Agent Dev Guardrails

Mental model: The agent is an extremely confident junior dev with amnesia. This skill provides guardrails, progressive context, and automated quality checks.

references/

Non-Negotiables (Always Apply)

1. Plan first, implement second. For non-trivial changes: produce plan, risks, and task checklist before editing.
2. Work in small slices. Implement 1–2 checklist items at a time; pause for review/testing between slices.
3. Never leave errors behind. Run checks and fix failures before moving on.
4. Be explicit about changes. Every response that edits code must include:
   • Files changed (paths)
   • Why the change is correct
   • How it was validated (commands + outcome)
5. If stuck for 30 minutes, stop. Ask for narrower scope or propose different approach; don't thrash.

Hook System

Pre-Work Hook (Before Coding)

1. Identify scope — Small fix (no dev-docs) or large task (create dev-docs folder)
2. State applicable skills — Which domain skills apply (e.g., python-engineering, security)
3. For non-trivial work:
   • Ask clarifying questions (see references/planning-protocol.md)
   • Produce plan with phases + tasks + risks
   • Wait for plan acceptance before implementation

Post-Work Hook (After Coding)

1. Run linting — Use

   ReadLints

   on edited files
2. Fix failures — Do not leave errors behind
3. Self-review — Apply specialized roles (see references/specialized-roles.md)
4. Summarize:
   • Files changed
   • Commands run + outcomes
   • Next slice (if applicable)

When to Read Which Reference

Quick Patterns

• Token efficiency: Request only the context you need; reference file paths and symbols instead of pasting large code blocks.
• Planning: Ask minimum context → produce plan with risks/tasks → wait for acceptance
• Questions: Ask "What are the tradeoffs? What breaks? What's missing?" not "Is this good?"
• Slicing: One slice = 1–2 checklist items; each slice ends with validation
• Review: Apply reviewer role personas (Architecture, Security, Test Engineer)
• Done: Code compiles, lint passes, edge cases handled, docs updated

Quick Reference / Examples

dev/active/<task-name>/

scripts/

Scope: Large task (auth feature)
Skills: agent-dev-guardrails + python-engineering
Plan: [3 phases, 8 tasks, 2 risks identified]
Waiting for approval before implementation.

Files changed: src/auth.py, tests/test_auth.py
Validation: ReadLints (0 errors), pytest (12 passed)
Self-review: ✓ Input validation, ✓ No hardcoded secrets, ⚠ Consider rate limiting
Next: Slice 2 (login endpoint)

Workflow

1. Starting any change → Check scope, activate skills, follow pre-work hook
2. Planning complex work → Read references/planning-protocol.md, then references/dev-docs-system.md
3. After every edit → Follow post-work hook, apply references/specialized-roles.md
4. Setting up a project → Run the setup script from the skill's

   scripts/

   folder; see references/project-setup.md
5. Marking work complete → Verify against references/quality-gates.md