working-in-scratch-areaslisted

# Working in Scratch Areas ## Overview Helps Claude save one-off scripts and documents to persistent scratch areas instead of littering repositories with temporary files or using `/tmp`. **Core principles:** - Temporary work deserves permanent storage - Scripts and documents should be documented, organized, and preserved - Never use `/tmp` or project `tmp/` directories for these files - Files belong in `.scratch/` subdirectories with context **Announce at start:** "I'm using the working-in-scratch-areas skill." ## When to Use Use this skill when creating: - One-off debug scripts - Analysis or investigation tools - Temporary documentation or reports - Quick test scripts - Data extraction utilities - Monitoring or diagnostic tools Don't use for: - Production code that belongs in the main codebase - Configuration files that should be committed - Tests that belong in the test suite - Documentation that should be in docs/ **NEVER use `/tmp` or project `tmp/` directories.** Always use `.scratch/` for temporary work. ## Setup Workflow ### Check for Existing Scratch Area First, check if a scratch area already exists: ```bash test -L .scratch && echo "Scratch area exists" || echo "No scratch area" ``` If the symlink exists, verify gitignore is configured (see below), then you're ready to use it. ### Setting Up New Scratch Area When no scratch area exists: 1. **Detect:** "I notice this repository doesn't have a scratch area set up." 2. **Check CLAUDE.md:** Check if s