Validates ASCII box-drawing diagram alignment in markdown files. Use when creating architecture diagrams, checking diagram alignment, fixing ASCII art, or before committing documentation with diagrams.
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references/DELIVERABLES_SUMMARY.mdreferences/INTEGRATION_GUIDE.mdreferences/SCRIPT_DESIGN_REPORT.mdscripts/check_ascii_alignment.pyValidate and fix alignment issues in ASCII box-drawing diagrams commonly used in architecture documentation, README files, and code comments.
ASCII diagrams using box-drawing characters (─│┌┐└┘├┤┬┴┼ and double-line variants ═║╔╗╚╝╠╣╦╩╬) require precise column alignment. This skill provides:
Invoke when:
Corners: ┌ ┐ └ ┘
Lines: ─ │
T-joins: ├ ┤ ┬ ┴
Cross: ┼
Corners: ╔ ╗ ╚ ╝
Lines: ═ ║
T-joins: ╠ ╣ ╦ ╩
Cross: ╬
╞ ╟ ╤ ╧ ╪ ╫
uv run ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/ascii-diagram-validator/scripts/check_ascii_alignment.py docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
uv run ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/ascii-diagram-validator/scripts/check_ascii_alignment.py docs/*.md
uv run ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/ascii-diagram-validator/scripts/check_ascii_alignment.py docs/
The script outputs issues in a compiler-like format for easy navigation:
docs/ARCHITECTURE.md:45:12: error: vertical connector '│' at column 12 has no matching character above
→ Suggestion: Add '│', '├', '┤', '┬', or '┼' at line 44, column 12
docs/ARCHITECTURE.md:67:8: warning: horizontal line '─' at column 8 has no terminator
→ Suggestion: Add '┐', '┘', '┤', '┴', or '┼' to close the line
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| error | Broken connections, misaligned verticals |
| warning | Unterminated lines, potential issues |
| info | Style suggestions (optional cleanup) |
The script checks for:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | No issues found |
| 1 | Errors detected |
| 2 | Warnings only (errors ignored with --warn-only) |
When Claude Code creates or edits ASCII diagrams:
# After editing docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
uv run ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/ascii-diagram-validator/scripts/check_ascii_alignment.py docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
# If errors found, Claude Code can read the output and fix:
# docs/ARCHITECTURE.md:45:12: error: vertical connector '│' at column 12 has no matching character above
# → Edit line 44, column 12 to add the missing connector
| Script | Purpose |
|---|---|
scripts/check_ascii_alignment.py | Main validation script |