Clean Code

Critical: Reference-First Approach

1. Read references before responding - For any code quality or professional practice topic, load the relevant

   rules.md

   and

   examples.md

   files from

   references/

   before giving advice or writing code. Do not rely on general knowledge alone.
2. Reference content overrides internal knowledge - If your general knowledge conflicts with what the reference files state, follow the reference files. They contain the specific rules, thresholds, and patterns this skill enforces.
3. Cite specific rules - When making recommendations, reference the specific rule (e.g., "per

   references/functions/rules.md

   Rule 1: Keep Functions Small, 2-5 lines ideal") so the user can trace the guidance back to its source.
4. Use examples from reference files - Prefer the bad/good code examples in

   references/[topic]/examples.md

   over generating your own. These examples are curated for TypeScript and demonstrate the exact patterns intended.
5. Follow workflows step-by-step - When executing a task (review, refactoring, TDD, etc.), load the corresponding workflow file and follow each step, loading the reference files each step points to.

Quick Start

1. For a task: Check

   guidelines.md

   → find the right workflow → load it → follow each step (loading referenced files)
2. For reference: Load the specific

   rules.md

   and

   examples.md

   files relevant to your work → apply them
3. Follow the workflow: Step-by-step process for consistent results — always load the files each step references

Workflows

workflows/code-review/workflow.md

workflows/pr-review/workflow.md

workflows/tdd.md

workflows/refactoring/workflow.md

workflows/new-feature.md

workflows/bug-fix.md

workflows/test-strategy.md

workflows/estimation.md

workflows/deadline-negotiation.md

Step-File Architecture (Code Review, PR Review, Refactoring)

• Each workflow has a

  workflow.md

  entry point that describes steps and loads

  steps/step-01-init.md

• Each step is a separate file in

  steps/

  , loaded sequentially
• Progress is tracked via

  stepsCompleted

  array in the output document's YAML frontmatter
• If context is compacted mid-workflow,

  step-01-init.md

  detects the existing output and

  step-01b-continue.md

  resumes from the last completed step
• Each step loads specific reference files before analysis and cites rules in findings
• The refactoring workflow includes a loop (steps 4-7) for iterative change-test-commit cycles

Reference Categories

Part 1: Code Quality (Clean Code book)

Part 2: Professional Practices (Clean Coder book)

Key Principles (Summary Only — Always Load Full References)

Code Quality

1. Readability →

   references/formatting/rules.md

   ,

   references/naming/rules.md

2. Single Responsibility →

   references/classes/rules.md

   ,

   references/functions/rules.md

3. Small Units →

   references/functions/rules.md

   (Rule 1: 2-5 lines ideal)
4. Meaningful Names →

   references/naming/rules.md

5. DRY →

   references/smells/rules.md

   (G5)
6. Clean Tests →

   references/unit-tests/rules.md

Professional Practices

1. Take Responsibility →

   references/professionalism/rules.md

2. Say No →

   references/saying-no/rules.md

3. Commit Clearly →

   references/commitment/rules.md

4. Estimates != Commitments →

   references/estimation/rules.md

5. Stay Clean Under Pressure →

   references/pressure/rules.md

Guidelines

guidelines.md

• Task → workflow mapping
• Situation → reference file mapping
• Decision tree for common scenarios

Reference Loading Checklist

• Identified which reference categories apply to the current task
• Loaded the

  rules.md

  for each applicable category
• Loaded

  examples.md

  if demonstrating patterns or reviewing code
• Loaded the relevant

  workflow/*.md

  if executing a multi-step task
• Will cite specific rules/files in recommendations