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Built-in Prompts

SwissArmyHammer includes a comprehensive set of built-in prompts designed to assist with various development tasks. These prompts are organized by category and leverage Liquid templating for dynamic, customizable assistance.

Overview

All built-in prompts:

  • Support customizable arguments with sensible defaults
  • Use Liquid syntax for variable substitution and control flow
  • Are organized into logical categories for easy discovery
  • Follow a standardized YAML front matter format

Categories

Analysis

statistics-calculator

Calculate statistics on numeric data using math filters and array operations.

Arguments:

  • numbers (required) - Comma-separated list of numbers
  • precision (default: “2”) - Decimal precision for calculations
  • show_outliers (default: “true”) - Identify outliers in the dataset
  • percentiles (default: “25,50,75”) - Calculate percentiles (comma-separated)
  • visualization (default: “true”) - Show ASCII visualization

Example:

swissarmyhammer test statistics-calculator --numbers "10,20,30,40,50" --percentiles "10,50,90"

Communication

email-composer

Compose professional emails with dynamic content using capture blocks.

Arguments:

  • recipient_name (required) - Name of the email recipient
  • sender_name (required) - Name of the sender
  • email_type (required) - Type of email (welcome, followup, reminder, thank_you)
  • context (default: “”) - Additional context for the email
  • formal (default: “false”) - Use formal tone
  • include_signature (default: “true”) - Include email signature
  • time_of_day (default: “morning”) - Current time of day

Example:

swissarmyhammer test email-composer --recipient_name "John Doe" --sender_name "Jane Smith" --email_type "followup" --formal "true"

Data Processing

array-processor

Process arrays with flexible filtering and loop control.

Arguments:

  • items (required) - Comma-separated list of items to process
  • skip_pattern (default: “”) - Pattern to skip items containing this text
  • stop_pattern (default: “”) - Pattern to stop processing
  • max_items (default: “100”) - Maximum number of items to process
  • show_skipped (default: “false”) - Show skipped items separately
  • format (default: “list”) - Output format (list, table, json)

Example:

swissarmyhammer test array-processor --items "apple,banana,cherry" --skip_pattern "berry" --format "table"

Debug

debug/error

Analyze error messages and provide debugging guidance with potential solutions.

Arguments:

  • error_message (required) - The error message or stack trace to analyze
  • language (default: “auto-detect”) - The programming language
  • context (default: “”) - Additional context about when the error occurs

Example:

swissarmyhammer test debug/error --error_message "TypeError: cannot read property 'name' of undefined" --language "javascript"

debug/logs

Analyze log files to identify issues and patterns.

Arguments:

  • log_content (required) - The log content to analyze
  • issue_description (default: “general analysis”) - Description of the issue you’re investigating
  • time_range (default: “all”) - Specific time range to focus on
  • log_format (default: “auto-detect”) - Log format (json, plaintext, syslog, etc.)

Example:

swissarmyhammer test debug/logs --log_content "$(cat application.log)" --issue_description "API timeout errors"

debug/performance

Analyze performance problems and suggest optimization strategies.

Arguments:

  • problem_description (required) - Description of the performance issue
  • metrics (default: “not provided”) - Performance metrics
  • code_snippet (default: “”) - Relevant code that might be causing the issue
  • environment (default: “development”) - Environment details

Example:

swissarmyhammer test debug/performance --problem_description "Database queries taking 5+ seconds" --environment "production"

Documentation

docs/api

Create comprehensive API documentation from code.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The API code to document
  • api_type (default: “REST”) - Type of API (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, library)
  • format (default: “markdown”) - Documentation format (markdown, openapi, swagger)
  • include_examples (default: “true”) - Whether to include usage examples

Example:

swissarmyhammer test docs/api --code "$(cat api.py)" --api_type "REST" --include_examples "true"

docs/comments

Add comprehensive comments and documentation to code.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The code to document
  • comment_style (default: “auto-detect”) - Comment style (inline, block, jsdoc, docstring, rustdoc)
  • detail_level (default: “standard”) - Level of detail (minimal, standard, comprehensive)
  • audience (default: “developers”) - Target audience for the comments

Example:

swissarmyhammer test docs/comments --code "$(cat utils.js)" --comment_style "jsdoc" --detail_level "comprehensive"

docs/readme

Create comprehensive README documentation for a project.

Arguments:

  • project_name (required) - Name of the project
  • project_description (required) - Brief description of what the project does
  • language (default: “auto-detect”) - Primary programming language
  • features (default: “”) - Key features of the project (comma-separated)
  • target_audience (default: “developers”) - Who this project is for

Example:

swissarmyhammer test docs/readme --project_name "MyLib" --project_description "A library for awesome things" --features "fast,reliable,easy"

Formatting

table-generator

Generate formatted tables with alternating row styles.

Arguments:

  • headers (required) - Comma-separated list of table headers
  • rows (required) - Semicolon-separated rows, with comma-separated values
  • style (default: “markdown”) - Table style (markdown, html, ascii)
  • zebra (default: “true”) - Enable zebra striping for rows
  • row_numbers (default: “false”) - Add row numbers

Example:

swissarmyhammer test table-generator --headers "Name,Age,City" --rows "John,30,NYC;Jane,25,LA" --style "markdown"

Planning & Productivity

plan

Create structured plans and break down complex tasks.

Arguments:

  • task (required) - The task to plan for
  • context (default: “”) - Additional context for the planning
  • constraints (default: “none”) - Any constraints or limitations to consider

Example:

swissarmyhammer test plan --task "Implement user authentication" --constraints "Must use OAuth2"

task-formatter

Format and organize tasks with priorities and grouping.

Arguments:

  • tasks (required) - Comma-separated list of tasks
  • group_by (default: “none”) - How to group tasks (priority, status, category, none)
  • show_index (default: “true”) - Show task numbers
  • show_status (default: “true”) - Include status checkboxes
  • date_format (default: “%B %d, %Y”) - Date format for due dates

Example:

swissarmyhammer test task-formatter --tasks "Write tests,Fix bug,Update docs" --group_by "priority"

Prompt Management

prompts/create

Help create effective prompts for SwissArmyHammer.

Arguments:

  • purpose (required) - What the prompt should accomplish
  • category (default: “general”) - Category for the prompt
  • inputs_needed (default: “”) - What information the prompt needs from users
  • complexity (default: “moderate”) - Complexity level (simple, moderate, advanced)

Example:

swissarmyhammer test prompts/create --purpose "Generate database migrations" --category "database"

prompts/improve

Analyze and enhance existing prompts for better effectiveness.

Arguments:

  • prompt_content (required) - The current prompt content (including YAML front matter)
  • improvement_goals (default: “overall enhancement”) - What aspects to improve
  • user_feedback (default: “”) - Any feedback or issues users have reported

Example:

swissarmyhammer test prompts/improve --prompt_content "$(cat my-prompt.md)" --improvement_goals "clarity,flexibility"

Refactoring

refactor/clean

Refactor code for better readability, maintainability, and adherence to best practices.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The code to refactor
  • language (default: “auto-detect”) - Programming language
  • focus_areas (default: “all”) - Specific areas to focus on
  • style_guide (default: “language defaults”) - Specific style guide to follow

Example:

swissarmyhammer test refactor/clean --code "$(cat messy_code.py)" --focus_areas "naming,complexity"

refactor/extract

Extract code into well-named, reusable methods or functions.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The code containing logic to extract
  • extract_purpose (required) - What the extracted method should do
  • method_name (default: “auto-suggest”) - Suggested name for the extracted method
  • scope (default: “method”) - Scope for the extraction (method, function, class, module)

Example:

swissarmyhammer test refactor/extract --code "$(cat complex.js)" --extract_purpose "validate user input"

refactor/patterns

Refactor code to match a target pattern or improve structure.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The code to refactor
  • target_pattern (required) - The pattern or style to refactor towards

Example:

swissarmyhammer test refactor/patterns --code "$(cat service.py)" --target_pattern "Repository pattern"

Code Review

review/code

Review code for quality, bugs, and improvements.

Arguments:

  • file_path (required) - Path to the file being reviewed
  • context (default: “general review”) - Additional context about the code review focus

Example:

swissarmyhammer test review/code --file_path "src/auth.py" --context "focus on security"

review/code-dynamic

Language-specific code review with conditional logic.

Arguments:

  • file_path (required) - Path to the file being reviewed
  • language (required) - Programming language (python, javascript, rust, etc.)
  • focus_areas (default: “style,bugs,performance”) - Comma-separated list of areas to focus on
  • severity_level (default: “warning”) - Minimum severity level to report (info, warning, error)
  • include_suggestions (default: “true”) - Include code improvement suggestions

Example:

swissarmyhammer test review/code-dynamic --file_path "app.js" --language "javascript" --focus_areas "security,performance"

review/security

Perform a comprehensive security review of code to identify vulnerabilities.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The code to review for security issues
  • context (default: “general purpose code”) - Context about the code
  • language (default: “auto-detect”) - Programming language
  • severity_threshold (default: “low”) - Minimum severity to report (critical, high, medium, low)

Example:

swissarmyhammer test review/security --code "$(cat login.php)" --context "handles user authentication"

review/accessibility

Review code for accessibility compliance and best practices.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The UI/frontend code to review
  • wcag_level (default: “AA”) - WCAG compliance level target (A, AA, AAA)
  • component_type (default: “general”) - Type of component (form, navigation, content, interactive)
  • target_users (default: “all users”) - Specific user needs to consider

Example:

swissarmyhammer test review/accessibility --code "$(cat form.html)" --component_type "form" --wcag_level "AA"

Testing

test/unit

Create comprehensive unit tests for code with good coverage.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The code to generate tests for
  • framework (default: “auto-detect”) - Testing framework to use
  • style (default: “BDD”) - Testing style (BDD, TDD, classical)
  • coverage_target (default: “80”) - Target test coverage percentage

Example:

swissarmyhammer test test/unit --code "$(cat calculator.py)" --framework "pytest" --style "BDD"

test/integration

Create integration tests to verify component interactions.

Arguments:

  • system_description (required) - Description of the system/components to test
  • test_scenarios (default: “basic flow”) - Specific scenarios to test (comma-separated)
  • framework (default: “auto-detect”) - Testing framework to use
  • environment (default: “local”) - Test environment setup requirements

Example:

swissarmyhammer test test/integration --system_description "User service and database" --test_scenarios "user creation,user update"

test/property

Create property-based tests to find edge cases automatically.

Arguments:

  • code (required) - The code to test with properties
  • framework (default: “auto-detect”) - Property testing framework
  • properties_to_test (default: “common properties”) - Specific properties or invariants to verify
  • num_examples (default: “100”) - Number of random examples to generate

Example:

swissarmyhammer test test/property --code "$(cat sort.js)" --properties_to_test "output length equals input length"

General Purpose

help

A prompt for providing helpful assistance and guidance to users.

Arguments:

  • topic (default: “general assistance”) - The topic to get help about
  • detail_level (default: “normal”) - How detailed the help should be

Example:

swissarmyhammer test help --topic "git workflows" --detail_level "detailed"

example

An example prompt for testing.

Arguments:

  • topic (default: “general topic”) - The topic to ask about

Example:

swissarmyhammer test example --topic "testing prompts"

Usage Patterns

Basic Usage

# Use a prompt with default arguments
swissarmyhammer test review/code --file_path "main.py"

# Specify custom arguments
swissarmyhammer test test/unit --code "$(cat utils.js)" --framework "jest" --coverage_target "90"

Piping Content

# Pipe file content to a prompt
cat error.log | xargs -I {} swissarmyhammer test debug/logs --log_content "{}" --issue_description "memory leak"

# Use command substitution
swissarmyhammer test docs/api --code "$(cat api.py)" --api_type "REST"

Combining Multiple Prompts

# First analyze the code
swissarmyhammer test review/code --file_path "service.py" > review.md

# Then generate tests based on the review
swissarmyhammer test test/unit --code "$(cat service.py)" --style "TDD"

Custom Workflows

# Create a security-focused workflow
swissarmyhammer test review/security --code "$(cat auth.js)" --severity_threshold "medium" > security.md
swissarmyhammer test test/unit --code "$(cat auth.js)" --focus "security edge cases"

Best Practices

  1. Choose the Right Prompt - Select prompts that match your specific task
  2. Provide Context - Use optional arguments to give more context
  3. Combine Prompts - Use multiple prompts in sequence for comprehensive workflows
  4. Customize Arguments - Override defaults when you need specific behavior
  5. Review Output - Always review and validate generated content before using it

Creating Custom Prompts

If the built-in prompts don’t meet your needs:

  1. Use the prompts/create prompt to generate a template
  2. Save it in your ~/.swissarmyhammer/prompts/ directory
  3. Follow the YAML front matter format for consistency
  4. Test with various inputs to ensure reliability

For more information on creating custom prompts, see Creating Prompts.