home / skills / bobmatnyc / claude-mpm-skills / good-self-contained-skill
This skill helps you build a self-contained Example Framework project with inlined patterns, tests, and deployment readiness for any directory.
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---
name: example-framework-skill
description: Example of a properly self-contained skill following all best practices
category: framework
toolchain: python
tags: [self-contained, example, template, best-practice]
version: 1.0.0
author: claude-mpm-skills
updated: 2025-11-30
progressive_disclosure:
entry_point:
summary: "Example of a properly self-contained skill following all best practices"
when_to_use: "When working with example-framework-skill or related functionality."
quick_start: "1. Review the core concepts below. 2. Apply patterns to your use case. 3. Follow best practices for implementation."
---
# Example Framework Skill
A complete example demonstrating proper self-containment patterns for Claude Code skills.
**When to Use**: Building applications with Example Framework - includes setup, patterns, testing, and deployment.
---
## Overview
This skill demonstrates the **correct approach** to self-contained skill development:
✅ **Self-Contained**: All essential content inlined - works standalone
✅ **No Dependencies**: No relative paths to other skills
✅ **Complete Examples**: Working code, not fragments
✅ **Graceful Degradation**: Notes optional enhancements without requiring them
✅ **Flat Deployment Ready**: Works in any directory structure
---
## Quick Start
### Installation
```bash
# Install framework
pip install example-framework
# Create new project
example-framework init my-project
cd my-project
# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Run development server
example-framework dev
```
### Minimal Example (Self-Contained)
```python
"""
Minimal Example Framework application.
Self-contained - no external skill dependencies.
"""
from example_framework import App, route
app = App()
@route("/")
def home():
"""Homepage route."""
return {"message": "Hello, World!"}
@route("/users/{user_id}")
def get_user(user_id: int):
"""Get user by ID."""
return {
"id": user_id,
"username": f"user_{user_id}"
}
if __name__ == "__main__":
# Development server
app.run(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000, debug=True)
```
**Run it:**
```bash
python app.py
# Visit: http://localhost:8000
```
---
## Core Patterns
### 1. Application Setup (Self-Contained)
**Complete setup pattern** - no external dependencies:
```python
from example_framework import App, Config
from example_framework.middleware import CORSMiddleware, LoggingMiddleware
# Configuration
config = Config(
DEBUG=True,
SECRET_KEY="your-secret-key-here",
DATABASE_URL="sqlite:///./app.db"
)
# Application instance
app = App(config=config)
# Middleware
app.add_middleware(
CORSMiddleware,
allow_origins=["*"],
allow_methods=["*"],
allow_headers=["*"]
)
app.add_middleware(LoggingMiddleware)
# Health check endpoint
@app.route("/health")
def health_check():
"""Health check endpoint."""
return {"status": "healthy"}
```
### 2. Database Integration (Self-Contained)
**Essential database pattern** - inlined for self-containment:
```python
from example_framework import Database
from contextlib import contextmanager
# Database configuration
db = Database("sqlite:///./app.db")
@contextmanager
def get_db_session():
"""
Database session context manager.
Usage:
with get_db_session() as session:
users = session.query(User).all()
"""
session = db.create_session()
try:
yield session
session.commit()
except Exception:
session.rollback()
raise
finally:
session.close()
# Model example
class User(db.Model):
__tablename__ = "users"
id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
username = db.Column(db.String(80), unique=True, nullable=False)
email = db.Column(db.String(120), unique=True, nullable=False)
def to_dict(self):
"""Convert to dictionary."""
return {
"id": self.id,
"username": self.username,
"email": self.email
}
# CRUD operations
@app.route("/users", methods=["POST"])
def create_user(data):
"""Create new user."""
with get_db_session() as session:
user = User(
username=data["username"],
email=data["email"]
)
session.add(user)
return user.to_dict(), 201
@app.route("/users/{user_id}")
def get_user(user_id: int):
"""Get user by ID."""
with get_db_session() as session:
user = session.query(User).filter_by(id=user_id).first()
if not user:
return {"error": "User not found"}, 404
return user.to_dict()
```
### 3. Testing Pattern (Self-Contained)
**Essential testing patterns** - inlined from testing best practices:
```python
"""
Test suite for Example Framework application.
Self-contained testing patterns - no external skill dependencies.
"""
import pytest
from example_framework.testing import TestClient
# Test client fixture
@pytest.fixture
def client():
"""Create test client."""
return TestClient(app)
# Database fixture
@pytest.fixture
def db_session():
"""Create test database session."""
db.create_all()
session = db.create_session()
yield session
session.close()
db.drop_all()
# Test examples
def test_home_route(client):
"""Test homepage returns correct response."""
response = client.get("/")
assert response.status_code == 200
assert response.json() == {"message": "Hello, World!"}
def test_create_user(client, db_session):
"""Test user creation."""
response = client.post("/users", json={
"username": "testuser",
"email": "[email protected]"
})
assert response.status_code == 201
data = response.json()
assert data["username"] == "testuser"
assert data["email"] == "[email protected]"
def test_get_user(client, db_session):
"""Test get user by ID."""
# Create user
user = User(username="testuser", email="[email protected]")
db_session.add(user)
db_session.commit()
# Get user
response = client.get(f"/users/{user.id}")
assert response.status_code == 200
assert response.json()["username"] == "testuser"
def test_user_not_found(client):
"""Test 404 for nonexistent user."""
response = client.get("/users/999")
assert response.status_code == 404
```
**Run tests:**
```bash
pytest tests/
```
---
## Error Handling
### Standard Error Handler Pattern (Self-Contained)
```python
from example_framework import HTTPException
@app.error_handler(404)
def not_found_handler(error):
"""Handle 404 errors."""
return {
"error": "Not Found",
"message": str(error)
}, 404
@app.error_handler(500)
def server_error_handler(error):
"""Handle 500 errors."""
return {
"error": "Internal Server Error",
"message": "An unexpected error occurred"
}, 500
@app.error_handler(HTTPException)
def http_exception_handler(error):
"""Handle HTTP exceptions."""
return {
"error": error.name,
"message": error.description
}, error.status_code
# Custom validation error
class ValidationError(Exception):
"""Validation error."""
pass
@app.error_handler(ValidationError)
def validation_error_handler(error):
"""Handle validation errors."""
return {
"error": "Validation Error",
"message": str(error)
}, 400
```
---
## Best Practices
### 1. Configuration Management
```python
# environment-based configuration
import os
from example_framework import Config
class DevelopmentConfig(Config):
DEBUG = True
DATABASE_URL = "sqlite:///./dev.db"
class ProductionConfig(Config):
DEBUG = False
DATABASE_URL = os.getenv("DATABASE_URL")
SECRET_KEY = os.getenv("SECRET_KEY")
# Load config based on environment
env = os.getenv("ENV", "development")
config = DevelopmentConfig() if env == "development" else ProductionConfig()
app = App(config=config)
```
### 2. Dependency Injection
```python
# Dependency injection pattern
from example_framework import Depends
def get_current_user(token: str = Depends("Authorization")):
"""Get current user from token."""
# Token validation logic
user_id = validate_token(token)
return User.query.get(user_id)
@app.route("/profile")
def get_profile(user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
"""Get current user profile."""
return user.to_dict()
```
### 3. Request Validation
```python
from example_framework import validate_request
# Request schema
user_schema = {
"username": {"type": "string", "minLength": 3, "maxLength": 80},
"email": {"type": "string", "format": "email"},
"age": {"type": "integer", "minimum": 0}
}
@app.route("/users", methods=["POST"])
@validate_request(user_schema)
def create_user(data):
"""Create user with validated data."""
# Data is already validated
user = User(**data)
db.session.add(user)
db.session.commit()
return user.to_dict(), 201
```
---
## Deployment
### Production Deployment (Self-Contained)
```python
"""
Production deployment configuration.
Self-contained - all necessary patterns included.
"""
# 1. Use production server (e.g., gunicorn)
# requirements.txt:
# gunicorn>=20.1.0
# 2. Production configuration
import os
class ProductionConfig:
DEBUG = False
TESTING = False
SECRET_KEY = os.getenv("SECRET_KEY")
DATABASE_URL = os.getenv("DATABASE_URL")
ALLOWED_HOSTS = os.getenv("ALLOWED_HOSTS", "").split(",")
app = App(config=ProductionConfig())
# 3. Run with gunicorn
# gunicorn -w 4 -b 0.0.0.0:8000 app:app
# 4. Environment variables (.env)
# SECRET_KEY=your-production-secret-key
# DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost/dbname
# ALLOWED_HOSTS=example.com,www.example.com
```
---
## Complementary Skills
When using this skill, consider these related skills (if deployed):
- **pytest-patterns**: Advanced testing patterns and fixtures
- *Use case*: Comprehensive test suites with parametrization
- *Integration*: Enhance basic testing patterns shown above
- *Status*: Optional - basic testing patterns included in this skill
- **database-orm-patterns**: Advanced ORM patterns and optimization
- *Use case*: Complex queries, relationships, performance tuning
- *Integration*: Builds on basic database pattern shown above
- *Status*: Optional - basic CRUD patterns included in this skill
- **api-security**: Authentication, authorization, security best practices
- *Use case*: Production-ready security implementation
- *Integration*: Adds security layer to routes
- *Status*: Recommended for production - basic examples shown above
- **deployment-patterns**: Docker, CI/CD, monitoring, scaling
- *Use case*: Production deployment and operations
- *Integration*: Deployment strategies and tooling
- *Status*: Optional - basic deployment shown above
**Note**: All complementary skills are independently deployable. This skill is fully functional without them.
---
## Common Pitfalls
### ❌ Don't: Relative Imports
```python
# DON'T DO THIS
from ..other_skill.patterns import setup
```
### ✅ Do: Self-Contained Patterns
```python
# Include pattern directly
def setup():
"""Setup pattern (self-contained)."""
# Implementation here
pass
```
### ❌ Don't: External Skill Dependencies
```python
# DON'T DO THIS
# This requires pytest-patterns skill
from skills.pytest_patterns import fixture_factory
```
### ✅ Do: Inline Essential Patterns
```python
# Include essential pattern
def fixture_factory(name, default=None):
"""Fixture factory pattern (inlined)."""
@pytest.fixture
def _fixture():
return default
_fixture.__name__ = name
return _fixture
```
---
## Progressive Disclosure
For more advanced topics, see the `references/` directory:
- **[references/advanced-patterns.md](references/advanced-patterns.md)**: Advanced framework patterns
- **[references/performance.md](references/performance.md)**: Performance optimization
- **[references/api-reference.md](references/api-reference.md)**: Complete API documentation
**Note**: Main SKILL.md is self-sufficient. References provide optional deep dives.
---
## Resources
**Official Documentation**:
- Example Framework Docs: https://example-framework.readthedocs.io
- API Reference: https://example-framework.readthedocs.io/api
- Community: https://github.com/example-framework/community
**Related Technologies**:
- Python: https://docs.python.org
- SQLite: https://www.sqlite.org
- Pytest: https://docs.pytest.org
---
## Summary
This skill demonstrates **self-contained skill development**:
✅ **Complete**: All essential patterns included inline
✅ **Independent**: Works without other skills
✅ **Tested**: Verified in isolation
✅ **Deployable**: Works in flat directory structure
✅ **Graceful**: Notes optional enhancements without requiring them
**Use this as a template** for creating new skills.
---
**Version**: 1.0.0
**Last Updated**: 2025-11-30
**Self-Containment**: ✅ Fully Compliant
This skill is a self-contained example framework guide showing practical patterns for building, testing, and deploying a Python web application. It includes complete, ready-to-run examples for app setup, database integration, testing, error handling, and production deployment. The content focuses on patterns that work without external skill dependencies and is suitable as a template for real projects.
The skill provides inlined code snippets and configuration examples that you can copy into a new project and run immediately. It demonstrates a minimal app, middleware setup, a database session pattern with models and CRUD endpoints, a testing suite using a test client, and standard error handlers. Deployment notes show production configuration and server invocation (e.g., gunicorn) while maintaining graceful degradation when optional tools are absent.
Do I need other skills or packages to use these examples?
No. The examples are written to be self-contained; they assume only the example-framework package and standard Python tooling. Optional tools like gunicorn or advanced complementary skills are recommended but not required.
How do I run tests included in the examples?
Install pytest, then run pytest against the tests directory. The examples include fixtures to create and tear down a test database so tests remain isolated.