Getting Started

Prerequisites

Python 3.12+ — check with python --version
An AI agent that supports SKILL.md — Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, or any compatible agent

Install BookForge

pip install bookforge-ai

Verify the installation:

bookforge --version

Browse the Skill Catalog

See what's available:

bookforge browse

Domain                  Skills   Books
─────────────────────────────────────────
software-architecture      12       3
negotiation                 8       2
decision-making             6       2
systems-thinking            5       1
technical-leadership        4       1
...
29 domains · 147 skills · 53 books

Filter by domain:

bookforge browse --domain=software-architecture

software-architecture/
  architecture-styles              Identify and select architecture styles for a system
  architecture-tradeoff-analysis   Analyze architecture decisions using tradeoff matrices
  fitness-functions                Define and implement architecture fitness functions
  modularity-metrics               Measure and improve codebase modularity
  component-identification         Decompose a system into well-bounded components
  ...
12 skills from 3 books

Install a Skill

bookforge install architecture-tradeoff-analysis

Installed architecture-tradeoff-analysis
  → .claude/skills/architecture-tradeoff-analysis/SKILL.md
  → .claude/skills/architecture-tradeoff-analysis/scripts/tradeoff-matrix.py
  → .claude/skills/architecture-tradeoff-analysis/references/quality-attributes.md

The skill is now available to your agent. For Claude Code, skills in .claude/skills/ are picked up automatically.

What Just Happened

BookForge downloaded a pre-built skill package and placed it in your agent's skill directory. The package contains:

SKILL.md — the main skill file your agent reads and follows
scripts/ — reusable automations the skill can invoke
references/ — deep-dive material for edge cases

Your agent can now use this skill whenever it encounters a relevant task. The skill's description tells the agent when to activate it, and the body provides the step-by-step process.

Next Steps

How It Works — understand the 5-stage pipeline that produces these skills
Skill Format — learn the anatomy of a SKILL.md file