til · diff
git:20260527.f278992 to git:20260601.f97e47d
26 added, 22 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: til
description: >-
- Captures learnings from any session — coding, research, or a /learn
- conversation — into an engaging TIL note in the Obsidian vault. Make sure
- to use this skill whenever the user runs /til, says "save what I learned",
- "create a TIL", "document this session", "write up what we built", or
- reaches the end of any learning or coding session where new things were
- learned. Also triggers at the end of a /learn session when the user says
- "done". Writes like telling a story to a friend — not a dry report.
+ Captures learnings from any session — coding, research, or a /learn conversation — into an
+ engaging TIL note in the Obsidian vault. Make sure to use this skill whenever the user runs /til,
+ says "save what I learned", "create a TIL", "document this session", "write up what we built", or
+ reaches the end of any learning or coding session where new things were learned. Also triggers at
+ the end of a /learn session when the user says "done". Writes like telling a story to a friend —
+ not a dry report.
user-invocable: true
- argument-hint: "[project or topic name — omit to infer from context]"
+ argument-hint: '[project or topic name — omit to infer from context]'
---
# TIL (Today I Learned) Capture
- Turn a session into a durable, engaging knowledge note. The goal is a note
- future-you will actually want to read — not a dry changelog.
+ Turn a session into a durable, engaging knowledge note. The goal is a note future-you will actually
+ want to read — not a dry changelog.
## Step 1 — Identify the Topic
Use `$ARGUMENTS` if provided. Otherwise infer from:
+
1. Current working directory (`pwd`)
2. Git repo name (`git remote get-url origin`)
3. Dominant topic from the conversation
## Step 2 — Check for an Existing TIL Today
```bash
obsidian read path="3 - Resources/TIL/til-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).md" 2>/dev/null
```
- If a note exists: append a new section. Never overwrite — today may have
- multiple sessions.
+ If a note exists: append a new section. Never overwrite — today may have multiple sessions.
## Step 3 — Extract Learnings from the Conversation
Analyze the full conversation and pull out:
- **What was built, learned, or designed** — the artifact or insight
- **Key decisions and trade-offs** — why this approach over alternatives
- **Bugs or blockers encountered and fixed** — symptom, root cause, fix
- **"Aha moments"** — insights that reframe how you think about something
- **What would be done differently** — honest retrospective
## Step 4 — Write with an Engaging Voice
Write like telling a story to a friend, not filing a report.
**Use:**
+
- Analogies: "it's like a cache, but for..."
- Anecdotes: "We tried X first — it broke because..."
- Before/after code for bug fixes and pattern changes
- Mermaid diagrams for architecture or data flow when they clarify structure
**Required frontmatter tags (3–5 using `til/` prefix):**
- | Category | Examples |
- |----------|---------|
- | Technology | `til/react`, `til/typescript`, `til/nextjs`, `til/python` |
- | Patterns | `til/architecture`, `til/testing`, `til/debugging`, `til/performance` |
- | Libraries | `til/tanstack-query`, `til/zod`, `til/prisma` |
- | Concepts | `til/accessibility`, `til/security`, `til/composition` |
+ | Category | Examples |
+ | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+ | Technology | `til/react`, `til/typescript`, `til/nextjs`, `til/python` |
+ | Patterns | `til/architecture`, `til/testing`, `til/debugging`, `til/performance` |
+ | Libraries | `til/tanstack-query`, `til/zod`, `til/prisma` |
+ | Concepts | `til/accessibility`, `til/security`, `til/composition` |
**Note structure:**
```markdown
---
tags: [til/typescript, til/architecture]
date: YYYY-MM-DD
project: <topic or project name>
---
# TIL: <engaging title that captures the insight>
## What We Covered
+
<brief context — one sentence>
## The Story
+
<narrative with anecdotes, analogies, code snippets>
## Key Insight
+
<the one thing to remember>
## What I'd Do Differently
+
<honest retrospective — skip if nothing stands out>
```
## Step 5 — Save the Note
```bash
# New note
obsidian create path="3 - Resources/TIL/til-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).md" \
content="<full note content>"
# Existing note — append new section
- obsidian patch path="3 - Resources/TIL/til-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).md" \
- section="## Session 2 — <title>" content="<content>"
+ obsidian append path="3 - Resources/TIL/til-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).md" \
+ content="\n## Session 2 — <title>\n\n<content>"
```
## Hard Rules
- Never mention Claude or AI assistance in the note — write in first person
- Never overwrite an existing TIL — always append a new section
- Write for future-you in 6 months, not for the PR description
- - If Obsidian CLI fails: tell the user "Obsidian CLI isn't working — update
- Obsidian with CLI enabled"
+ - If Obsidian CLI fails: tell the user "Obsidian CLI isn't working — update Obsidian with CLI
+ enabled"