Purpose of GLOSSARY.md in cangjie-skill: How It Functions as a Shared Dictionary

GLOSSARY.md serves as the central 术语词典 (term dictionary) for the entire kangarooking/cangjie-skill repository, consolidating terminology from every skill into a single root-level reference that guarantees consistency across all documentation.

In the kangarooking/cangjie-skill project, terminology management is handled through a formalized pipeline during Stage 3 (Zettelkasten). The GLOSSARY.md file lives at the repository root and functions as the single shared dictionary that every skill file and generated artifact can reference without duplication.

What Is GLOSSARY.md?

GLOSSARY.md is the repository-wide glossary produced during Stage 3 (Zettelkasten). According to the methodology defined in methodology/05-stage3-zettelkasten.md, the glossary-extractor gathers candidate entries from each skill's draft at candidates/glossary.md and merges them into one consolidated file placed at the project root.

The design goal, as stated in the source methodology, is that GLOSSARY.md should be "所有 skill 共享的术语词典,应在产出根目录可见" — a shared term dictionary visible at the output root. Because it sits at the top level, the glossary is automatically included in every build artifact and requires no navigation into sub-folders to access.

Three Core Functions of the Shared Dictionary

The purpose of GLOSSARY.md spans three distinct responsibilities that turn it from a static list into an active infrastructure component.

Single Source of Truth

Every individual skill (*/SKILL.md) can point to the same canonical definition rather than repeating explanations. This eliminates drift between skill files and guarantees that concepts like 蚂蚁 (Ant) or 并发模型 (concurrency model) carry identical meaning wherever they appear.

Reader-Facing Reference

When users browse the generated documentation outputs — including INDEX.md and DIGEST.md — GLOSSARY.md provides quick look-ups for key concepts. Centralizing definitions in one place reduces cognitive load and prevents the confusion caused by scattered or conflicting explanations.

Automation Hook

The glossary-extractor parses GLOSSARY.md to build a term index that is linked from INDEX.md and referenced in the final DIGEST.md. As implemented in templates/INDEX.md.template, the build pipeline automatically wires glossary entries into the skill map, ensuring the dictionary stays synchronized with the overall documentation structure.

How to Contribute Terms and Link Them

The shared dictionary is both manually curated and machine assembled. Contributors define terms in per-skill drafts, and the extractor promotes them to the root file.

Adding a New Term

Terms follow a structured markdown format inside GLOSSARY.md. Here is an example entry:

## 螞蟻 (Ant)

- **Definition:** A small insect that epitomizes collective work; used in the project to illustrate parallel processing.
- **First introduced:** Stage 3 (Zettelkasten)
- **Related skills:** [Distributed Computing](../distributed-computing/SKILL.md)

Linking to a Term from a Skill File

Individual skills reference the shared dictionary using relative paths and anchor links. This keeps skill files concise while preserving full definitional depth:

在讨论并发模型时，请参阅术语词典中的 **[螞蟻](../GLOSSARY.md#螞蟻-ant)** 章节获取完整定义。

These patterns demonstrate how GLOSSARY.md is edited and referenced throughout the kangarooking/cangjie-skill codebase.

Key Files Behind the Dictionary

Several files govern the creation, consumption, and presentation of GLOSSARY.md:

• methodology/05-stage3-zettelkasten.md — Defines the transformation logic that turns per-skill glossaries (candidates/glossary.md) into the shared root dictionary.
• extractors/glossary-extractor.md — Documents the extraction logic that reads candidate terms and writes the consolidated GLOSSARY.md.
• templates/INDEX.md.template — Generates the navigation link from the skill map back to GLOSSARY.md.
• SKILL.md — Lists GLOSSARY.md as a Stage 3 deliverable described as the "全书共享术语词典".
• README.md — Describes the overall multi-skill output and identifies GLOSSARY.md as the authoritative term dictionary.

Summary

• GLOSSARY.md is the root-level shared dictionary for the kangarooking/cangjie-skill repository, created during Stage 3 (Zettelkasten).
• It acts as a single source of truth for terminology across all skill files.
• It serves as a reader-facing reference embedded in generated docs like INDEX.md and DIGEST.md.
• It functions as an automation hook parsed by the glossary-extractor to build navigable term indexes.
• The methodology in methodology/05-stage3-zettelkasten.md mandates that this file remain visible at the output root so every skill can share it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of GLOSSARY.md in cangjie-skill?

The purpose of GLOSSARY.md is to serve as the central 术语词典 (term dictionary) that consolidates candidate glossary entries from every skill's draft into one root-level file. It ensures consistent terminology across all */SKILL.md files and provides quick definitions for readers browsing generated documentation.

How does GLOSSARY.md become a shared dictionary?

During Stage 3 (Zettelkasten), the glossary-extractor gathers entries from each skill's candidates/glossary.md and merges them into the repository root's GLOSSARY.md. Because it resides at the output root, every skill and build artifact can reference the same definitions without maintaining local copies.

Which files generate or link to GLOSSARY.md?

The extraction logic is defined in methodology/05-stage3-zettelkasten.md and implemented via extractors/glossary-extractor.md. The generated navigation link appears through templates/INDEX.md.template, and the file is listed as a deliverable in the main SKILL.md.

How do I reference a term from GLOSSARY.md in a skill file?

Use a relative markdown link with an anchor pointing to the term's heading inside GLOSSARY.md. For example, [螞蟻](../GLOSSARY.md#螞蟻-ant) creates a direct reference that keeps the skill file concise while linking readers to the full canonical definition.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}