Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Python Patterns agent skill

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The Python Patterns agent skill is a reference guide that tells an AI agent how to write and review Python in a more idiomatic style. It covers Protocols for duck typing, dataclasses, context managers, decorators, async/await, modern type hints and a suggested package layout. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it and what to watch for, so you can get consistent Python output from your agent.

Python Patternsaffaan-m/ECC · MIT Download the skill

Quick start

1Download the ZIP. Get the python-patterns ZIP from the skill page in this directory.
2Unzip into a skills folder. Extract it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ inside a project.
3Or upload it in the Claude apps. Go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill there.
4Ask in plain language. Request Python work or review, for example asking the agent to refactor a class into a dataclass.
5Review the output. Read and test the code the agent produces before merging it.

What does the python-patterns skill make the agent do?

The skill gives the agent a set of Python-specific coding patterns and best practices. When the agent writes or reviews Python code, it is guided to favour idioms such as Protocols for structural typing, dataclasses for data objects, context managers for resource handling, and decorators.

The skill's guidance also covers async/await, modern type hints such as the str | int | None union syntax, dependency injection through the constructor, custom exception classes, and a suggested package layout with src, tests and pyproject.toml folders.

Protocols for duck typing without inheritance
Dataclasses for DTOs and value objects, including frozen=True for immutability
Context managers using the with statement, both function-based and class-based
Generators, decorators, async functions and async context managers
Type hints, including Generic, TypeVar and ParamSpec
A suggested project structure and module exports via __all__

Install the python-patterns skill

The skill is distributed as a ZIP file from the skill's page in this directory. Download the ZIP and unzip it into one of the following locations. For a personal setup that applies across your projects, use ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, use the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project.

If you use the Claude apps instead, you can upload the skill there under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
Project install: unzip into .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
Claude apps: upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills

How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?

You do not need a special command. The skill's description says it is for working with Python code to apply Pythonic patterns, and it applies to files matching **/*.py and **/*.pyi. Asking the agent in plain language about Python code is usually enough.

Name the pattern or concern you care about to make the guidance more specific. Mentioning the file or module you want changed also helps the agent focus.

"Refactor this service to take its repository as a Protocol instead of a base class."
"Review user_service.py and suggest dataclasses where I'm passing dicts around."
"Add type hints to this module using modern union syntax."
"Wrap this database call in a context manager that rolls back on error."

Examples of what the skill produces

Given a request to define a read-only user record, the skill's guidance points toward a frozen dataclass. The skill's example uses a User class with id, name and email fields and @dataclass(frozen=True).

For resource handling, the skill shows a transaction context manager that commits on success and rolls back on exception, used with a with statement. For concurrent I/O, it shows asyncio.gather to run several fetch calls together.

from dataclasses import dataclass

@dataclass(frozen=True)
class User:
    """Immutable user entity"""
    id: str
    name: str
    email: str

What does the skill need, and what are the safety notes?

The skill lists no requirements. It contains only instructional text and code examples, and it does not run anything by itself. It runs no scripts and makes no network calls. The examples are illustrative and are not tied to any framework, so the code they show will still need to be adapted and tested in your own project.

Because the skill only shapes the agent's output, the code the agent writes is still code you should review, run and test before relying on it. Some examples in the source are placeholders, such as functions with pass or comments like 'implementation'.

Requires: nothing listed
Runs scripts: no
Uses network: no
Files: SKILL.md

Tips for getting the best results

Tell the agent which Python version you use. Several patterns in the skill, such as the match statement and exception groups, depend on Python 3.10 or 3.11 or later, and the skill itself marks these versions.

If your team has its own style guide, say so in the request. The skill's source notes that a team's own style guide should override these generic patterns.

State your Python version so the agent picks compatible syntax
Name the file or module to keep changes focused
Ask for a review first, then request the change
Point the agent to your own style guide when one exists

What people use it for

Refactoring a class that passes dictionaries around into typed dataclasses
Adding Protocols so services depend on an interface rather than a concrete class
Writing a context manager that commits or rolls back a database transaction
Reviewing a Python module for modern type hints and clear package layout
Learning common Python design patterns from worked examples

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the python-patterns skill?

Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside a project. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Does the python-patterns skill require anything else?

The source lists no requirements. The skill contains only instructional text and code examples, so it does not run scripts or make network calls by itself.

Is the python-patterns skill free?

The source does not state pricing. It is listed under the MIT licence, so check that licence text for the terms that apply to reuse.

Does it work with languages other than Python?

No. The guidance is Python-specific, so it is not useful for projects written in other languages.

Will the skill override my team's style guide?

It should not. The skill's examples are illustrative and not tied to any codebase, so experienced teams should make their own style guide take priority.

What if the agent does not seem to use the skill?

Make sure the skill folder is in ~/.claude/skills/ or the project's .claude/skills/ folder, or that it was uploaded under Settings → Capabilities → Skills. Then name Python and the pattern you want in your request. The source does not describe other troubleshooting steps.

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Our verdict

Choose this skill if you want Python written or reviewed in a more idiomatic style, or if you are learning common Python patterns from worked examples. Skip it if your project is not in Python, or if your team already has a detailed style guide that should take priority over generic patterns.

Download the skill