Author Modeladvisor Checks

Check Authoring

Create or upgrade Model Advisor checks to use modern DetailStyle callbacks and ResultDetail reporting. This skill prevents common authoring mistakes: using deprecated StyleOne/StyleTwo patterns, incorrect registration, missing result formatting, and wrong callback contexts. When upgrading legacy checks, read the existing code, identify the legacy pattern, and rewrite using the modern patterns below.

When to Use

• Creating a new Model Advisor check (standard, edit-time, or config-parameter)
• Converting a legacy StyleOne/StyleTwo/StyleThree check to modern DetailStyle with ResultDetail
• Adding an edit-time canvas warning for a naming or style rule
• Validating configuration parameters programmatically with auto-fix
• Enforcing a modeling convention with auto-fix actions
• Checking System Composer architecture models (components, ports, connectors, interfaces, stereotypes)

When NOT to Use

• Running or debugging existing checks — use Model Advisor UI
• Writing Simulink Test test cases
• Querying model structure without creating a check — use model_query_params
• Modifying Model Advisor configuration or preferences

Workflow

New Check Workflow

• Determine check pattern — Choose the check type based on user intent (see Step 1 below)
• Determine API pattern — Identify which model elements the check inspects (see Step 2 below)
• Read reference files — Load the selected pattern and API reference files from references/
• Present plan to user — State chosen pattern, API(s), check ID, and file names. If the pattern choice is obvious from the prompt, proceed without waiting.
• Write check definition — Generate the .m file(s) following the Code Generation section below
• Write registration — Create or append to sl_customization.m
• Validate — Run check_matlab_code on each generated .m file
• Report — Show output file locations, placement instructions, and test command

Legacy Conversion Workflow

When converting existing StyleOne/StyleTwo/StyleThree checks to DetailStyle, follow references/workflow-legacy-conversion.md.

This skill covers check authoring only. To run checks on a model, use the checking-model-compliance skill.

Step 1: Choose the Check Pattern

| If the user mentions... | Use Pattern | Reference |

|-------------------------|-------------|-----------|

| On-demand check, batch check, or nothing specific | Standard check (Default) | references/pattern-standard.md — full template with DetailStyle callback and ResultDetail reporting |

| "edit-time", "live", "real-time", "canvas warning" | Edit-time check | references/pattern-edittime.md — EdittimeCheck class with blockDiscovered/finishedTraversal |

| Config parameters, solver settings, diagnostics, model settings | Config parameter check | references/pattern-config-param.md — get_param/set_param with auto-fix action |

| "custom table", "formatted report", "custom columns" | + FormatTemplate | references/pattern-format-template.md — combine with standard or edit-time pattern for custom tables |

| "convert", "upgrade", "legacy", "StyleOne", "StyleTwo", "StyleThree" | Legacy conversion | references/workflow-legacy-conversion.md — infrastructure mapping, strategy choice, and result-layer replacement |

FormatTemplate is an add-on, not standalone.

Step 2: Choose the API Pattern(s) for Check Logic

| If the check inspects... | Reference |

|--------------------------|-----------|

| Blocks (properties, types, names, positions, masks) | references/api-blocks.md — find_system patterns and block property access |

| Signals (line names, labels, propagation, connections) | references/api-signals.md — line handle queries and signal tracing |

| Stateflow (charts, states, transitions, junctions, data) | references/api-stateflow.md — Stateflow.find and chart traversal |

| Data types, workspace, variables (resolution, data dictionary) | references/api-data-resolution.md — workspace variable resolution and storage class |

| MATLAB code analysis (checkcode, codeIssues, mtree) | references/api-code-analysis.md — static analysis of .m files |

| System Composer (components, ports, connectors, interfaces) | references/api-system-composer.md — architecture model queries |

All check types can also use references/api-framework.md — consult for input parameters, auto-fix actions, exclusion filtering, and result formatting.

• Config parameter checks use get_param(system, paramName) — refer to the config parameter pattern and framework API.
• System Composer checks must use 'None' callback context (architecture models do not compile).
• A single check can combine multiple API patterns (e.g., blocks + signals).

Conventions

• Always: Use 'DetailStyle' callback style — legacy styles cannot use ResultDetail reporting
• Always: Include sl_customization.m registration — checks are invisible without it
• Always: Use ModelAdvisor.ResultDetail for reporting — only API that populates results pane correctly
• Always: Use ModelAdvisor.Check(id) constructor — never use ModelAdvisor.Registration
• Never: Use 'StyleOne'/'StyleTwo'/'StyleThree' — deprecated and incompatible with ResultDetail
• Never: Generate checks without test instructions — untestable checks waste user time
• Ask First: Choose edit-time vs. standard when ambiguous — wrong choice requires a full rewrite
• Ask First: Choose package name for edit-time classes — affects namespace, hard to rename later

Code Generation

Naming

• Check ID: reverse-domain style, e.g. com.company.checkarea.checkname
• Check definition function: define<CheckName>.m
• Edit-time class: PascalCase, e.g. SignalLabels.m, placed in +PackageName/

Files to Generate

• Always: check definition file (.m)
• Always: sl_customization.m — create new or append to existing (only one per folder)
• Edit-time checks: both registration function and class file in +PackageName/
• Standard checks with auto-fix: include ModelAdvisor.Action setup and action callback

Verification

After generating all files:

• Run check_matlab_code on each .m file — zero warnings required
• Report file locations, placement instructions (must be on MATLAB path), and test command: Advisor.Manager.refresh_customizations

Test model creation and functional testing are out of scope for this skill (handled separately). Static analysis via check_matlab_code is the default verification step.

Review Gate

After generating check code, verify:

• [ ] Callback uses 'DetailStyle' (not 'StyleOne'/'StyleTwo'/'StyleThree')
• [ ] Context is correct: 'None' for structural checks, 'PostCompile' for compiled properties
• [ ] Pass case sets ViolationType = 'Passed' with a status message
• [ ] Violations use correct setData type: 'SID' for blocks, 'Signal' for lines
• [ ] sl_customization.m registers the check with correct function handle
• [ ] For edit-time: finishedTraversal is implemented, execution is lightweight
• [ ] For System Composer: uses 'None' context, reports component SID (not port/connector)
• [ ] No checkcode warnings in generated files

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