Dash Install and Generate

Overview

Use this skill for install and generation workflows after discovery from $dash-docset-search or direct user request.

Defaults:

• confirmation-first installs
• no silent installation
• hybrid generation: automate known CLI paths, otherwise guide manual Dash generator steps

Use references/dash_url_and_service.md, references/dash_http_api.md, and references/dash_mcp_tools.md during execution.

Automation Prompting

• Codex App automation fit: Guarded. Install and generation flows can require user approval or UI-level interaction.
• Codex CLI automation fit: Guarded. Prefer dry-run or planning mode unless explicit install approval is provided.
• Use references/automation-prompts.md for Codex App and Codex CLI templates with placeholders and stop conditions.
• Default automation behavior should be non-destructive unless install mode is explicitly approved.

Install Workflow

1) Resolve candidate

1. Match request against catalog snapshots:
   • uv run python scripts/dash_catalog_match.py --query "<text>"
2. Prefer in this order:
   • built-in Dash Downloads
   • user-contributed
   • cheatsheet
   • generation path

2) Perform install (confirmation-first)

Preferred automation path:

• uv run python scripts/dash_url_install.py --repo-name "<repo>" --entry-name "<entry>"
• add --version "<version>" when explicit version is required
• use --yes only when explicit user approval exists

If URL install details are ambiguous:

• switch to guide mode
• provide exact Dash UI path in Settings > Downloads

3) Verify install

Use this order:

1. Dash MCP list_installed_docsets
2. local HTTP /docsets/list (after scripts/dash_api_probe.py)
3. if API unavailable, ask user to confirm from Dash UI

Generation Workflow (Hybrid)

1) Decide automation vs guide

Automate only when there is a documented and stable toolchain for the target source.

Typical examples:

• Sphinx/PyDoctor via docset tooling
• Javadoc pipelines
• GoDoc/Rust/Scaladoc/HexDoc toolchains
• cheat sheet authoring via cheatset

If the path is unclear or brittle:

• guide through Dash Docset Generator and official docs

2) Generation sources to cover

• Swift packages
• Ruby gems
• Python/Sphinx docs
• PHP packages
• Java packages
• Go packages
• Rust crates
• Scala packages
• Dart packages
• Haskell packages
• Hex packages
• Clojure libraries
• generic HTML docs

3) Last-resort generation

Suggest GitHub-based or Stack Overflow-based generation only when built-in, contributed, and known generator paths are exhausted.

API and Service Fallbacks

If MCP is unavailable:

1. run uv run python scripts/dash_api_probe.py
2. use local HTTP API if healthy
3. otherwise provide:
   • AppleScript open location "dash://?query=..."
   • terminal open "dash://?query=..."
   • macOS Look Up in Dash service guidance

Scripts

• scripts/dash_api_probe.py
• scripts/dash_catalog_refresh.py
• scripts/dash_catalog_match.py
• scripts/dash_url_search.py
• scripts/dash_url_install.py

References

• references/dash_mcp_tools.md
• references/dash_http_api.md
• references/dash_url_and_service.md
• references/automation-prompts.md
• references/catalog_built_in_docsets.json
• references/catalog_user_contrib_docsets.json
• references/catalog_cheatsheets.json

Optional Visual Troubleshooting

If Dash interface behavior needs verification, use the $screenshot skill if it is available in the user’s environment.