL.md with:

1. Frontmatter: name and description
2. Overview: What the skill helps with
3. Key Information: Extracted from docs/code
4. Examples: Real examples from the repo
5. Common Patterns: Frequently used patterns
6. Troubleshooting: Known issues and solutions (for debugging skills)

Skill Writing Guidelines

• Be specific: Include actual code patterns, not generic advice
• Use repo examples: Pull real examples from docs, tests, or samples
• Include versions: Note which versions the information applies to
• Link to sources: Reference official docs where appropriate
• Progressive disclosure: Start simple, add complexity gradually

Step 6: Update Marketplace

Add the plugin entry to .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:

{
  "name": "<plugin-name>",
  "source": "./plugins/<plugin-name>",
  "description": "<description from README>",
  "version": "1.0.0"
}

Step 7: Cleanup

Remove the temporary directory:

rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"

Output

After completion, report:

• Plugin location
• Skills created with brief descriptions
• Any manual steps needed (e.g., adding to marketplace.json)
• Suggestions for additional skills that could be added later

Example

/create-plugin-from-repo https://github.com/square/retrofit retrofit

This would:

1. Clone the Retrofit repository
2. Analyze its documentation and source
3. Create a plugins/retrofit/ directory
4. Generate skills like retrofit-install, retrofit-usage, retrofit-debugging
5. Update marketplace.json