Agent skill · software engineering · microsoft
generate-run-commands
Generate or modify run commands for the current session. Use when the user wants to set up or update run commands that appear in the session's Run button.
Why this skill is useful
Adds executable scripts for setting up and modifying run commands in a project, enhancing the agent's ability to automate development workflows.
What it needs
Requires npm installed locally. About 1k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 188,455 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
<!-- Customize this skill and select save to override its behavior. Delete that copy to restore the built-in behavior. --> Generate Run Commands Help the user set up run commands for the current Agent Session workspace. Run commands appear in the session's Run button in the title bar. Understanding the task schema A run command is a tasks.json task with: "inAgents": true — required: makes the task appear in the Agents run button "runOptions": { "runOn": "worktreeCreated" } — optional: auto-runs the task whenever a new worktree is created (use for setup/install commands) Decision logic First, read the existing .vscode/tasks.json to check for existing run commands (inAgents: true tasks). If run commands already exist: treat this as a modify request — ask the user what they'd like to change (add, remove, or update a command). If no run commands exist: try to infer the right commands from the workspace: Check package.json, Makefile, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, go.mod, .nvmrc, or other project files to understand the stack and common commands. If it's clear what the setup command is (e.g., npm install, pip install -r requirements.txt), add it with "runOptions": { "runOn": "worktreeCreated" } — no need to ask. If it's clear what the primary run/dev command is (e.g., npm run dev, cargo run), add it with just "inAgents": true. Only ask the user if the commands are ambiguous (e.g., multiple equally valid options, no recognizable project structure, or the project uses a non-standard setup). Writing the file Always write to .vscode/tasks.json in the workspace root. If the file already exists, merge — do not overwrite unrelated tasks. After writing, briefly confirm what was added and how to trigger it from the Run button.
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills microsoft/generate-run-commands