Branch Documentation Sync

VerifiedSafe

Update project documentation by analyzing recent commits and applying targeted changes across developer notes, site content, and manual pages.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DocumentationIntermediate
7/22/2026
Claude Code
#documentation-sync#git-history#changelog#refactor-cleanup#markdown-links

Recommended for

Automated summary

Analyzes recent commits on a git branch and applies targeted updates across developer notes, site docs, distribution files, and manual pages.

Strengths

  • Clear taxonomy of the change types to propagate (refactors, new features, breaking changes, bug fixes) gathered via git log and git show
  • Explicit file checklist: DEVNOTES, docs/site/content, README, NEWS, ChangeLog, Homebrew/RPM templates and man pages
  • Surgical replacement edits with enough context, preserving original casing during batch renames
  • Post-update audit with grep for stale terms plus validation of internal markdown links

Limitations

  • Assumes a very project-specific documentation layout (DEVNOTES_DETAILS, RIB_GUIDE, shaders, bindings) and won't adapt to arbitrary repos
  • The rename examples (Pixie to openRender, sdrinfo to rsloinfo) come straight from the original project
  • Doesn't check how the site renders or whether the updated technical descriptions are correct, only textual consistency
When to use it

Run it after a batch of feature-branch commits that renamed tools, changed environment variables, or introduced a subsystem, to bring the whole documentation set back in sync.

When not to use it

For writing documentation from scratch or for a small code fix that touches no docs, tools, packaged artifacts, or man pages.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score85/100

The skill only instructs reading git history and making targeted documentation edits, with a final confirmation step. It does not execute destructive commands, exfiltrate secrets, download payloads, or disable safety controls.

No concerns found

How this analysis is made

Examples

Sync after a feature branch
Analyze the commits unique to my current branch and update DEVNOTES.md, the docs/site content, README and ChangeLog to reflect the new feature and the refactors.
Product rename sweep
We renamed the project from Pixie to openRender and PIXIEHOME to ORENDERHOME. Update all documentation, site links, man pages and packaging templates, then grep for leftover old terms.
Draft a release entry
Look at the last 10 commits, then add a dated NEWS.md and ChangeLog.md entry and refresh INSTALL_ARTIFACTS.md so it matches the current CMakeLists.txt.

name: "branch-docs-sync" description: "Synchronize project documentation with recent code changes, refactors, and feature implementations in the current branch." compatibility: "Requires a git repository with standard documentation structure (DEVNOTES, docs/site, README, etc.)" metadata: author: "openRender-bot" version: "1.0.0"

Objective

Update and maintain documentation consistency by analyzing recent git commits and applying surgical updates across developer notes, user-facing site content, and system manual pages.

Workflow

1. Research & Analysis

  • Identify Range: Determine the set of commits to analyze. If not specified, analyze all commits unique to the current feature branch.
  • Extract Changes: Use git log -n 10 and git show <sha> for key commits to identify:
    • Architectural Refactors: Renames of subsystems, directories, or core libraries.
    • New Features: Added RIB statements, new shaders, or expanded language bindings.
    • Breaking Changes: Changed environment variables, tool names, or API signatures.
    • Fixed Bugs: Resolved issues that require updating the status in BUGS.md or DEVNOTES.md.

2. Update Developer Notes (DEVNOTES.md & DEVNOTES_DETAILS/**)

  • Project Status: Update the "Project Status" table in the main DEVNOTES.md.
  • Major Refactors: Add a bullet point to the "Recent Major Refactors" section summarizing systemic changes.
  • Detail Files:
    • Update OSHADER_UPDATES.md for compiler or shading language changes.
    • Update BINDINGS_GUIDE.md for Python/Lua/C++ interface changes.
    • Update FRAMEBUFFER_GUIDE.md for display driver or IPC changes.
    • Create new detail files (e.g., RIB_GUIDE.md) for significant new subsystems.

3. Update Site Documentation (docs/site/content/**)

  • Branding & Consistency: Perform batch updates for project name (e.g., "Pixie" -> "openRender") or environment variables (e.g., PIXIEHOME -> ORENDERHOME).
  • URL Routing: Ensure internal links and file names match the new branding or tool names.
  • Tooling References: Update command-line examples to reflect tool renames (e.g., sdrinfo -> rsloinfo).

4. Update Distribution & Release Files

  • README.md: Refresh the directory structure overview and installation requirements.
  • INSTALL_ARTIFACTS.md: Update the list of installed binaries and libraries.
  • NEWS.md & ChangeLog.md: Add dated entries summarizing the new capabilities and refactors.
  • Build Templates: Update Homebrew (.rb.template) or RPM (.spec) files to ensure they package the new artifacts.

5. Update Manual Pages (man/**)

  • Rename: If a tool has been renamed, rename the corresponding .1 file.
  • Content: Update the usage synopsis and descriptions to match the current implementation.

Key Rules

  • Preserve Case: When performing batch renames (e.g., "pixie" -> "openrender"), respect the casing of the original string.
  • Surgical Edits: Use targeted replace calls with enough context to avoid ambiguous matches.
  • Audit: After updates, run a grep_search for the old terms (e.g., "sdr", "Pixie") to ensure no stale references remain in active documentation.
  • Confirmation: Present a summary of all documentation changes to the user for final approval.

Verification

  • Validate that all internal markdown links are functional.
  • Ensure the ChangeLog.md follows the project's established format.
  • Verify that the INSTALL_ARTIFACTS.md accurately reflects the current CMakeLists.txt configuration.

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/download' --output '.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

Environment declared by the author: Requires a git repository with standard documentation structure (DEVNOTES, docs/site, README, etc.)

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/branch-docs-sync' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv' '.claude/skills/branch-docs-sync'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv'

openskills read 'branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/branch-documentation-sync-mrwakdkv/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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