What files are created by grace-init?

AGENTS.md at the project root (written if missing, otherwise you’ll be warned before overwriting) and docs/ with knowledge-graph.xml, requirements.xml, technology.xml, and development-plan.xml generated from assets/ templates.

How does it handle existing AGENTS.md?

If AGENTS.md exists, grace-init warns and asks whether to overwrite or keep the existing file.

Where do templates come from?

Templates are read from the skill's assets/ directory (e.g., assets/AGENTS.md.template and assets/docs/*.xml.template) and placeholders are replaced with user-provided values.

grace-init

npx machina-cli add skill osovv/grace-marketplace/grace-init --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

2.2 KB

Initialize GRACE framework structure for this project.

Template Files

All documents MUST be created from template files located in this skill's assets/ directory. Read each template file, replace the $PLACEHOLDER variables with actual values gathered from the user, and write the result to the target project path.

Template source	Target in project
`assets/AGENTS.md.template`	`AGENTS.md` (project root)
`assets/docs/knowledge-graph.xml.template`	`docs/knowledge-graph.xml`
`assets/docs/requirements.xml.template`	`docs/requirements.xml`
`assets/docs/technology.xml.template`	`docs/technology.xml`
`assets/docs/development-plan.xml.template`	`docs/development-plan.xml`

Important: Never hardcode template content inline. Always read from the .template files — they are the single source of truth for document structure.

Steps

Gather project info from the user. Ask for:
- Project name and short annotation
- Main keywords (for domain activation)
- Primary language, runtime, and framework (with versions)
- Key libraries/dependencies (if known)
- High-level module list (if known)
Create docs/ directory and populate documents from templates:

For each assets/docs/*.xml.template file:
- Read the template file
- Replace $PLACEHOLDER variables with user-provided values
- Write the result to the corresponding docs/ path
Create or verify AGENTS.md at project root:
- If AGENTS.md does not exist — read assets/AGENTS.md.template, fill in $KEYWORDS and $ANNOTATION, and write to project root
- If AGENTS.md already exists — warn the user and ask whether to overwrite or keep the existing one
Print a summary of all created files and suggest the next step:

"Run $grace-plan to start the architectural planning phase."

Source

git clone https://github.com/osovv/grace-marketplace/blob/main/codex-skills/grace-init/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

Bootstraps the GRACE framework structure for a new project by creating docs/ and AGENTS.md, plus XML templates for knowledge graph, requirements, technology, and development plan. It reads templates from assets/, substitutes placeholders with user data, and writes finalized documents to the project.

How This Skill Works

Reads template files from assets/, gathers user input (project name, keywords, language, runtime, framework with versions, key libraries, and high-level modules), replaces $PLACEHOLDER values, and writes AGENTS.md and docs/*.xml to the project. If AGENTS.md already exists, it prompts to overwrite or keep the existing file.

When to Use It

Starting a new project with GRACE methodology and needing a documented structure
Initializing the docs/ directory and XML templates for knowledge graph, requirements, technology, and development plan
Setting up AGENTS.md at project root with project-specific keywords and annotation
Preparing a standard XML-based docs suite for knowledge graph, requirements, technology and dev plan
Reinitializing structure after project scope changes or framework upgrades

Quick Start

Step 1: Gather project name, short annotation, keywords, primary language, runtime, framework (with versions), key libraries, and high-level modules
Step 2: Run grace-init to read assets/*.template files, replace $PLACEHOLDERs, and write docs/*.xml and AGENTS.md
Step 3: Review generated files and run the summary step: Run `$grace-plan` to start the architectural planning phase

Best Practices

Gather complete project details before generating templates
Always read template files from assets/ rather than embedding content
Validate that all placeholders are replaced and outputs are written to the correct paths
Prompt before overwriting existing AGENTS.md to avoid data loss
Keep templates in assets/ up-to-date with the GRACE version and project needs

Example Use Cases

New GRACE-based product launch requiring a knowledge graph and development plan
Open-source GRACE project initialization with standardized docs and AGENTS.md
Prototype setup for a microservice using GRACE templates
Internal tool initialization with formal requirements.xml and technology.xml
Educational project needing a mapped knowledge graph in XML

Frequently Asked Questions

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