Second Pass

Description

--- name: second-pass version: 1.1.0 description: Use when about to return a non-measurable output — writing, proposals, plans, explanations, designs, drafts, or any artifact whose quality is judged rather than tested. Also use when the user says "second pass this", "grade this", "is this good enough?", "self-judge", "iterate on this". Do NOT use for measurable outputs (passing tests, successful deploys, compile output, API 200s). Invoke before delivery to the user, not after. --- # Second Pass ## Overview A universal **skill enhancement layer**. Sits over any Claude Code skill, sees what was invoked, the user's input, and the produced output — then judges based on what the skill should have achieved. Returns a grade (A–F) plus concrete drop-in feedback, drives revision (and optionally iterates) until a user-configurable passing bar is met. The judge is not bound to any single domain. It reads the originating skill's `SKILL.md` on the fly, infers what success looks like for that specific skill, and grades against that. Same mechanism enhances `internal-comms`, `frontend-design`, `writing-plans`, `proposal-writer`, or any community skill — verified across writing, design, code, structural documents, and implementation plans. Non-measurable = quality is a judgment call, not a pass/fail check. ## When to use Invoke automatically — no user prompt needed — whenever all three are true: 1. You just produced an output as the final step of a task. 2. The output is non-measurable: quality is judged, not tested. 3. You were about to return it to the user. When in doubt: if you cannot name a concrete pass/fail check for the output, invoke. ## The loop 1. Read config at `~/.claude/second-pass/config.json`. Defaults: `passing_grade: B`, `iteration_cap: 3`, `confirm_revisions: false`. 2. Emit status line: `Second Pass [attempt 1/MAX]: grading output...` 3. Spawn the `self-judge` subagent (`agents/self-judge.md`) with: skill(s) used, user request, output. 4. Receive grade (A–F) + concrete feedback. 5. Decide: - **Grade meets bar** → deliver with grade attached. - **Below bar, `confirm_revisions: false`** (default) → apply feedback once, deliver the revised output with `(revised, original grade: X)` attached. **No re-judge.** Trust the judge's feedback. - **Below bar, `confirm_revisions: true`** → apply feedback, increment attempt, loop from step 2 until bar met or cap hit. - **Cap hit** → deliver best attempt with "hit iteration cap" note. The rubric lives in `agents/self-judge.md`. Grades are grounded in skill intent and user request, not taste. ### Why no re-judge by default A re-judge after revision typically doubles token cost for marginal confidence: the judge already gave specific drop-in replacements; trust them. Set `confirm_revisions: true` for high-stakes artifacts where you want the loop to verify the lift. ## Quick reference | When | Action | |------|--------| | About to return writing, proposal, plan, explanation, draft | Invoke | | Test passed, deploy succeeded, compile/lint output, API 200 | Skip — measurable | | Judgment call on "is it good?" | Invoke | | Config key | Default | Slash command | |------------|---------|---------------| | `passing_grade` | `B` | `/second-pass:passing-grade <A-F>` | | `iteration_cap` | `3` | `/second-pass:iteration-cap <n>` | | `confirm_revisions` | `false` | `/second-pass:confirm-revisions <true\|false>` | | (preset: A bar, cap 5, confirm) | — | `/second-pass:strict` | | (preset: C bar, cap 2, no confirm) | — | `/second-pass:lenient` | | (reset all) | — | `/second-pass:reset` | | Status line | When to emit | |-------------|--------------| | `Second Pass [attempt N/MAX]: grading output...` | Start of each attempt | | `Second Pass [attempt N/MAX]: grade X, revising...` | Below bar, iterating (confirm mode only) | | `Second Pass [attempt 1/1]: grade X, applying feedback once...` | Below bar, single-shot revise mode | | `Second Pass passed at attempt N/MAX (grade X).` | Bar met, delivering | | `Second Pass revised (original grade X). Shipping without re-judge.` | Single-shot revise complete | | `Second Pass hit iteration cap. Best grade: X (bar: Y).` | Cap reached | ## Common mistakes - **Firing on measurable output.** Test results, deploy logs, compile errors have pass/fail criteria. Skip. - **Skipping "just this once."** Consistency is the point. Skipping for convenience is exactly the behavior this skill prevents. - **Using the subagent to rewrite.** Self-judge flags and suggests; the calling agent revises. Don't shortcut. - **Shipping the original unchanged with a grade tag.** If the grade is below bar, actually revise before delivering. - **Treating B-at-bar-A as passing.** B < A. Revise. ## Red flags — STOP and invoke anyway - "This output is simple enough to ship." - "I'll run Second Pass next time." - "It's mostly measurable, close enough." - "The user is in a hurry." - "Grade B is fine even at bar A." All of these mean: invoke Second Pass now. ## What this skill does NOT do - Does not generate content — only grades existing outputs and drives revision. - Does not rewrite unilaterally — it returns feedback; the calling agent revises. - Does not cache rules per target skill — grades from intent on the fly. - Does not fire on measurable outputs. - Does not require user invocation — auto-triggers.

Security Status