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Skillspenpot-build-from-code

penpot-build-from-code

Design & creation

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Updated 10-16 07:57

About this skill

Build From Code — Translate App Code into an On-System Penpot Screen

1. Title + How it works

This skill takes an existing application artifact — JSX/TSX, HTML, Vue/Svelte templates, CSS/Tailwind, or a styled-components tree — and reconstructs it as an editable, system-bound Penpot screen. Every mutation goes through execute_code; validate visually with export_shape; read structure with penpotUtils.shapeStructure (full tool surface: shared/penpot-mcp-tool-reference.md). The core move is discover first (Phase 0 enumerates the existing tokens and components you must map onto), then transform the code incrementally, section by section, mapping each CSS/style value to a semantic token and each repeated UI part to an existing library component — never hardcoding hex or off-grid spacing, never reinventing a component as a raw box.

2. The One Rule That Matters Most

Never one-shot a screen, and never hardcode a value that a token already expresses. Build the screen one section at a time (one logical execute_code step per call), and before you write any fill/spacing/radius/type, resolve it against the discovered token set. A code-derived #0066FF is not a fill — it is a lookup into the design system. If no token matches, you propose one and stop; you do not invent it. Translating an entire page in a single call, or pasting raw computed CSS onto shapes, is the failure mode this skill exists to prevent.

3. Penpot MCP Tool Reference

Full surface: shared/penpot-mcp-tool-reference.md. The calls this skill leans on:

  • Discovery (read-only): penpotUtils.tokenOverview(), penpot.library.local (components, tokens), penpotUtils.shapeStructure(shape, depth), penpotUtils.findShape/findShapes.
  • Screen scaffold: penpot.createBoard(), board.addFlexLayout(), penpotUtils.addFlexLayout(container, dir).
  • Section build: penpot.createRectangle/createText/createEllipse/createPath, component.instance(), container.appendChild(child), child.layoutChild.
  • Token binding: shape.applyToken(token, properties[]), token.resolvedValue, penpotUtils.findTokenByName.
  • Validation: export_shape (separate tool call) and a shapeStructure read.

4. Plugin API Essentials

The gotchas that bite this skill, as one-liners — full text in shared/plugin-api-gotchas.md:

  • #1 Immutable style arrays — assign a brand-new fills/strokes array; never mutate fills[0].
  • #2 Token application is async (~100 ms) — apply in one execute_code call, verify resolvedValue in a later call.
  • #3 resize() forces text growType: 'fixed' — set growType = 'auto-width'/'auto-height' after resizing text you want to flow.
  • #4 Flex/grid overrides child x/y — position children by append order + gap/padding/align/justify; opt out only with child.layoutChild.absolute = true.
  • #5 width/height and parentX/parentY are read-only — use shape.resize(w, h) and penpotUtils.setParentXY(shape, x, y).
  • #6 Detach before mutating an instance's internals — detach() first and report it.
  • #7 Append or it isn't on the canvas — container.appendChild(child) (or penpot.currentPage.root).
  • #8 Padding tokens — padding tokens bind on ≥ 2.17; createScreenWrapper.js falls back to mirrored numbers + a ledger exception on older instances.
  • #9 switchVariant(pos, value) — pos is the index into variants.properties (see storage.run.ds.componentsByRole[role].axes), never the axis name.
  • #13b Exact font match — penpot.fonts.all.find(f => f.name === "…"); findByName is a substring search.
  • #15 layoutChild after append — set layoutChild.* only once the child is inside a layout board; openPage is async.
  • #16 flipX after fill sizing — run the clearFlip sweep after every section that uses fill sizing (shared/visual-effects.md).
  • #17 Layout geometry — await board.waitForLayoutUpdate() before reading geometry (replaces the sleep-100ms idiom).
  • Verify any unfamiliar signature with penpot_api_info(type, member) before using it.

5. Token-Aware Brief Contract

Before any mutation, restate the request as this contract. Act as a senior design-engineer who treats the design system as the single source of truth and never hardcodes a value when a token exists.

  • Context — what product/surface is this code from, who uses it, what page/view does it represent (e.g. "settings page of the B2B admin console, desktop").
  • Objective — single and specific: "rebuild the <SettingsPage> component as an editable Penpot board bound to the existing semantic token set and reusing the Button, InputField, and Card components."
  • Inputs — the actual code (component files, CSS/Tailwind config, design tokens export if any), the target Penpot page, the discovered token sets, the discovered component library.
  • Constraints — forbidden moves (no raw hex, no off-4px-grid spacing, no reinvented components, no detach() without approval), inviolable rules (semantic tokens not primitives; existing components over new shapes), viewport width.
  • Acceptance Criteria — quantitative: ≥95% of color/spacing/radius/type values bound to tokens (validated by validateScreen.js); zero orphan raw values flagged; every repeated UI part that has a matching library component is an instance, not a shape; all spacing on the 4px grid; layer names semantic (no Rectangle 12).

6. Mandatory Workflow

Visual self-review (mandatory): before every ✋ checkpoint that shows visual work, run the export → look → fix loop from shared/visual-self-review.md — export the unit you just built, inspect the image yourself against the checklist, fix visible defects (max 2 iterations), and present that same export with any remaining defects named.

Phase 0 — Discovery (read-only)

Goal: map the existing Penpot design system so code values have somewhere to land. No mutation.

  1. high_level_overview (once).
  2. execute_code: run scripts/inspectDesignSystem.js → enumerate token sets, every token (name, type, resolvedValue), and every library component (name, id, variant axes). Cache into storage.run.ds.
  3. execute_code: penpotUtils.tokenOverview() to confirm the active theme/sets.
  4. Parse the input code into a section outline (header, nav, hero, form, card grid, footer…) and a style inventory (every distinct color/spacing/radius/font value the code uses). Exit criterion: you have (a) a token map keyed by resolved value, (b) a component catalog keyed by role, (c) a section outline, (d) a style inventory with each value pre-matched to a token or flagged UNMAPPED. ✋ Checkpoint: present the token/component coverage and the UNMAPPED list. Ask which UNMAPPED values should become proposed new tokens vs. accepted as documented exceptions. See references/01-discovery.md.

Phase 1 — Screen wrapper

Goal: create the screen Board with the right flex container and a RUN_ID ledger entry.

  1. execute_code: run scripts/createScreenWrapper.js (idempotent by board name) → Board sized to the viewport, addFlexLayout('column'), gap + padding bound to spacing tokens (padding mirrored + padding-mirrors-token exception on 2.16.x). Exit criterion: one empty, correctly-sized, flex column Board exists; its id is in the ledger. ✋ Checkpoint: export_shape the empty board; confirm dimensions/orientation before filling.

Phase 2 — Incremental section build (repeat per section)

Goal: build exactly one section from its code fragment, on-system. See references/02-component-assembly.md, references/03-token-binding.md, references/04-incremental-transform.md.

  1. execute_code: run scripts/buildSection.js for that one section — prefer component.instance() for any part with a matching catalog component; create raw shapes only for genuinely bespoke parts; bind every fill/spacing/radius/type to a token via applyToken.
  2. execute_code (separate call, after ~100 ms gap from the agent's turn): read back token.resolvedValue / shapeStructure to confirm bindings applied.
  3. export_shape the section. Exit criterion: the section renders, every value is token-bound or an approved exception, components are instances. ✋ Checkpoint: show the section; "looks good" approves only this section. Name the next section before continuing.

Phase 3 — Validation & report

Goal: prove the screen is on-system.

  1. execute_code: run scripts/validateScreen.js → token coverage %, list of orphan raw values, structure sanity (flex set, no auto-named layers, instances vs. shapes).
  2. Produce the structured report (section 12 of AGENTS.md). Exit criterion: acceptance criteria met or every gap explicitly listed for review. ✋ Checkpoint: present coverage + remaining gaps; ask for sign-off.

7. Critical Rules

  1. Always high_level_overview first; always Phase 0 discovery before any write.
  2. One section per execute_code mutation call. Never build multiple sections in one call.
  3. Every color/spacing/radius/border/type value MUST resolve to a token before it is applied. No raw hex/rgb/px on a shape when a matching token exists.
  4. All spacing/padding/gap MUST be a multiple of 4px (round code values to the nearest grid token; document any exception).
  5. Prefer semantic-tier tokens over primitives so theming works (tokens-schema.json).
  6. Any UI part with a matching library component MUST be an instance, not a hand-built shape group.
  7. Never invent a token. If a code value has no match, propose it (name/value/tier) and stop for approval.
  8. Token application is async — verify resolvedValue in a later execute_code call, never the same one.
  9. Never detach() an instance without explicit approval; report it if you do.
  10. Semantic, kebab-case layer names from the code's role (nav, header, card-container) — never Rectangle 12.
  11. Write the RUN_ID ledger after each phase; make every create idempotent (existence-check by name).

8. Domain Architecture

The skill produces a screen tree and consumes a design-system map.

  • Design-system map (Phase 0 output, cached in storage.run.ds):
    • tokensByValue: { "#0066FF": "color.action.primary.bg", "16": "spacing.4", ... } — reverse index for fast code-value → token lookup.
    • tokensByName: { "color.action.primary.bg": {type, resolvedValue} }.
    • componentsByRole: { button: {id, variants}, input: {...}, card: {...} }.
  • Section outline (from code): ordered list [{ role, codeFragment, childrenRoles }].
  • Style inventory: [{ codeValue, cssProp, matchedToken | "UNMAPPED" }].
  • Screen tree (Penpot output): Board(flex column) → section Boards(flex) → component instances + bound shapes.
  • Ledger (RUN_ID): { runId, phase, created:[{kind,name,id}], proposedTokens:[...], exceptions:[...], pendingReview:[...] }.

9. Modes & Policies

Default review (Apply-with-review): build each section, then stop at the checkpoint with an export_shape + summary before the next. Link: shared/modes-and-policies.md.

  • Safe-set (may auto-apply): semantic layer renaming; replacing a raw value that is exactly equal to a token's resolved value with that token (loss-less swap); adding plugin-data/metadata.
  • Always require review: creating the screen Board and any geometry; instantiating/restructuring components; any proposed new token; detach(); any token match that is a judgement call rather than an exact equality.

10. State Management

Link: shared/state-management.md. Ledger namespace penpot-ai, keyed by RUN_ID (e.g. bfc-2026-06-05-a).

  • storage.run.ds — cached design-system map (tokens, components) from Phase 0.
  • setSharedPluginData('penpot-ai', '<RUN_ID>.phase', n) — current phase.
  • setSharedPluginData('penpot-ai', '<RUN_ID>.ledger', JSON) — {boardId, sectionsBuilt:[role], proposedTokens, exceptions}.
  • Resume: re-read the ledger, re-run inspectDesignSystem.js to re-derive the DS map, shapeStructure(board) to see which sections exist, continue from ledger.phase. Idempotent steps make re-runs safe.

11. User Checkpoints

After phase Artifacts shown What we ask
0 Discovery Token/component coverage table; UNMAPPED style values "Which UNMAPPED values become proposed tokens vs. documented exceptions?"
1 Wrapper export_shape of empty Board + dimensions "Correct viewport size and column orientation?"
2 Section (each) export_shape of the section + token-binding summary "Approve THIS section? (next section is named explicitly)"
3 Validation Coverage %, orphan-value list, structure sanity "Sign off, or address listed gaps first?"

12. Naming Conventions

Link: shared/naming-conventions.md. Domain specifics:

  • Screen Board: screen-<view-name> (kebab), e.g. screen-settings.
  • Section Boards: the semantic HTML role — header, nav, main, section, footer, or kebab role names like card-grid, field-row.
  • Component instances keep the catalog component name.
  • Proposed tokens follow dot-notation tiers from tokens-schema.json; prefer semantic names that describe intent derived from the code's usage (color.action.primary.bg, not color.blue.500).

13. Anti-Rationalization Table

Excuse the LLM makes Why it's wrong Deterministic countermeasure that halts the flow
"The CSS says #0066FF, I'll just set that as the fill." Hardcoded hex is off-system; it won't theme and fails governance. Look it up in storage.run.ds.tokensByValue. If matched → applyToken. If not → propose a token and stop for approval. Never set raw hex.
"Tailwind p-5 is 20px, close enough to set 20." A literal bypasses the token scale and may be off-grid. Round to the nearest 4px-grid spacing token and applyToken. Document any exception only with approval.
"There's a Button component but it's faster to draw a rounded rect with text." Reinventing a system part breaks updates, variants, and handoff parity. If storage.run.ds.componentsByRole.button exists, component.instance() it and set props/variant. Raw shapes only for genuinely bespoke parts.
"I'll build the whole page in one execute_code to save calls." One-shotting hides failures and produces unbound, unverified output. Build one section per call; verify token bindings in a later call; export_shape and checkpoint before the next.
"This code value has no token; I'll add color.misc.x myself to keep moving." Silently inventing tokens pollutes the system and skips human governance. Add it to ledger.proposedTokens with name/value/tier and halt at the discovery checkpoint. Do not create it unilaterally.
"Token didn't read back; I'll just hardcode the value too as a fallback." A hardcoded fallback is exactly the orphan value this skill forbids; the read-back is async. Re-read resolvedValue in a later execute_code call. If it truly failed, fix the binding — never add a raw fallback.

14. Helper Code Snippets

// Reverse-index lookup: code value -> token (Phase 2, inside buildSection)
const ds = storage.run.ds;
const tokenName = ds.tokensByValue[String(codeValue).toLowerCase()]; // e.g. "#0066ff" -> "color.action.primary.bg"
if (tokenName) {
  const token = penpotUtils.findTokenByName(tokenName);
  shape.applyToken(token, ["fill"]);            // verify resolvedValue in a LATER call
} else {
  ledger.proposedTokens.push({ from: codeValue, suggest: "propose a semantic token", tier: "semantic" });
}
return { applied: !!tokenName, codeValue };

// Prefer an existing component over a raw shape
const role = "button";
const cat = storage.run.ds.componentsByRole[role];
let node;
if (cat) {
  const comp = penpot.library.local.components.find(c => c.id === cat.id);
  node = comp.instance();                         // instance, not a redrawn box
} else {
  node = penpot.createRectangle();                // bespoke only
}
container.appendChild(node);
return { role, usedComponent: !!cat, id: node.id };

15. Reference Resources

  • penpot_api_info("LibraryComponent"), penpot_api_info("Shape", "applyToken"), penpot_api_info("Board", "addFlexLayout"), penpot_api_info("Token", "resolvedValue") — verify before use.
  • shared/penpot-mcp-tool-reference.md (tool surface), shared/plugin-api-gotchas.md (traps), shared/tokens-schema.json (token types/tiers), shared/naming-conventions.md, shared/state-management.md.
  • Related skills: penpot-build-screen (brief-driven generate flow), penpot-foundations (when the system lacks tokens to map onto — its infer mode), penpot-audit-accessibility (post-build contrast check).

16. Supporting Files

references/

File Loaded during Purpose
references/01-discovery.md Phase 0 Enumerate tokens/components; build the reverse value→token index and component-by-role catalog; parse code into a section outline + style inventory.
references/02-component-assembly.md Phase 2 Decide instance-vs-shape; instantiate library components, set variants/props; assemble bespoke parts with flex.
references/03-token-binding.md Phase 2 Map code styles to semantic tokens; the applyToken property names; async verification; proposing new tokens.
references/04-incremental-transform.md Phase 2 The section-by-section loop, ordering, ledger updates, resumability.
references/05-anti-rationalization.md All phases Expanded countermeasures with concrete code-translation traps.
references/06-error-recovery.md On failure Diagnosing failed bindings, orphan values, flex/x-y conflicts, detach mishaps.

scripts/

File Phase Purpose
scripts/inspectDesignSystem.js 0 Enumerate token sets/tokens and library components; build the value→token reverse index + component-by-role catalog; cache in storage.
scripts/createScreenWrapper.js 1 Idempotently create the screen Board with flex column and token-bound padding/gap.
scripts/buildSection.js 2 Build one section from a code fragment: instance components, create bespoke shapes, bind tokens.
scripts/validateScreen.js 3 Compute token coverage, list orphan raw values, check structure sanity (flex, names, instances).

Doctrine paths. shared/… and policies/… resolve inside this bundle in native installs (vendored by the installer); in a Claude Code plugin install they live at the plugin root — ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/…, two directories up from this file.