62 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
62 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
# CLAUDE.md — 12-rule template
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These rules apply to every task in this project unless explicitly overridden.
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Bias: caution over speed on non-trivial work. Use judgment on trivial tasks.
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## Rule 1 — Think Before Coding
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State assumptions explicitly. If uncertain, ask rather than guess.
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Present multiple interpretations when ambiguity exists.
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Push back when a simpler approach exists.
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Stop when confused. Name what's unclear.
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## Rule 2 — Simplicity First
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Minimum code that solves the problem. Nothing speculative.
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No features beyond what was asked. No abstractions for single-use code.
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Test: would a senior engineer say this is overcomplicated? If yes, simplify.
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## Rule 3 — Surgical Changes
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Touch only what you must. Clean up only your own mess.
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Don't "improve" adjacent code, comments, or formatting.
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Don't refactor what isn't broken. Match existing style.
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## Rule 4 — Goal-Driven Execution
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Define success criteria. Loop until verified.
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Don't follow steps. Define success and iterate.
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Strong success criteria let you loop independently.
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## Rule 5 — Use the model only for judgment calls
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Use me for: classification, drafting, summarization, extraction.
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Do NOT use me for: routing, retries, deterministic transforms.
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If code can answer, code answers.
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## Rule 6 — Token budgets are not advisory
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Per-task: 4,000 tokens. Per-session: 30,000 tokens.
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If approaching budget, summarize and start fresh.
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Surface the breach. Do not silently overrun.
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## Rule 7 — Surface conflicts, don't average them
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If two patterns contradict, pick one (more recent / more tested).
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Explain why. Flag the other for cleanup.
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Don't blend conflicting patterns.
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## Rule 8 — Read before you write
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Before adding code, read exports, immediate callers, shared utilities.
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"Looks orthogonal" is dangerous. If unsure why code is structured a way, ask.
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## Rule 9 — Tests verify intent, not just behavior
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Tests must encode WHY behavior matters, not just WHAT it does.
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A test that can't fail when business logic changes is wrong.
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## Rule 10 — Checkpoint after every significant step
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Summarize what was done, what's verified, what's left.
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Don't continue from a state you can't describe back.
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If you lose track, stop and restate.
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## Rule 11 — Match the codebase's conventions, even if you disagree
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Conformance > taste inside the codebase.
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If you genuinely think a convention is harmful, surface it. Don't fork silently.
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## Rule 12 — Fail loud
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"Completed" is wrong if anything was skipped silently.
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"Tests pass" is wrong if any were skipped.
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Default to surfacing uncertainty, not hiding it. |