Resource Files

Skills load localized resources from a structured directory layout. Resources are loaded automatically at startup for every language in native_langs (core_lang + secondary_langs).

Directory Layout

The recommended layout uses a single locale/ directory:

my-skill/
├── locale/
│   ├── en-US/
│   │   ├── my.dialog        # spoken responses
│   │   ├── my.intent        # padatious intent examples
│   │   ├── my.voc           # adapt vocabulary keywords
│   │   ├── my.entity        # adapt entity examples
│   │   ├── my.rx            # regex patterns for adapt
│   │   └── skill.json       # skill metadata (examples for homescreen)
│   └── es-ES/
│       ├── my.dialog
│       └── my.intent
└── gui/
    └── my_page.qml

Legacy skills may use separate dialog/, vocab/, regex/ subdirectories: these are still supported.

Resource Types

Extension	Type	Description
.dialog	Dialog	Mustache-templated spoken responses (one per line, random selection)
.intent	Intent	Padatious training examples
.voc	Vocabulary	Adapt keyword definitions (one keyword per line, first is canonical)
.entity	Entity	Adapt entity examples
.rx	Regex	Adapt regex patterns
.list	List	A flat list resource
.word	Word	A single word
skill.json	Metadata	{"examples": ["...", "..."]} for homescreen example utterances

Dialog Files

Each line in a .dialog file is a possible response. One line is chosen randomly when speak_dialog is called:

# my.dialog
Hello there!
Hi! How are you?
Greetings, {name}!

Mustache template variables are filled from the data dict:

self.speak_dialog("my", data={"name": "Alice"})

Vocab Files (Adapt)

Each line is a keyword variation. The first word on each line is the canonical form:

# hello.voc
hello
hi
hey there
good morning

Loaded automatically as HelloKeyword (file name without extension, CamelCase from alphanumeric_skill_id).

Intent Files (Padatious)

One example utterance per line. Supports entity slots {entity} and alternation (a | b):

# my.intent
what is the weather in {location}
(show | tell me) the weather

Entity Files (Padatious)

One example value per line. An .entity file fills a {slot} named by a .intent template:

# game.entity
chess
poker
solitaire

Every .entity file shipped under a skill's locale resources is registered automatically the first time that language's resources are loaded - there is no need to call register_entity_file() explicitly, and every file is registered regardless of whether a .intent in the skill actually names a matching slot. This can be turned off in mycroft.conf:

{"skills": {"auto_register_entity_files": false}}

Padatious version hazard: on ovos-padatious >= 2.0.3a1, a registered entity is a hint - the matcher still accepts values outside the registered sample set, just with a slightly different confidence score. On older matchers (<= 2.0.2a1), registering an entity closes the vocabulary for that slot - values not in the sample set stop matching entirely. If a deployment is pinned to an older ovos-padatious, either upgrade it alongside this package or set auto_register_entity_files to false above to avoid narrowing slots that previously matched anything.

Language Fallback

When a resource is not found for the exact lang, the skill falls back to dialects of the same language. For example, if en-AU is requested but only en-US resources exist, en-US is used.

Loading Resources Manually

# Get SkillResources for current lang
resources = self.resources                         # current self.lang
resources = self.load_lang(self.res_dir, "es-ES")  # specific lang

# Find a specific file
path = self.find_resource("my.dialog", "dialog")
path = self.find_resource("hello.mp3", "snd")

SkillResources API

SkillResources is returned by self.resources and self.load_lang():

# Render a dialog (returns a string, does not speak)
text = self.resources.render_dialog("my.dialog", data={"key": "value"})

# Check if a vocab word matches
matches = self.voc_match("hello there", "hello")  # True

# Load a vocab file into a list
words = self.resources.load_vocabulary_file("my.voc")

# Load a dialog renderer
renderer = self.dialog_renderer

skill.json Metadata

Optional file for homescreen integration. Placed at locale/<lang>/skill.json:

{
  "name": "My Skill",
  "description": "Does something useful",
  "examples": [
    "what is the weather",
    "tell me the weather in Paris"
  ]
}

These examples are emitted to the homescreen as homescreen.register.examples on skill startup.

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