coding-principleslisted

# Coding Principles Reference card. Depth and examples live in the linked skills — this file consolidates the rules, not the rationale. ## 1. Think Before Coding Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. Surface tradeoffs. - State assumptions explicitly. If uncertain, ask. - If multiple interpretations exist, present them — don't pick silently. - If a simpler approach exists, say so. Push back when warranted. - If something is unclear, stop. Name what's confusing. Ask. See `prompt-engineering/SKILL.md` for eliciting quality and writing specs. ## 2. Simplicity First Minimum code that solves the problem. Nothing speculative. - No features beyond what was asked. No abstractions for single-use code. - No "flexibility" or "configurability" that wasn't requested. - No error handling for impossible scenarios. - If you wrote 200 lines and it could be 50, rewrite it. When NOT to simplify: hot paths, stable legacy, framework boilerplate, security-critical code, code you don't fully understand. When in doubt, leave it — a working system is more valuable than a clean one. See the `code-simplifier` agent and `/refactor-clean` command. ## 3. Surgical Changes Touch only what you must. Every changed line must trace to the request. - Don't "improve" adjacent code, comments, or formatting. - Don't refactor things that aren't broken. - Match existing style, even if you'd do it differently. - Remove imports/variables YOUR changes made unused. Leave pre-existing dead code unless asked. - Ne