@maccesar/titools

TiTools - Titanium CLI for AI coding assistants

TiTools is a CLI that installs Titanium SDK skills and a knowledge index for AI coding assistants. One command installs 7 skills, a research agent, and 100+ reference files for Titanium SDK, Alloy MVC, and PurgeTSS.

Without TiTools, assistants rely on general training data. That data can be outdated or too generic for Titanium work. With TiTools, the assistant can look up Alloy architecture, memory cleanup patterns, PurgeTSS utility classes, and platform-specific APIs.

Vercel's AGENTS.md evaluation reports a 100% pass rate for the knowledge index approach, compared to 53-79% using skills alone.

Quick setup

# 1) Install the CLI
npm install -g @maccesar/titools

# 2) Install skills globally
titools install

# 3) Go to your Titanium project
cd /path/to/your/project

# 4) Sync the knowledge index into your project files
titools sync

# 5) Start your AI coding assistant
claude   # or gemini, or codex

# 6) Ask away!
# "How should I structure a new app with login, signup, and a dashboard?"
# "My ListView with 500 items scrolls poorly on Android. How do I fix it?"

What gets installed:

• All 7 titanium-related skills to ~/.agents/skills/
• ti-pro agent for Claude Code
• Platform symlinks (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI)
• Knowledge index in your project's AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md/GEMINI.md

Why NPM?

• Cross-platform (macOS, Linux, Windows)
• No sudo required
• Simple updates with titools update

Compatible platforms

Platform	Status	Installation Path
Claude Code	Fully Compatible	~/.claude/skills/
Gemini CLI	Fully Compatible	~/.gemini/skills/
Codex CLI	Fully Compatible	~/.codex/skills/

All three platforms use the Agent Skills open standard: a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter.

Knowledge index

The knowledge index is a compressed documentation map that gets injected into your project's instruction files. It tells the AI where Titanium reference docs are, so it can pull accurate information instead of relying on general training data.

Why it works

Approach	Reported Pass Rate
No documentation	53%
Skills only	53-79%
Knowledge index	100%

Per Vercel's evaluation:

• No decision point: information is present without needing to invoke skills
• Consistent availability: available in every turn, not async-loaded
• No ordering issues: avoids "read docs first vs explore project first"

For details, see AGENTS-VERCEL-RESEARCH.md.

What gets generated

The titools sync command generates a block like this inside your project files:

[Titanium SDK Docs Index]|root: ~/.agents/skills
|MANDATORY: Your training data for Titanium SDK, Alloy, and PurgeTSS is OUTDATED and INCOMPLETE. These reference files are the SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH. Prefer retrieval-led reasoning over pre-training-led reasoning. ALWAYS read the relevant files below BEFORE writing any code.
|ti-expert/references:{alloy-structure.md,anti-patterns.md,...}
|purgetss/references:{animation-system.md,class-index.md,...}
|ti-ui/references:{layouts-and-positioning.md,listviews-and-performance.md,...}
...

Note: The index is injected as direct content (no code blocks) so the model treats it as an active instruction, not illustrative text.

File selection per assistant:

• Claude Code -> CLAUDE.md
• Gemini CLI -> GEMINI.md
• Codex CLI / others -> AGENTS.md

How skills and the knowledge index work together

The knowledge index provides always-available context (the documentation map). Skills provide specialized, on-demand expertise (the actual knowledge).

Together they work like this:

Your Question	Knowledge Index Provides	Skills Activate
"Create a login screen"	Context about project structure	ti-expert, ti-ui
"Optimize ListView performance"	Points to docs location	ti-ui reads specific files
"Implement push notifications"	API reference paths	ti-howtos provides workflow

You do not need to explicitly invoke skills. The AI detects when to use them based on your question.

Version notice

The knowledge index is based on the latest Titanium SDK documentation. If your project uses an older version, the command will warn you about potential API differences.

Skills overview

Skill	Purpose	Best For
alloy-guides	Alloy MVC reference	Models, Views, Controllers, Widgets
alloy-howtos	Alloy CLI and debugging	Project setup, CLI commands, errors
purgetss	Utility-first styling	UI styling and animations
ti-expert	Architecture and implementation	Starting point for most tasks
ti-guides	SDK fundamentals	Hyperloop, distribution, configuration
ti-howtos	Native feature integration	Location, Push, Media, Platform APIs
ti-ui	UI/UX patterns	Complex layouts, ListViews, platform UI

Note: ti-guides, ti-howtos, ti-ui, alloy-guides, and alloy-howtos are based on official Titanium SDK and Alloy documentation. ti-expert and purgetss are opinionated and reflect personal coding conventions (biased toward PurgeTSS).

Agents (Claude Code only)

In addition to skills, this repository includes sub-agents for Claude Code. Sub-agents run in isolated contexts and are useful for research tasks that produce verbose output.

ti-pro

Deep-dive research specialist that preloads all 7 titanium-related skills.

Aspect	Details
Location	~/.claude/agents/ti-pro.md
Model	Sonnet (comprehensive analysis)
Tools	Read-only (Read, Grep, Glob)
Preloaded Skills	All 7 titanium-related skills injected at startup

When to use the agent vs skills:

Use Case	Use This	Why
Quick inline reference	/ti-expert, /purgetss, etc.	Runs in main conversation, interactive
Analyzing an entire codebase	ti-pro agent	Isolates verbose output, cross-references all skills
Multi-feature research	ti-pro agent	Preloads all skills for comprehensive answers
Step-by-step implementation	Skills directly	Task-oriented guidance
Architecture review	ti-pro agent	Read-only analysis across all documentation

Example prompts for the agent:

"Can you use the ti-pro agent to analyze this Alloy codebase's architecture?"
"Can you research how to combine location, push, and background sync in Titanium?"
"Can you compare ListView vs TableView performance for my use case?"
"Review this Titanium mobile app and identify anti-patterns."

Tip: For automatic activation, include words like "Titanium", "Alloy", or "mobile app" in your prompt to ensure the specialized agent is used instead of generic code analysis.

Key difference:

• Skills = interactive help during development (inline, conversational)
• Agents = isolated research tasks (returns summary, keeps verbose output separate)

How skills work

Skills are automatically activated based on your questions. Just ask naturally:

"Can you create a login screen with email validation and animations?"

The AI will automatically use:

• ti-expert -> Architecture and controller structure
• purgetss -> Styling classes and animations (if PurgeTSS detected)
• ti-howtos -> Secure token storage

You do not need to call skills explicitly. The AI reads skill descriptions and loads the appropriate knowledge when needed.

Project detection

All skills include automatic project detection to ensure compatibility:

Skill	What It Detects	How It Works
purgetss	PurgeTSS installation	Checks for purgetss/ folder, config.cjs, utilities.tss
ti-expert	Alloy vs Classic	Checks for app/ (Alloy) vs Resources/ (Classic) structure
alloy-guides	Alloy projects	Checks for app/views/, app/controllers/
alloy-howtos	Alloy projects	Checks for alloy.jmk, config.json
ti-ui	Titanium projects	Checks for tiapp.xml (both Alloy and Classic)
ti-guides	Titanium projects	Checks for tiapp.xml (both Alloy and Classic)
ti-howtos	Titanium projects	Checks for tiapp.xml (both Alloy and Classic)

Why this matters:

• PurgeTSS suggestions are only provided if PurgeTSS is installed
• Alloy-specific patterns are only suggested for Alloy projects
• Classic Titanium projects will not receive inappropriate Alloy advice

Skill hierarchy

ti-expert acts as the orchestrator, delegating to specialized skills when needed:

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │  ti-expert      │
                    │  (Start Here)   │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
        ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
        │                    │                    │
        ▼                    ▼                    ▼
┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐
│   purgetss    │   │    ti-ui      │   │   ti-howtos   │
│   (Styling)   │   │   (UI/UX)     │   │   (Native)    │
└───────────────┘   └───────────────┘   └───────────────┘
        │                    │                    │
        └────────────────────┼────────────────────┘
                             │
        ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
        │                    │                    │
        ▼                    ▼                    ▼
┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐
│  ti-guides    │   │ alloy-guides  │   │ alloy-howtos  │
│    (SDK)      │   │    (MVC)      │   │    (CLI)      │
└───────────────┘   └───────────────┘   └───────────────┘

Skill details

ti-expert

The primary skill for Titanium Alloy development. Start here for most tasks.

When it activates:

• Designing project structure
• Implementing controllers, views, services
• Choosing data strategies (Models vs Collections)
• Writing clean ES6+ code
• Memory management and cleanup patterns
• Performance optimization
• Security patterns
• Migrating legacy apps

Example prompts:

"How should I structure a new Titanium Alloy app with authentication?"
"Create a user service that fetches data from an API."
"What's the best pattern for navigation between screens?"
"Prevent memory leaks in my controllers."
"Migrate classic Titanium code to modern Alloy patterns."
"What's a clean way to organize services in an Alloy app?"

Key features:

• Quick decision matrix for common questions
• 18 reference guides for deep dives
• Delegates to specialized skills when needed

purgetss

Utility-first styling toolkit for Titanium/Alloy.

When it activates:

• Setting up PurgeTSS in a project
• Complex layouts (Grid system)
• Declarative animations (<Animation> component)
• Icon fonts (Font Awesome, Material Icons)
• Custom color palettes
• Platform-specific styling
• config.cjs configuration

Example prompts:

"How do I set up PurgeTSS in my existing Alloy project?"
"Create a responsive 12-column grid layout."
"Add a fade-in animation when my view appears."
"How do I configure custom colors in config.cjs?"
"How do I use Font Awesome 7 icons?"
"Style this button differently on iOS vs Android."

Rules:

• Platform-specific properties require modifiers (e.g., [platform=ios]) to prevent cross-platform build failures
• No flexbox (flex-row, justify-between) -> use horizontal/vertical
• No w-full -> use w-screen
• No p-* on Views -> use m-* on children
• Arbitrary values use parentheses: w-(100px), not w-[100px]

ti-ui

UI/UX expert for layouts and platform components.

When it activates:

• Layout systems (composite, vertical, horizontal)
• ListView/TableView optimization
• Event handling and bubbling
• Animations and transforms
• Gestures (swipe, pinch, longpress)
• Orientation handling
• App icons and splash screens
• Android Action Bar / iOS Navigation patterns
• Accessibility (VoiceOver, TalkBack)

Example prompts:

"How do I create a high-performance ListView with custom templates?"
"Handle swipe gestures on table rows."
"Set up app icons for all iOS and Android densities."
"Implement pull-to-refresh on a ScrollView."
"How do I make my app accessible for VoiceOver users?"
"How do I configure the Android Action Bar with custom menu items?"

Key rules:

• No Ti.UI.SIZE in ListView items (causes jerky scrolling)
• Prefer ListView over TableView for large datasets
• Use dp units for cross-platform consistency
• Remove global listeners on pause

ti-howtos

Native feature integration expert.

When it activates:

• Location services and Maps
• Push notifications (APNs/FCM)
• Local notifications
• Camera and Gallery
• Audio/Video playback
• File system operations
• SQLite databases
• HTTPClient networking
• WebView integration
• Android Intents and Services
• iOS Background Services, iCloud, Keychain
• Core Motion, WatchKit

Example prompts:

"How do I implement battery-efficient GPS tracking?"
"How do I set up push notifications for iOS and Android?"
"How do I capture and resize photos from the camera?"
"Download files with a progress indicator."
"How should I store sensitive data in iOS Keychain?"
"Create an Android background service."
"Integrate with Apple Watch using WatchKit."
"Handle background location updates on iOS."

Key rules:

• Always handle both onload and onerror for HTTPClient
• Always close database handles and result sets
• Use imageAsResized to avoid memory exhaustion
• Configure proper permissions in tiapp.xml

ti-guides

SDK fundamentals and advanced configuration.

When it activates:

• Hyperloop native access
• Native module development
• App distribution (Play Store, App Store)
• tiapp.xml configuration
• CLI commands and options
• Memory and bridge optimization
• CommonJS module patterns
• Coding best practices

Example prompts:

"How do I access native iOS APIs using Hyperloop?"
"Configure tiapp.xml for a production build."
"What do I need for Google Play submission?"
"How do I create a native Android module?"
"Optimize bridge crossings for better performance."
"List reserved words I should avoid."

alloy-guides

Complete Alloy MVC framework reference.

When it activates:

• MVC architecture concepts
• Backbone.js models and collections
• Data binding patterns
• XML markup elements
• TSS styling syntax
• Widget development
• Sync adapters (sql, properties)
• Migrations

Example prompts:

"Explain how Alloy data binding works."
"How do I create a model with the SQLite adapter?"
"Bind a collection to a TableView."
"How do I build a reusable widget?"
"Show the TSS syntax for platform-specific styles."
"How does the Alloy compilation process work?"

alloy-howtos

Alloy CLI, configuration, and debugging.

When it activates:

• Alloy CLI commands (new, generate, compile)
• Configuration files (alloy.jmk, config.json)
• Debugging compilation errors
• Conditional views
• Custom XML tags
• Best practices and naming conventions
• Backbone.Events patterns

Example prompts:

"How do I generate a new model with the CLI?"
"Configure alloy.jmk build hooks."
"How do I fix "No app.js found"?"
"Create conditional views based on user state."
"How do I build a custom XML tag without widgets?"
"Set up Backbone.Events for global communication."

Key rules:

• Use Backbone.Events instead of Ti.App.fireEvent
• Never use double underscore prefixes (__foo)
• Access config at runtime with Alloy.CFG.yourKey

Usage examples and best practices

Example prompts

Starting a new project:

"I'm starting a new Titanium Alloy app for a food delivery service.
Can you help me set up the project structure?"

UI development:

"Can you create a product listing screen with:
- Pull-to-refresh
- Infinite scroll pagination
- Image caching
- Swipe-to-delete"

API integration:

"Can you build a complete authentication flow with:
- Login/Register screens
- JWT token management
- Secure storage
- Auto-refresh tokens"

Performance optimization:

"My app is slow - the ListView scrolls poorly and memory usage is high. How do I optimize it?"

Migration:

"I have a legacy Titanium classic app from 2015. Can you help me migrate it to modern Alloy?"

Platform-specific features:

"How do I implement Apple Sign-In for iOS and Google Sign-In for Android?"

Debugging:

"How do I fix "Alloy is not defined" in my lib file?"

Codebase analysis (using agent):

"Use the ti-pro agent to analyze this project and:
- review the overall architecture
- identify memory leak patterns
- check for common anti-patterns
- suggest improvements"

Tips for better results

• Be specific. Instead of "Make a list", try "Can you create a ListView with user avatars, names, and swipe actions?"
• Provide context. Instead of "How do I fix this error?", try "I'm getting this error when compiling: [error message]. Here's my code: [code]"
• Ask for architecture first. For complex features, start with "How should I architect a real-time chat feature?" then follow up with implementation details.
• Mention constraints. "Build a settings screen. Must work offline and sync when connected."
• Reference existing code. "Here's my current controller. How can I improve memory management?"

More examples: See Example Prompts for detailed prompts that test each skill's capabilities.

CLI reference

titools install

Installs Titanium skills, agents, and platform symlinks.

titools install [options]

Options:

Option	Description
-l, --local	Install skills locally in the current project (./.agents/skills/)
-a, --all	Install to all detected platforms without prompting
--path <path>	Install to a custom path (skips symlink setup)

Behavior depends on where you run it:

Context	Behavior
Outside a Titanium project	Installs skills globally to ~/.agents/skills/
Inside a Titanium project	Prompts you to choose: Global or Local installation
With --local flag	Installs skills locally to ./.agents/skills/ in the current project

What it does:

• Installs all 7 titanium-related skills (global or local depending on context)
• Installs ti-pro agent for Claude Code
• Detects installed AI platforms and lets you choose which to link
• Creates symlinks from platform directories to central skills
• Cleans up legacy artifacts (alloy-expert skill, ti-researcher agent)
• If run inside a Titanium project, prompts to run titools sync afterward
• Warns Gemini users if local skills override existing global Gemini skills

titools sync

Generates a compressed knowledge index inside your project's instruction files (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.md).

Important: This command only works inside a Titanium project (requires tiapp.xml). The knowledge index is project-specific. It detects your SDK version and points to the installed skill references.

titools sync [path] [options]

Arguments:

Argument	Description
[path]	Project path (defaults to current directory)

Options:

Option	Description
-f, --force	Overwrite existing files without prompting
-v, --verbose	Show detailed diagnostics

What it does:

• Verifies you're inside a Titanium project (tiapp.xml)
• Detects Titanium SDK version from tiapp.xml
• Prompts you to select which files to sync: AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.md
• Inserts or updates a compressed knowledge index block in selected files
• Removes knowledge blocks from unselected files
• Creates files if they don't exist

titools update

Updates installed skills and agents to the latest version.

titools update [options]

Options:

Option	Description
-l, --local	Update local skills in the current project

Behavior depends on where you run it:

Context	Behavior
Outside a Titanium project	Updates global skills in ~/.agents/skills/ (if installed)
Inside a Titanium project (local skills only)	Updates local skills automatically
Inside a Titanium project (both local and global)	Prompts you to choose: Global or Local
Inside a Titanium project (with existing knowledge index files)	Also refreshes AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md/GEMINI.md

What it does:

• Checks GitHub for the latest CLI version
• If a newer version exists, it prompts you to update the CLI first with npm update -g @maccesar/titools
• If the CLI is current, it syncs skills and agents from the installed package (no download needed)
• Updates platform symlinks only for platforms that already have them
• Cleans up legacy artifacts (alloy-expert skill, ti-researcher agent)
• Auto-syncs knowledge index files if they exist in the current project

Note: This command syncs knowledge packages and agents from your installed CLI. To get new features, first update the CLI with npm update -g @maccesar/titools, then run titools update.

titools remove

Removes skills, agents, symlinks, and knowledge index blocks.

titools remove [options]

Options:

Option	Description
-l, --local	Remove local skills from the current project

What it does:

• Detects all installed components (skills, agents, symlinks, knowledge blocks)
• Prompts you to select what to remove:
  • ti-pro agent for Claude Code
  • Knowledge index blocks from instruction files (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.md)
  • Skills from global (~/.agents/skills/) or project directory
  • Platform symlinks from global or project directory
• Removes both current and legacy artifacts

Verify installation

Check titools version:

titools --version

Check central location (global install):

ls ~/.agents/skills/
# Should show: ti-expert, purgetss, ti-ui, ti-howtos, ti-guides, alloy-guides, alloy-howtos

Claude Code (skills):

ls -la ~/.claude/skills/
# Should show symlinks pointing to ~/.agents/skills/

Claude Code (agents):

ls -la ~/.claude/agents/
# Should show: ti-pro.md

Gemini CLI:

gemini skills list

Codex CLI:

# Type /skills in Codex or use $ to mention a skill

Skill contents summary

Skill	SKILL.md	References
alloy-guides	MVC Quick Start	10 files (models, views, widgets, etc.)
alloy-howtos	Best Practices	6 files (CLI, config, debugging, etc.)
purgetss	Setup + Critical Rules	21 files (grid, animations, icons, class-index, etc.)
ti-expert	Architecture + Implementation	19 refs + 1 asset (patterns, testing, security, etc.)
ti-guides	Core Workflow	14 files (hyperloop, distribution, etc.)
ti-howtos	Integration Workflow	18 files (location, media, maps, automation, etc.)
ti-ui	UI Rules + Platform Diffs	14 files (layouts, lists, gestures, etc.)

Troubleshooting

Skill not activating?

If the AI doesn't seem to use Titanium knowledge:

• Mention "Titanium" or "Alloy" explicitly in your prompt
• Be more specific about what you're building
• Reference the technology stack
• Try explicit invocation: "Use the purgetss skill for styling questions"

Getting wrong suggestions?

If the AI suggests patterns you don't use (for example, PurgeTSS when you're not using it):

• The skill may not have detected your project type correctly
• Explicitly mention your stack: "I'm using Classic Titanium, not Alloy"
• Be more specific about what you're building

PurgeTSS not detected?

If the purgetss skill doesn't activate for your PurgeTSS project:

• Verify purgetss/ folder exists in project root
• Check that purgetss/config.cjs exists
• Mention "PurgeTSS" explicitly in your prompt

Wrong advice?

If the AI suggests incorrect patterns (like flexbox):

• Remind it you're using PurgeTSS
• Reference the correct pattern from memory
• Ask to check the PurgeTSS rules

Need more detail?

Ask the AI to:

"Show me the reference documentation for ListView performance"
"What does the ti-expert skill say about memory cleanup?"

titools command not found?

If the command is not found:

# Verify installation
npm list -g @maccesar/titools

# Re-install
npm install -g @maccesar/titools

Knowledge index not working?

If your AI doesn't use the knowledge index information:

• Verify AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md/GEMINI.md exists in your project root
• Check that your AI supports these files
• Try explicitly referencing: "Check the AGENTS.md documentation"

Version mismatch warning?

The knowledge index is based on the latest documentation. Be cautious when using newer APIs in older projects.

Uninstall

# Remove the CLI
npm uninstall -g @maccesar/titools

# Remove knowledge packages and agent
titools remove

Note: titools remove can remove the knowledge index blocks from your project files, but it does not delete the files themselves.

Contributing

• Fork the repository
• Improve SKILL.md or reference files
• Test with your preferred AI coding assistant
• Submit a pull request

Guidelines

• Keep SKILL.md concise (<500 lines)
• Use progressive disclosure (details in references)
• Include concrete examples
• Test with real sessions

Legacy installation (not recommended)

The bash installer is maintained for backward compatibility but NPM installation is recommended.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/macCesar/titools/main/install.sh | bash

Use this only if you cannot use NPM for any reason.

Credits

Created by César Estrada (@macCesar), creator of PurgeTSS.

License

MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute.

Resources

• Titanium SDK
• PurgeTSS
• TiDev Community
• Claude Code Skills
• Gemini CLI Skills
• Codex CLI Skills