Agent skill · software engineering · steipete
prototype-openclaw-tui
Build throwaway, fixture-driven OpenClaw Clack or Pi TUI prototypes and compare multiple interactive variants side by side in tmux without running the full application or touching live state.
Why this skill is useful
Adds a specific workflow for creating and comparing TUI prototypes using OpenClaw, which includes unique commands and fixture-driven testing not commonly found in public documentation.
What it needs
Requires node, tmux, tsx installed locally. About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 385,400 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Prototype OpenClaw TUI Use this skill to isolate one OpenClaw terminal surface, render it with the real OpenClaw TUI stack, and compare two to six design variants in tmux. Rules Read the root and scoped AGENTS.md files before editing. Keep the prototype beside the target and name it .prototype.ts. When iterating on an existing surface, include its current implementation as the first baseline variant with the same fixture data. Only omit the baseline when the user explicitly asks for a greenfield comparison. Use the real OpenClaw renderer, theme, copy, and component where practical. Replace scanning, models, network calls, installs, config writes, SQLite, and other durable effects with deterministic in-memory fixtures. Do not run the full OpenClaw application when the isolated surface is enough. Treat prototype code as throwaway. Do not promote it directly to production. Preserve unrelated and pre-existing worktree changes. Choose the renderer Wizard, onboarding, configuration, doctor, selection, or progress surface: use createClackPrompter() from src/wizard/clack-prompter.ts. Agent shell, chat, overlay, editor, selector, or src/tui/ component: use @earendil-works/pi-tui and the existing OpenClaw component. Do not invent a shared Clack/Pi abstraction. They are separate prototype recipes joined only by the tmux comparison loop. Workflow 1. Read the target module, its renderer adapter, callers, and adjacent tests. 2. Create the smallest executable harness that reaches the target surface. 3. If the surface already exists, make the no-argument invocation render its current implementation unchanged as --variant=baseline. 4. Add structurally different alternatives behind --variant=<id>, for two to six total variants including the baseline. 5. Give every variant the same fixture data and terminal dimensions. 6. Run each variant directly in its own tmux pane. Do not pipe interactive TUI output; tmux must provide the PTY. 7. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills steipete/prototype-openclaw-tui