# Quality Red Lines That Prevent Skill Output in cangjie-skill: 5 Critical Blocking Rules

> Discover the 5 critical quality red lines in cangjie-skill that abort skill generation. Learn how verification status, section completeness, and more block output.

- Repository: [kangarooking/cangjie-skill](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill)
- Tags: best-practices
- Published: 2026-07-22

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**The cangjie-skill pipeline aborts skill generation and moves candidates to the `rejected/` folder if they violate any of five hard-coded quality red lines governing verification status, section completeness, quotation length, test coverage, and description specificity.**

The kangarooking/cangjie-skill repository maintains strict output standards to ensure every skill consumed by downstream orchestrators like `darwin-skill` is atomic, testable, and free from false positives. These quality red lines that prevent skill output are defined in the meta-skill definition at [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) and enforced during the **Triple Verification** and **Pressure-Testing** stages.

## The Five Critical Quality Red Lines

According to the source code in the **“质量红线 (Quality Red Lines)”** section of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) (lines 46-53), the pipeline enforces five non-negotiable rules. Violation of any single rule stops the skill from being emitted.

### 1. Triple Verification Must Pass Completely

**All three Triple-Verification checks must be passed** before a skill can proceed. As implemented in [`methodology/03-stage1.5-triple-verify.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/methodology/03-stage1.5-triple-verify.md), the pipeline validates:

- **Cross-domain evidence** – substantiation across different contexts
- **Predictive power** – ability to answer unseen questions
- **Uniqueness** – distinction from trivial common-sense knowledge

If any check fails, the candidate unit is blocked from output.

### 2. Mandatory Six-Section Structure

Every skill must contain the six required sections defined in `templates/SKILL.md.template`:

- **R** (Reading) – the source evidence
- **I** (Interpretation) – restatement in new terms
- **A1** (Past Application) – historical usage example
- **A2** (Future Trigger) – activation conditions
- **E** (Execution) – step-by-step instructions
- **B** (Boundary) – explicit limitations

Missing any section triggers immediate rejection.

### 3. Original Quotation Length Constraints

**Original quotation length must be ≤ 150 characters per segment** (or ≤ 100 words for English content). This prevents bloated quoting that hinders prompt size limits and ensures concise, focused skills.

### 4. Required Test Files With Bait Prompts

Every skill must ship a [`test-prompts.json`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/test-prompts.json) file containing:

- At least one **bait/negative test** (a scenario that should *not* trigger the skill)
- One **cross-skill confusion test** explicitly referencing a *brother* skill from the same book

This requirement, detailed in [`methodology/06-stage4-pressure-test.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/methodology/06-stage4-pressure-test.md) and scaffolded by `templates/test-prompts.json.template`, ensures robustness against false positives and clean integration with the testing harness.

### 5. Concrete Trigger Descriptions

The `description` field must spell out a **concrete trigger condition**. Vague descriptions like “a skill about X” fail this red line. The description must specify exact activation criteria to make the skill discoverable by orchestrating agents.

## Code Examples: Violations vs. Compliance

### Non-Compliant Skill (Multiple Red Line Violations)

This example fails red lines #2, #3, #4, and #5:

```markdown

# SKILL.md (invalid)

R: "In the long passage the author says many things about leadership and management..."   
I: Short reinterpretation.
A1: Example from chapter 3.
A2: Trigger when needed.
E: Step-by-step instructions.
B: When not applicable.

description: "A skill about leadership."

```

*Problems identified:*

- **R** exceeds the 150-character limit (violates red line #3)
- **description** is vague and lacks concrete trigger (violates red line #5)
- No [`test-prompts.json`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/test-prompts.json) provided (violates red line #4)
- Missing explicit Triple-Verification evidence markers (violates red line #1)

### Compliant Skill (Passes All Red Lines)

This example satisfies all enforcement criteria:

```markdown

# SKILL.md (valid)

R: "The author notes, 'Align early and often.'"
I: I restate the principle in my own words.
A1: Case: The author applied the framework in XYZ scenario.
A2: Trigger: When planning a product roadmap that requires stakeholder alignment.
E: 1. Identify stakeholders. 2. Map dependencies. 3. Draft timeline.
B: Not suitable for solo projects lacking cross-functional teams.

description: "Triggers when a team needs a structured stakeholder-alignment roadmap."

```

Accompanying [`test-prompts.json`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/test-prompts.json):

```json
{
  "positive": [
    "How can I align my product team with the executive board?"
  ],
  "negative": [
    "Give me a summary of the book."
  ],
  "cross-skill": [
    "When should I use the 'risk-assessment' skill from the same book?"
  ]
}

```

All six sections are present, the quotation is concise, the description specifies a clear trigger, and the test file contains the required bait prompt referencing a sibling skill.

## Where Red Lines Are Enforced in the Source Code

- **[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md)** – Central specification containing the red-line checklist in the “质量红线 (Quality Red Lines)” section (lines 46-53)
- **[`methodology/03-stage1.5-triple-verify.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/methodology/03-stage1.5-triple-verify.md)** – Implements red line #1 (Triple Verification logic)
- **[`methodology/06-stage4-pressure-test.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/methodology/06-stage4-pressure-test.md)** – Implements red line #4 (test-prompt creation and bait requirements)
- **`templates/SKILL.md.template`** – Enforces red line #2 by ensuring sections R/I/A1/A2/E/B are present
- **`templates/test-prompts.json.template`** – Scaffolds the required bait prompts to satisfy red line #4

## Summary

- **Triple Verification** must pass completely—cross-domain evidence, predictive power, and uniqueness are mandatory.
- **Six-section structure** (R/I/A1/A2/E/B) is required for every skill output.
- **Quotation limits** of ≤150 characters per segment prevent prompt bloat.
- **[`test-prompts.json`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/test-prompts.json)** must include bait tests and cross-skill confusion tests to ensure robustness.
- **Concrete descriptions** with explicit trigger conditions are required for agent discoverability.
- Violations move candidates to the `rejected/` folder with audit reasons, blocking pipeline output.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What happens if a skill fails only one quality red line?

The pipeline aborts skill generation for that unit immediately. According to the enforcement logic in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md), any single violation prevents output, and the candidate is moved to the `rejected/` folder with a specific reason for audit.

### Why is the cross-skill confusion test required in [`test-prompts.json`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/test-prompts.json)?

The cross-skill test, which references a *brother* skill from the same book, prevents false positive triggers when multiple skills from the same source could activate simultaneously. This ensures clean integration with the `darwin-skill` testing harness and verifies that the skill activation logic is precisely scoped.

### Where is the 150-character quotation limit defined?

The limit is specified in the quality red lines section of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kangarooking/cangjie-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) (lines 46-53). This constraint keeps skills concise and prevents token limit issues when downstream agents consume multiple skills in a single context window.

### Can a skill pass Triple Verification but still be rejected?

Yes. Passing Triple Verification (red line #1) satisfies only one of five requirements. A skill must also meet structural requirements (red line #2), length constraints (red line #3), testing standards (red line #4), and description specificity (red line #5) to be emitted from the pipeline.