Build Scopes | Nimbus

Feature	Feature status	claude	codex	cursor
`workflows`	`implemented`	`not_applicable`	`not_applicable`	`not_applicable`

Registry feature: workflows

Support vocabulary: Feature Reference

A build scope filters the destinations that Skillset previews, writes, or inspects. It does not change canonical source, provider meaning, source-change coverage, or which standard profiles are adopted and applicable.

Choose a Build Mode

Root skillset.yaml sets the default mode:

compile:
  build: updated

updated is the default and selects missing, changed, or stale managed output. all selects every configured generated file. --updated and --all override the manifest for one command and cannot be combined.

skillset build is plan-first. It writes only after interactive confirmation or --yes:

skillset build
skillset build --yes

The generated build reference owns the exact flags. The development loop shows the normal preview, write, and check sequence.

Filter Destinations

--scope filters destination classes for build, diff, list, and explain:

Scope	Selected destination
`repo`	Agent Skills and provider standalone skill roots
`plugins`	Agent Plugins packages and provider plugin bundles
`project`	Agent Instructions, project agents, and provider source
`user`	Reserved; no build output exists today
`all`	Every configured destination

Scopes are not entity or standards selectors. They cannot substitute for plugin or skill ids, enable or disable a standard profile, or change provider targets. change status and change check reject them because those commands measure source coverage rather than generated destinations.

compile.targets: [] requests no provider output. It is valid only when the selected scopes still contain at least one applicable adopted Agent standard projection; otherwise the build fails with an actionable no-projections diagnostic.

Use an Isolated Mirror

--isolated on build, diff, or check --only outputs reroots the complete projection under the logical .skillset/cache/latest/ mirror in the repository’s XDG cache bucket. Reports and locks retain repository-relative paths, while live generated roots remain untouched.

Writes, drift checks, stale-file removal, collision backups, and locks operate against the mirror. This is useful for inspection and tests; it does not install or activate the result.

Read the Result

Command	Result	Writes
`skillset build`	Planned additions, changes, missing files, and removals	Only after confirmation or `--yes`
`skillset diff`	Content and state differences	Never
`skillset list`	Lock-backed generated inventory	Never
`skillset explain <path>`	Source, destination, provenance, and render-result facts	Never
`skillset check --only outputs`	Whether checked-in output matches source	Never

Missing managed output appears separately from newly generated output. Unsupported or lossy destinations fail unless the workspace has an explicit visible policy that permits the result.

Errors and Recovery

Problem	Result	Recovery
Unknown scope	Command fails instead of guessing	Choose a scope from the table or omit `--scope`
Conflicting build modes	Command fails	Pass only `--updated` or `--all`
Missing lock	Preview derives the configured projection; a confirmed build writes a new baseline	Review the full plan before confirming
Corrupt lock	Build and inspection fail because ownership is unsafe to infer	Repair or regenerate the lock from trusted source
Missing managed file	Diff and output check report the missing path	Preview and confirm a build
Unmanaged collision or edited output	Confirmed build creates a recovery snapshot before replacement	Follow Output Safety

Dry-run commands never write generated files, locks, target configuration, or user-level settings.

Provenance

Nearby skillset.lock files record the configured build mode, source and generated hashes, target state, preprocessing dependencies, warnings, and skipped or unsupported facts. One-off --all and --updated flags select the current operation without changing that persisted workspace default. Generated frontmatter remains lightweight; use status or explain to inspect the lock-backed decision.