mthds-check

Check MTHDS bundles

Validate and review MTHDS bundles based on the MTHDS standard without making changes.

Process

Step 0 — Environment Check (mandatory, do this FIRST)

Run this command to check toolchain status:

~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/mthds-plugins/bin/mthds-env-check "0.3.4" 2>/dev/null || ../mthds-plugins/bin/mthds-env-check "0.3.4" 2>/dev/null || echo "MTHDS_ENV_CHECK_MISSING"

Interpret the output:

• MTHDS_AGENT_MISSING → STOP. Do not proceed. Tell the user:

The mthds-agent CLI is required but not installed. Install it with:

npm install -g mthds

Then re-run this skill.

• MTHDS_AGENT_VERSION_UNKNOWN → STOP. The installed mthds-agent returned an unparseable version. Tell the user:

Could not parse the output of mthds-agent --version. Your installation may be corrupt. Reinstall with:

npm install -g mthds@latest

Then re-run this skill.

• MTHDS_AGENT_OUTDATED <installed> <required> → The installed mthds-agent is too old for this plugin. Do not hard-stop. Instead, tell the user their mthds-agent (v<installed>) is older than the required v<required>, then follow the upgrade flow to offer upgrading mthds-agent via npm install -g mthds@latest. After the upgrade flow completes (whether the user upgraded or declined), proceed to Step 1. The upgrade flow's "Not now" and "Never ask" options let users continue with current versions.

• MTHDS_UPDATE_CHECK_FAILED ... → WARN. The update check command failed. Show the error output to the user. Suggest checking network connectivity and mthds-agent installation. Proceed to Step 1 with current versions.

• UPGRADE_AVAILABLE ... → Read upgrade flow and follow the upgrade prompts before continuing to Step 1.

• JUST_UPGRADED ... → Announce what was upgraded to the user, then continue to Step 1.

• MTHDS_ENV_CHECK_MISSING → WARN. The env-check script was not found at either expected path. Tell the user the environment check could not run, but proceed to Step 1.

• No output or UP_TO_DATE → Proceed to Step 1.

• Any other output → WARN. The preamble produced unexpected output. Show it to the user verbatim. Proceed to Step 1 cautiously.

Do not write .mthds files manually, do not do any other work. The CLI is required for validation, formatting, and execution — without it the output will be broken.

No backend setup needed: This skill works without configuring inference backends or API keys. You can start building/validating methods right away. Backend configuration is only needed to run methods with live inference — use /mthds-runner-setup when you're ready.

Step 1: Read the .mthds File

Load and parse the method.

Step 2: Run plxt Lint

Catch TOML syntax and schema errors before semantic validation. This skill is read-only and never triggers the PostToolUse hook, so lint must be run explicitly:

mthds-agent plxt lint <file>.mthds

If lint reports errors, include them in the final report and continue — semantic validation in the next step may reveal additional issues.

Step 3: Run CLI Validation

Use -L pointing to the bundle's own directory to avoid namespace collisions. --graph generates a flowchart:

mthds-agent validate bundle <file>.mthds -L <bundle-directory>/ --graph

Step 4: Parse the JSON Output

• If success: true — all pipes validated, report clean status
• If error — see Error Handling Reference for error types and recovery

Step 5: Cross-Domain Validation

When the bundle references pipes from other domains, use --library-dir (see Error Handling — Cross-Domain).

Step 6: Analyze for Additional Issues

Manual review beyond CLI validation:

• Unused concepts (defined but never referenced)
• Unreachable pipes (not in main_pipe execution path)
• Missing descriptions on pipes or concepts
• Inconsistent naming conventions
• Potential prompt issues (missing variables, unclear instructions)

Step 7: Report Findings

Report by severity:

• Errors: Validation failures from CLI (with error_type and pipe_code) and plxt lint errors
• Warnings: Issues that may cause problems (e.g., model availability)
• Suggestions: Improvements for maintainability
• Flowchart: If validation succeeded, mention the generated dry_run.html flowchart next to the bundle

Step 8: Do NOT Make Changes

This skill is read-only.

What Gets Checked

• TOML syntax and schema validation (via mthds-agent plxt lint)
• Concept definitions and references
• Pipe type configurations
• Input/output type matching
• Variable references in prompts
• Cross-domain references
• Naming convention compliance
• Model reference resolution (dry run)

Reference

• Error Handling — read when CLI returns an error to determine recovery
• MTHDS Agent Guide — read for CLI command syntax or output format details
• MTHDS Language Reference — read when reviewing .mthds TOML syntax
• Native Content Types — read when checking $var.field references in prompts to verify the attribute exists on the content type