Skills and Slash Commands
Skills are reusable, structured workflows that you can invoke from the AI Chat using a slash command. Instead of typing a detailed prompt from scratch for a recurring task, you define the task once as a skill and trigger it with /skillName whenever you need it.
Note: Skills are currently in Alpha. The interface and file format may change in future releases.
What Is a Skill?
A skill is a .prompttemplate file stored in a designated skills directory. It contains:
- A YAML frontmatter block with a
name,description, and the slash command trigger - A prompt body that describes the task in detail, with the same
{{variable}}and~{function}syntax used in agent prompts
When you type the matching slash command in the chat input, Studio AI loads the skill's prompt and executes it with the currently addressed agent.
Using Slash Commands in the Chat
Type / in the chat input to see a list of available slash commands. Both built-in commands and your custom skills appear in this list. Select one or type the full command name and press Enter.
/analyze-gh-ticket
Slash commands can also accept arguments. Refer to the specific command's description for its expected input.
Built-In Slash Commands
Studio AI includes a set of built-in slash commands for common development workflows:
Creating Custom Skills
To create a skill, add a .prompttemplate file to the skills discovery directory. Studio AI automatically discovers skills from ~/.theia/skills/ (global, available in all workspaces) and from .theia/skills/ within your current project (workspace-specific, takes priority).
Skill File Format
---
name: My Skill
description: A one-line description shown in the slash command list
command: my-skill
---
You are helping the developer with a specific, recurring task.
[Detailed prompt instructions here]
Current file: {{currentRelativeFilePath}}
The command field in the frontmatter defines the slash command trigger. In the example above, the skill would be invoked with /my-skill.
Skill Discovery
Skills are loaded when the Studio starts. After adding a new skill file, reload the Studio window (F1 > Developer: Reload Window) to make it available.
Skills in .theia/skills/ (workspace-level) take precedence over skills in ~/.theia/skills/ (global) when both define a command with the same name.
Example: A Code Review Skill
Here is an example skill that performs a code review on the current file, checking for K2View-specific best practices:
---
name: K2View Code Review
description: Review the current file for K2View best practices and common issues
command: k2review
---
Review the code in {{currentRelativeFilePath}} for the following issues:
1. JDBC resource management — ensure all connections, statements, and result sets are
closed, preferably with try-with-resources.
2. SQL injection risks — verify that all SQL uses parameterized queries.
3. Exception handling — check that exceptions are caught at the appropriate level and
logged correctly per our conventions.
4. Naming conventions — verify method and variable names follow our team standards.
For each issue found, explain the problem and provide a corrected version of the relevant code.
If no issues are found in a category, say so explicitly.
With this skill saved, typing /k2review in the chat triggers the full review prompt against the currently open file.
Skills and Slash Commands
Skills are reusable, structured workflows that you can invoke from the AI Chat using a slash command. Instead of typing a detailed prompt from scratch for a recurring task, you define the task once as a skill and trigger it with /skillName whenever you need it.
Note: Skills are currently in Alpha. The interface and file format may change in future releases.
What Is a Skill?
A skill is a .prompttemplate file stored in a designated skills directory. It contains:
- A YAML frontmatter block with a
name,description, and the slash command trigger - A prompt body that describes the task in detail, with the same
{{variable}}and~{function}syntax used in agent prompts
When you type the matching slash command in the chat input, Studio AI loads the skill's prompt and executes it with the currently addressed agent.
Using Slash Commands in the Chat
Type / in the chat input to see a list of available slash commands. Both built-in commands and your custom skills appear in this list. Select one or type the full command name and press Enter.
/analyze-gh-ticket
Slash commands can also accept arguments. Refer to the specific command's description for its expected input.
Built-In Slash Commands
Studio AI includes a set of built-in slash commands for common development workflows:
Creating Custom Skills
To create a skill, add a .prompttemplate file to the skills discovery directory. Studio AI automatically discovers skills from ~/.theia/skills/ (global, available in all workspaces) and from .theia/skills/ within your current project (workspace-specific, takes priority).
Skill File Format
---
name: My Skill
description: A one-line description shown in the slash command list
command: my-skill
---
You are helping the developer with a specific, recurring task.
[Detailed prompt instructions here]
Current file: {{currentRelativeFilePath}}
The command field in the frontmatter defines the slash command trigger. In the example above, the skill would be invoked with /my-skill.
Skill Discovery
Skills are loaded when the Studio starts. After adding a new skill file, reload the Studio window (F1 > Developer: Reload Window) to make it available.
Skills in .theia/skills/ (workspace-level) take precedence over skills in ~/.theia/skills/ (global) when both define a command with the same name.
Example: A Code Review Skill
Here is an example skill that performs a code review on the current file, checking for K2View-specific best practices:
---
name: K2View Code Review
description: Review the current file for K2View best practices and common issues
command: k2review
---
Review the code in {{currentRelativeFilePath}} for the following issues:
1. JDBC resource management — ensure all connections, statements, and result sets are
closed, preferably with try-with-resources.
2. SQL injection risks — verify that all SQL uses parameterized queries.
3. Exception handling — check that exceptions are caught at the appropriate level and
logged correctly per our conventions.
4. Naming conventions — verify method and variable names follow our team standards.
For each issue found, explain the problem and provide a corrected version of the relevant code.
If no issues are found in a category, say so explicitly.
With this skill saved, typing /k2review in the chat triggers the full review prompt against the currently open file.
