Agent Assist — Build

This skill merges agent design, coding, and deployment with interactive dress-rehearsal simulation in one place.

Assistance falls into three categories:

1. Designing an AI agent → Clarify requirements, build agent_spec.md, optionally simulate the agent before coding
2. Coding an AI agent → Adapt the DataRobot agent application template to the spec
3. Deploying an AI agent → Follow AGENTS.md deployment instructions

If the user's first message is simply 1, 2, or 3, treat it as selecting one of these categories.

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On Activation

Present the three options clearly:

Welcome! I help you design, code, and deploy AI agents (with optional dress-rehearsal simulation before coding).

What would you like to do?
  1. Design an AI agent     → Describe your idea
  2. Code an AI agent       → Load and implement an existing agent_spec.md
  3. Deploy an AI agent     → Deploy an implemented agent to DataRobot

Show this menu first. After the user selects an option (1, 2, or 3), run the Pre-requisite Check and then the Script Path Resolution before doing anything else for that option.

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Script Path Resolution

Before invoking any helper script, resolve <skill_scripts_dir> once for the session:

• <skill_scripts_dir> is the scripts/ subdirectory of the directory containing this SKILL.md file.
• Confirm it exists with ls <path_to_this_skill_dir>/scripts/. If the directory is missing, tell the user the skill installation is incomplete and stop.
• Use the resolved absolute path for every <skill_scripts_dir>/... reference in this skill.

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Pre-requisite Check

Run in order before proceeding:

1. Git — run git --version. If missing, tell the user to install from https://git-scm.com and stop.
2. Python — run python --version. If missing or below 3.11, tell the user to install Python 3.11+ from https://python.org and stop.
3. DataRobot CLI — run dr --version and dr auth check. If either fails, invoke the datarobot-setup skill before continuing. Do not print manual install instructions.
4. Codespace — run python <skill_scripts_dir>/check_codespace.py (no-op outside a Codespace). On non-zero exit, relay its message and stop; otherwise relay any exposed-ports warning it prints.

If any helper script exits with a 401 / UNAUTHORIZED error: run dr auth login immediately and retry the script — do not present options to the user. The scripts create .env automatically via dr dotenv setup; the only prerequisite is an authenticated CLI session.

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1. Designing an AI Agent

Clarification Phase

• Ask at most 2 rounds of clarifying questions before proposing an initial draft spec. If tools are still ambiguous after two rounds, start simple.

• Focus questions on:

  • What the agent does and who uses it
  • What tools it needs and what external services those tools call
  • Whether those services require authentication (API key, OAuth2, bearer token, etc.)
  • Whether the user needs a custom frontend beyond the default chat UI

• If the user mentions UI-related needs early ("dashboard", "visualization", "multi-page", "admin panel", "settings page"), capture it immediately in the frontend field — do not defer.

Model Selection

• To check available models: Run the helper script:

  python <skill_scripts_dir>/list_llm_models.py \
    --json \
    --target-dir <target_dir>
  

  CRITICAL: In case the script fails due to any reason, do not proceed. Instead, return the error message to the user and ask how they want to proceed.

• Read and follow llm-selection.md to pick from the two sources (gateway and deployed) and to record the choice in agent_spec.md.

• If the user's desired model is unavailable, suggest starting with an available one and updating after implementation.

Spec Display

• Always write the current spec to agent_spec.md (YAML format) whenever showing it to the user.
• Show the spec frequently and iteratively — even if incomplete or partial.
• Do not summarize the spec in prose; display it as YAML in a code block.
• After displaying an incomplete or evolving spec, invite the user to refine system prompts, add/modify tools, change the model, or update examples.
• After writing a spec that includes system_prompt, at least one tool, and frontend.type — STOP and present the What Would You Like To Do Next? menu immediately. Do not ask any other question. Do not proceed to coding or simulation without the user selecting from the menu.

Frontend Check (Mandatory Before Coding or Simulating)

Before offering to simulate or code, if the spec does not already have a frontend field set, always ask:

"The template includes a default chat UI — is that sufficient, or would you like a custom frontend such as a dashboard, data visualization, or multi-page app?"

Then update the spec accordingly:

• Default UI → frontend.type: "chat"
• Custom UI → frontend.type: "multi-page" or "custom" with pages and optional requirements

What Would You Like To Do Next?

MANDATORY — NO EXCEPTIONS: Once agent_spec.md contains system_prompt, at least one tool, and frontend.type, your ONLY permitted response is this exact 3-option menu. Do NOT ask about dress rehearsal alone. Do NOT offer refinement as the only alternative. Do NOT summarize the spec again. Do NOT ask a clarifying question. Display the menu and stop.

What would you like to do next?
1. Dress rehearsal   — simulate the agent interactively before coding
2. Code the agent    — implement using the DataRobot template
3. Refine the spec   — adjust system prompt, tools, or model first

• If 1: follow Dress Rehearsal end to end.
• If 2: proceed to 2. Coding an AI Agent.
• If 3: return to the spec display and invite changes.

After Coding

After coding is complete, present these next steps:

What would you like to do next?
1. Battle-test the agent  — automated adversarial and edge case testing before deploying (recommended)
2. Test locally           — run the agent on your machine
3. Revise                 — adjust the implementation
4. Deploy                 — deploy the agent to DataRobot

• If 1: follow the instructions in ../agent-assist-simulate/SKILL.md (one level up from this file, into the agent-assist-simulate/ directory).
• If 2: read AGENTS.md for the local test command, display it in a code block, tell the user to run it in a new terminal. Do not run it yourself.
• If 3: continue coding.
• If 4: follow 3. Deploying an AI Agent.

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Dress Rehearsal

Simulate an agent_spec.md interactively before writing any code. Responses go through the DataRobot LLM Gateway; the rehearsal script handles API calls, state, and output. You orchestrate the loop, handle out-of-character commands, and produce a shareable Markdown report at the end.

Engine location: <skill_scripts_dir>/rehearsal.py (relative to repository root).

Report location: <target_dir>/rehearsal_report/rehearsal_report.md

See dress-rehearsal.md for the full workflow. Summary:

Step 1 — Initialize the session

python <skill_scripts_dir>/rehearsal.py --init --spec <target_dir>/agent_spec.md --target-dir <target_dir>

The script creates a session at <target_dir>/.datarobot/rehearsal/<session_id>/ and prints session= and output= lines. Display the output file verbatim, then explain NOTE/DONE commands.

Step 2 — Simulation loop

• NOTE: → python <skill_scripts_dir>/rehearsal.py --session {session_dir} --note "{text}"
• User message → python <skill_scripts_dir>/rehearsal.py --session {session_dir} "{message}"
• DONE → must run first: python <skill_scripts_dir>/rehearsal.py --report --session {session_dir} (then Step 3)

Display each turn output file verbatim only.

Step 3 — Feedback report

python <skill_scripts_dir>/rehearsal.py --report --session {session_dir}

Append ## Suggested Changes to <target_dir>/rehearsal_report/rehearsal_report.md. If spec changes are applied, append ## Spec Updates Applied. Tell the user the report path for sharing with QA, product, and data science.

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2. Coding an AI Agent

On Windows: coding is not supported. STOP and do NOT proceed with the next steps!

Before Coding Begins

Verify agent_spec.md contains at minimum:

• model — either the llm_default_model value of a gateway entry (not the id or api_model) or the datarobot/datarobot-deployed-llm placeholder paired with llm_deployment_id
• system_prompt — non-empty
• tools — at least one tool defined (or explicit confirmation from the user that no tools are needed)
• frontend.type — set

If agent_spec.md does not exist, inform the user and offer to run the Design phase (option 1) first. If any required field above is missing, surface the gap and update the spec before continuing. Do not start coding against an incomplete spec.

Pre-coding Checklist

1. Read agent_spec.md — it must exist (see gate above).

2. Check if AGENTS.md exists in the template directory (default: current working directory).

3. If AGENTS.md does not exist, prepare the template with these steps in order. ALWAYS follow the steps in order and do not skip any, even if they seem redundant. This is critical for ensuring the template is properly set up and avoiding wasted effort coding on a broken foundation. a. Check the working directory — if it contains files other than agent_spec.md, warn the user and ask them to clear it before proceeding. b. Move agent_spec.md aside if present — if the file exists in the working directory, move it to a temp location (e.g. /tmp/agent_spec.md.bak) before cloning so it isn't overwritten. Restore it after cloning completes. c. Clone the template: Run the helper script:

   python <skill_scripts_dir>/clone_template.py
   

   d. Select the agentic framework:

   STOP. Do NOT proceed until the user has replied with their framework choice.

   Ask the user (exact message):

   Which agentic framework would you like to use?

   1. LangGraph
   2. CrewAI
   3. LlamaIndex
   4. NeMo Agent Toolkit (NAT)
   5. Base

   Wait for the user's reply. Do not assume or default to any framework. If their next message is not a framework choice (silence, unrelated text), re-display the options and wait again — do not proceed with any other coding step. Once the user replies, map their choice to the corresponding value (langgraph, crewai, llamaindex, nat, base) and run:

   python <skill_scripts_dir>/select_framework.py \
     --target-dir . \
     --framework <value>
   

   e. Validate the template: Run dr dependency check. On non-zero exit:

   • If the error mentions "DataRobot CLI" version — run dr self update --force, then retry dr dependency check once. If it still fails, hard stop and return the output.
   • Any other error — hard stop and return the full output to the user. f. Setup the template: Run the helper script. Use the model field from agent_spec.md as --llm-model; if absent, use the model selected during the design phase.

   python <skill_scripts_dir>/setup_template.py \
     --llm-model <model-name> \
     --target-dir .
   

   If the spec also has llm_deployment_id, pass it — the model placeholder alone cannot route to a deployment, and the script stops if it is missing:

   python <skill_scripts_dir>/setup_template.py \
     --llm-model <model-name> \
     --llm-deployment-id <deployment-id> \
     --target-dir .
   

   CRITICAL: In case any of the above scripts fail due to any reason, do not proceed with coding. Instead, return the error message to the user and ask how they want to proceed.

   g. Re-read AGENTS.md now that the template is ready.

4. Recreate the TODO list based on agent_spec.md — break down the implementation into discrete steps and add them to the TodoWrite tool.

Coding Rules

• Implement by adapting the template code — do not write from scratch
• Modify files only inside the current directory and its subdirectories
• Do not view .env files (.env.template files are OK)
• Tool credentials — when implementing a tool with auth_spec in agent_spec.md:
  1. Choose a SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE env var name (e.g. PERPLEXITY_API_KEY).
  2. Append VAR_NAME= to <target_dir>/.env without reading the file.
  3. Ask the user to paste the secret into <target_dir>/.env in their editor — never in chat, agent_spec.md, or committed code.
• Do not add code comments unless asked
• Do not mock tool implementations unless they would be complex to implement
• For tasks with 3+ steps, use the TodoWrite tool to manage your work
• Keep text responses concise (1–3 sentences) while coding — skip preamble and postamble

File Write/Edit Discipline

• Always explain why the change is needed (purpose and impact) in 1–2 sentences before writing or editing a file
• Invoke at most one shell command per response — wait for the result before invoking another

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3. Deploying an AI Agent

• Read AGENTS.md for deployment instructions
• Follow the instructions strictly
• Do not deviate without user confirmation

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Helper Scripts

The following are the examples of helper scripts used in the skill. They are located in the scripts directory and are designed to assist with various tasks.

list_llm_models.py

Lists the LLMs available to an agent.

Fetches and displays active LLM Gateway catalog models and DataRobot text-generation deployments, each tagged with its source:

python <skill_scripts_dir>/list_llm_models.py \
  --json \
  --target-dir <target_dir>

Requires env vars: DATAROBOT_API_TOKEN, DATAROBOT_ENDPOINT

clone_template.py

Clones the DataRobot agent application template repository.

Clones the template to the current directory (repository URL and branch are hardcoded):

python <skill_scripts_dir>/clone_template.py

Clone to a specific directory:

python <skill_scripts_dir>/clone_template.py \
  --target-dir ./my-project

setup_template.py

Sets up a template repository for initializing a new agent project.

python <skill_scripts_dir>/setup_template.py \
  --llm-model <model-name> \
  --target-dir .

Add --llm-deployment-id <deployment-id> for a DataRobot-deployed LLM, so the template routes to the deployment instead of the gateway.

select_framework.py

Saves the chosen agentic framework to .datarobot/answers/agent-agent.yml (field agent_template_framework). Preserves all other fields in the file.

python <skill_scripts_dir>/select_framework.py \
  --framework langgraph \
  --target-dir .

Valid --framework values: langgraph, crewai, llamaindex, nat, base

Error Handling

• If a tool returns an error, read the error message carefully before responding
• For template-prep warnings: try to resolve yourself
• For template-prep errors: return the message to the user and ask how to proceed
• On unexpected errors, ask the user if they want to retry

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agent_spec.md Schema

Write specs in YAML to agent_spec.md in the working directory. Fields are optional when the spec is still evolving.

model: "datarobot/azure/gpt-5-2025-08-07"   # the listing's llm_default_model, verbatim
llm_deployment_id: ""                       # required only for a DataRobot-deployed LLM
system_prompt: "Your agent's instructions..."
tools:
  - function_name: tool_name
    inputs:
      - arg_name: input_arg
        type: str         # one of: str, int, float, bool, list, dict
        object_schema: "(optional: schema of dict/list contents)"
    out:
      - arg_name: output_arg
        type: str
    auth_spec:
      service_name: "External API Service"
      auth_method: api_key   # api_key | oauth2 | basic_auth | bearer_token | service_account | other
examples:
  - "Example user query 1"
  - "Example user query 2"
frontend:
  type: "chat"              # chat | multi-page | custom
  pages:
    - "Analytics - shows search history and top topics"
  requirements: "(optional additional UI requirements)"

When tools require external service auth, note that credentials must be configured as runtime parameters in the infrastructure code (see AGENTS.md for the pattern).

See references/agent-spec-examples.md for complete working examples.

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Tool/Helper Scripts Timeouts

• Allow up to 10 minutes for any helper script to complete before timing out and returning an error
• Allow up to 5 minutes for any tool to return a response before timing out and returning an error
• Allow up to 30 minutes for deployment-related shell commands to complete before timing out and returning an error

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Tool Mapping

Claude's built-in tools replace the plugin's custom Python tools:

Plugin Tool	Claude Tool
read_file	Read
write_file	Write
edit_file	Edit
shell	Bash
list_dir	Glob or Bash (ls)
grep_files	Grep
glob	Glob
web_search	WebSearch
get_web_page	WebFetch
write_todos / read_todos	TodoWrite
show_agent_spec	Write to agent_spec.md + display as YAML
prepare_to_code	Bash (git clone + dr start)
list_available_models	WebFetch (DataRobot API)
code_research	Agent (Explore subagent)
Agent simulation (dress rehearsal)	Dress Rehearsal + <skill_scripts_dir>/rehearsal.py in this skill directory

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Behavioral Rules

• If it is unclear whether the request falls into one of the three categories, ask a clarifying question
• If the user insists on a task outside these three categories, politely decline
• If a user asks to code before designing, strongly encourage designing first
• During coding: keep responses to 1–3 sentences; no introductions or conclusions
• During design: be conversational and thorough