Instructions

Audience: AI Agents

Static guidelines and rules for AI agents working on projects.

Coding Rules

• Follow existing code style and conventions
• Write clear, self-documenting code
• Keep functions small and focused
• Use meaningful variable and function names
• Prefer composition over inheritance
• DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) - but avoid premature abstraction

Error Handling

• Always handle errors explicitly, never silently swallow exceptions
• Provide meaningful error messages
• Log errors with sufficient context for debugging
• Use appropriate error types/codes for different failure modes

Testing Requirements

• Write tests for all new functionality
• Maintain or improve existing test coverage
• Follow naming convention: test_<function_name>_<scenario>
• Include unit tests, integration tests where appropriate
• Test edge cases and error conditions

Code Review Checklist

• Code follows project style guidelines
• Tests are included and passing
• No security vulnerabilities introduced
• No hardcoded secrets or credentials
• Error handling is appropriate
• Documentation updated if needed

Dependency Management

• Minimize new dependencies - prefer built-in solutions
• Vet dependencies for security and maintenance status
• Pin dependency versions
• Document why each dependency is needed

Security Guidelines

• Never commit secrets or credentials
• Validate all user inputs
• Follow OWASP security best practices
• Use parameterized queries for database operations
• Sanitize data before rendering in UI
• Use HTTPS for all external communications
• Implement proper authentication and authorization
• Keep dependencies updated for security patches