Em-Dash Ban in Taste Skill: Rules and Replacements for AI‑Generated Content

Taste Skill enforces a strict prohibition on em‑dashes (—) across all AI‑generated UI content, mandating replacement with standard hyphens (-) to satisfy the Pre‑Flight Check.

The Leonxlnx/taste-skill repository implements rigorous typography constraints designed to standardize LLM outputs. The em‑dash ban represents a non‑negotiable design rule defined in Section 9.G of the skill specification, affecting every text element visible to users.

What Is the Em‑Dash Ban?

The ban constitutes a zero‑tolerance policy against the em‑dash character. According to the design specification in skills/taste-skill/SKILL.md, the rule explicitly states:

“NO em‑dash (—) as a design element OR anywhere else… The em‑dash character is forbidden … Use the regular hyphen (-).” [SKILL.md L649]

This prohibition extends to both the em‑dash (—) and the en‑dash (–). Any occurrence triggers an automatic failure during the validation pipeline.

Pre‑Flight Check Enforcement

The Pre‑Flight Check automatically scans generated content for prohibited characters. As documented at line 699 of SKILL.md:

“If your output contains a single — or – anywhere visible to the user, the output fails the Pre‑Flight Check and must be rewritten.”

The changelog in CHANGELOG.md records this implementation as §9.G Em‑Dash Ban (complete), noting the requirement for zero em‑dashes anywhere on the page. [CHANGELOG.md L36]

Scope of the Prohibition

The em‑dash ban applies universally across all UI text generated by the LLM. Prohibited locations include:

• Headlines and eyebrows
• Pills and tags
• Body copy and paragraphs
• Quotes and attribution
• Captions and alt text
• Button text and calls‑to‑action

No exceptions exist for decorative or grammatical usage. The rule applies whether the dash functions as punctuation or as a visual design element.

Permitted Replacement Character

The only sanctioned substitute is the regular hyphen (-). The specification explicitly directs developers to “use the regular hyphen (-)” instead of an em‑dash. No alternative punctuation—such as double hyphens (--) or en‑dashes (–)—is permitted or recognized as valid.

Implementing the Replacement in Code

To comply with the Taste Skill specification, post‑process LLM outputs to sanitize dash characters before submission to the Pre‑Flight Check.

Python Implementation

def enforce_em_dash_ban(text: str) -> str:
    """
    Replace any em‑dash or en‑dash with a regular hyphen.
    This satisfies Taste Skill's Pre‑Flight Check.
    """
    return text.replace("—", "-").replace("–", "-")

JavaScript Implementation

function enforceEmDashBan(str) {
  // Replace both em‑dash and en‑dash with a hyphen
  return str.replace(/[—–]/g, "-");
}

Both functions target the Unicode em‑dash (U+2014) and en‑dash (U+2013), replacing them with the standard ASCII hyphen (U+002D) to ensure compliance.

Source Files Defining the Constraint

The following files in the Leonxlnx/taste-skill repository establish and document the em‑dash prohibition:

• skills/taste-skill/SKILL.md — Contains the complete design rule set at lines 649 and 699, defining the ban’s scope and Pre‑Flight Check consequences.
• CHANGELOG.md — Records the ban’s implementation as Section 9.G at line 36, marking it as a completed feature requirement.
• README.md — Summarizes the constraint in the high‑level feature list for quick reference.
• skills/llms.txt — Lists the em‑dash ban as a core behavioral constraint for LLM systems interacting with the skill.

Summary

• The em‑dash ban in Taste Skill forbids characters — and – in all AI‑generated UI text.
• Violations cause automatic Pre‑Flight Check failures, requiring content rewrites.
• The only permitted replacement is the standard hyphen (-).
• Enforcement is documented in SKILL.md Section 9.G and tracked in CHANGELOG.md at line 36.
• Sanitize outputs using string replacement functions in Python or JavaScript before validation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What character replaces the em‑dash in Taste Skill?

You must use the regular hyphen (-). The specification explicitly forbids em‑dashes and en‑dashes while mandating the standard hyphen as the sole replacement across all headlines, body copy, buttons, and metadata.

What happens if my output contains an em‑dash?

The output fails the Pre‑Flight Check automatically. According to SKILL.md at line 699, any visible occurrence of — or – triggers a validation failure, forcing you to rewrite the content before deployment.

Does the em‑dash ban apply to alt text and hidden elements?

Yes. The prohibition covers every part of the UI that the LLM may generate, including alt text, captions, attribution lines, and button labels. No visible or semantic exemption exists for any text field.

Where is the em‑dash ban defined in the source code?

The rule originates in skills/taste-skill/SKILL.md at lines 649 and 699, with the implementation logged in CHANGELOG.md at line 36 as Section 9.G. Additional context appears in README.md and skills/llms.txt as a core LLM constraint.

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