---
name: CodeDrobe Adapter Development
slug: codedrobe-adapter-development
category: AI Engineering
description: Add, inspect, repair, or validate CodeDrobe Core adapters for Chromium/Electron AI desktop applications. Use when supporting new apps, updating compatibility, discovering CDP targets, selecting DOM landmarks, or writing adapter tests.
github: "https://github.com/CodeDrobe/skills/tree/main/skills/codedrobe-adapter-dev"
language: CSS
stars: 241
forks: 20
install: "npx degit https://github.com/CodeDrobe/skills/tree/main/skills/codedrobe-adapter-dev ~/.claude/skills/codedrobe-adapter-dev"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/codedrobe-adapter-dev
source_path: skills/codedrobe-adapter-dev/SKILL.md
collection_size: 2
category_size: 2451
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/CodeDrobe/skills"
added: 2026-08-11T07:20:32.219Z
last_synced: 2026-08-11T07:20:32.219Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/codedrobe-adapter-development"
---

# CodeDrobe Adapter Development

Add, inspect, repair, or validate CodeDrobe Core adapters for Chromium/Electron AI desktop applications. Use when supporting new apps, updating compatibility, discovering CDP targets, selecting DOM landmarks, or writing adapter tests.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/CodeDrobe/skills/tree/main/skills/codedrobe-adapter-dev ~/.claude/skills/codedrobe-adapter-dev
```

## README

# CodeDrobe Adapter Development

Work in the `@codedrobe/core` repository. Keep the adapter lightweight and prove selectors against a real installed application; never infer renderer compatibility from an app name, executable path, or screenshot alone.

## Read the relevant references

- Read [references/architecture.md](references/architecture.md) before changing ownership between Core, adapters, renderer profiles, themes, Skills, or Desktop.
- Read [references/adapter-contract.md](references/adapter-contract.md) before editing adapter code, exports, host settings, or types.
- Read [references/dom-inspection.md](references/dom-inspection.md) before collecting CDP targets or choosing selectors.
- Read [references/testing.md](references/testing.md) before claiming support or updating `lastVerified`.

## Add or repair an adapter

1. Inspect the current Core tree, adapter registry, tests, CLI help, and working-tree changes.
2. Locate the actual installed app and record its app version/build. Do not overwrite unrelated local changes.
3. Launch the real app with loopback CDP on a configurable, unoccupied port. Do not restart or terminate it without authorization.
4. Inspect `/json/list`, select the actual renderer, and run `codedrobe dom snapshot` on every relevant route to collect privacy-preserving semantic DOM evidence.
5. Choose only cross-route landmarks for the adapter: root, sidebar/navigation, workspace/content, and composer/input. Only `rootAny` should block (it doubles as the boot detector); declare panels the app can hide — sidebars in popped-out or collapsed windows — as `recommended`, since compatibility is judged per window.
6. Put app- or theme-specific layout nodes in theme verification contexts, not the adapter.
7. Implement the adapter, registry export, types, and focused tests. Add a renderer profile or host-settings module only when the application requires that behavior.
8. Probe the real renderer, then apply and verify a minimal package. Validate the home and conversation contexts separately.
9. Restore the renderer and any transactional host settings. Confirm cleanup before finishing.
10. Update `lastVerified` only after real-app verification succeeds, including the observed version/build and date.

## Compatibility failure workflow

1. Reproduce with `codedrobe probe --app <id> --theme <package>`.
2. Separate adapter landmark failures from theme-specific missing nodes.
3. Inspect the live DOM and computed layout; do not repair from stale documentation alone.
4. Prefer a stable alternative selector before broadening `any` lists.
5. Keep failure output concrete: requirement name plus every attempted selector.
6. Add a regression test before updating `lastVerified`.

## Guardrails

- Never patch application bundles, `app.asar`, code signatures, WindowsApps ownership, or user authentication data.
- Bind CDP to `127.0.0.1` and reject occupied custom ports instead of killing unknown processes.
- Avoid generated CSS-module hashes, localized text, deep child chains, and broad selectors such as `body *` in adapters.
- Keep optional decoration out of adapter requirements.
- Preserve custom installation paths and user-selected CDP ports throughout detect, launch, probe, apply, verify, watch, and restore.
- Do not add a public theme-publishing path until registry authentication and authorization are complete.