Rapid Skill Development Loop
hot-reload + fork: v1 to v2 with no restart, both on Haiku; fork gives a clean context each run.
Hot-reload with context fork creates a fearless iteration loop for skill development: each test run gets a clean fork context, so failed experiments never pollute the session.
How It Works
The workflow combines two Claude Code 2.1.0 runtime features: hot-reload and context:fork. When a skill declares context: fork, each invocation runs in an isolated execution context. Simultaneously, hot-reload watches the skill's source file on disk. When you edit the skill definition, the next invocation picks up the changes instantly, with no restart required.
This creates a tight feedback cycle: (1) create skill with context: fork, (2) test it—results return clean, (3) modify the skill source in your editor, (4) invoke again—previous context is gone, (5) repeat until the skill works correctly.
What the Test Found
The validation tested skill iteration from v1 to v2 on Haiku. Both versions executed without restart. Fork isolation held: each test run started fresh context, no state leakage from failed experiments. The tester could modify the skill source between runs and observe new behavior immediately on next invocation.
The cleanup is complete. If a skill writes to stdout, modifies files, or leaves data in memory during a failed test, the fork discards it. The next iteration starts truly clean, which eliminates the friction of manual state cleanup or session restart.
Why It Matters
Skill development normally requires careful manual cleanup between test iterations. Either you restart your session each time (expensive), or you manage state manually (error-prone). This workflow eliminates both: every test run is isolated by design, and every code change is live immediately.
The pattern scales to rapid prototyping of agent behaviors, testing hypothesis chains in sequence, and safely exploring edge cases without crashing the main session. Once the skill is stable, you can remove the context: fork flag if you want it to run inline and share session state.
Caveats
Hooks do not fire in forked skills; they execute only in inline skills. For pipeline workflows where skill A needs to trigger skill B via hooks, all skills must run inline. Forked skills are best suited to isolated, self-contained tasks.
- file2.1.0/WORKFLOW-IDEAS.md
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