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Using Skills with AI Assistants

Once you’ve installed the skills in your project, your AI assistant will automatically detect and apply them when working on relevant tasks.

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GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot automatically discovers skills in .github/skills/ when they are part of your workspace.

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In Chat

Simply ask Copilot questions related to Android development: 
"How should I structure the new User Profile feature?"
Copilot will detect the relevant skill (e.g., android-architecture, android-data-layer, compose-ui, or android-accessibility) and apply the rules defined in the SKILL.md files.
Copilot automatically loads skills based on context. You don’t need to explicitly mention the skill name.

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Code Completion

When writing code, Copilot’s inline suggestions will follow the patterns and conventions defined in your skills: 
// Type: "class NewsViewModel" and Copilot will suggest:
@HiltViewModel
class NewsViewModel @Inject constructor(
    private val getLatestNewsUseCase: GetLatestNewsUseCase
) : ViewModel() {
    
    private val _uiState = MutableStateFlow<NewsUiState>(NewsUiState.Loading)
    val uiState: StateFlow<NewsUiState> = _uiState.asStateFlow()
    
    // Follows android-viewmodel skill patterns
}

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Claude Desktop / Claude.ai

For Claude, you can either reference skills explicitly or rely on context discovery.

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Explicit Reference

Point Claude to a specific skill file: 
"Read `.github/skills/compose-ui/SKILL.md` and then refactor this screen."

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Context Discovery

If you’re using Claude Desktop with the .claude/skills/ directory configured, you can ask questions naturally: 
"Show me how to implement a ViewModel with proper state management"
Use .claude/skills/ or create a symlink from .github/skills/ for automatic discovery.

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Cursor

Cursor works similarly to GitHub Copilot and automatically discovers skills in .github/skills/.

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In Composer

Use Cursor’s Composer feature to generate entire features following your skills: 
"Create a new feature module for user authentication with:
- Login screen (Compose)
- ViewModel with proper state management
- Repository with offline-first data sync
- Accessibility support"
Cursor will apply:
  • android-architecture for module structure
  • compose-ui for the UI layer
  • android-viewmodel for state management
  • android-data-layer for repository pattern
  • android-accessibility for accessibility compliance

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In Chat

Ask questions in the chat sidebar: 
"What's the recommended way to handle navigation in a multi-module app?"
Cursor will reference the compose-navigation and android-architecture skills.

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OpenCode

OpenCode supports both project-level (.opencode/skill/) and global skills (~/.config/opencode/skill/).

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Project Skills

For project-specific skills: 
cp -r .github/skills .opencode/skill

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Global Skills

For skills available across all your Android projects: 
cp -r .github/skills ~/.config/opencode/skill

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Usage

OpenCode will automatically apply relevant skills when you ask questions: 
"Implement a data layer for the movies feature"

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Google Gemini Code Assist

For Google Gemini in Android Studio, you can reference skills explicitly: 
"Using the patterns in .github/skills/android-architecture/SKILL.md, 
refactor this app to use Clean Architecture"

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Common Usage Patterns

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Feature Development

When building a new feature, ask your assistant to apply multiple skills: 
"Create a new 'Articles' feature module with:
- Clean Architecture (UI, Domain, Data layers)
- Compose UI with proper state hoisting
- ViewModel using StateFlow
- Repository with offline-first sync
- Full accessibility support
- Unit and screenshot tests"
This will apply:
  • android-architecture
  • compose-ui
  • android-viewmodel
  • android-data-layer
  • android-accessibility
  • android-testing

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Code Review & Refactoring

Ask your assistant to audit existing code: 
"Review this Composable for performance issues and apply fixes"

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Migration Tasks

Use skills for large-scale migrations: 
"Migrate this XML layout to Jetpack Compose following best practices"
This applies the xml-to-compose-migration skill with comprehensive mapping tables.

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Build Optimization

"Analyze my Gradle build performance and suggest optimizations"
This applies the gradle-build-performance skill with 12 optimization patterns.

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Manual Skill Loading

For any context-aware LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.), you can manually load a skill:
1

Copy the skill content

Open the relevant SKILL.md file and copy its contents.
2

Paste into your prompt

"Here are the guidelines for Android ViewModels:

[paste SKILL.md content]

Now, refactor this ViewModel following these guidelines:

[paste your code]
"
Manual loading is less efficient than automatic discovery. Use it only when your AI assistant doesn’t support automatic skill detection.

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Best Practices

Be Specific

Reference specific skills or patterns when asking questions: “following the Hilt dependency injection patterns” instead of just “add DI”.

Combine Skills

Complex features benefit from multiple skills. Ask your assistant to apply several skills at once for comprehensive implementation.

Iterate

Start with high-level requests, then refine with specific skill references: “Now optimize the Compose performance” after initial implementation.

Validate

Review the generated code to ensure it follows the skill guidelines. AI assistants are powerful but not perfect.

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Troubleshooting

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Skills Not Being Applied

1

Check directory location

Verify skills are in the correct location for your AI assistant:
  • GitHub Copilot / Cursor: .github/skills/
  • Claude: .claude/skills/
  • OpenCode: .opencode/skill/ or ~/.config/opencode/skill/
2

Verify SKILL.md format

Ensure each skill has proper frontmatter:
---
name: skill-name
description: What this skill does
---
3

Reload your IDE

Reload your window or restart your IDE to refresh the skill index.
4

Reference explicitly

If automatic detection fails, reference the skill explicitly:
"Using .github/skills/android-architecture/SKILL.md, create..."

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Inconsistent Results

AI assistants may interpret skills differently based on context. For critical patterns, consider adding code examples or templates directly in the skill file.

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Next Steps

Browse Skills

Explore all available skills and their detailed documentation

Create Custom Skills

Learn how to create your own skills for team-specific patterns

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