Jean-Gabriel Gill-Couture
f4fd5d312a
Adds `.agents/skills/guidelines.md` (Karpathy-style behavioural rules — Think Before Coding, Simplicity First, Surgical Changes, Goal-Driven Execution) and links it from CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md as required reading before any code change. Encodes the bar past reviews flagged — no wrapper modules over existing ones, no per-component CLI scaffolding, no bash inlined in CI yaml, low comment density.
2.3 KiB
name, description, license
| name | description | license |
|---|---|---|
| karpathy-guidelines | Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes. Use when writing, reviewing, or refactoring code to avoid overcomplication, make surgical changes, surface assumptions, and define verifiable success criteria. | MIT |
Tradeoff: These guidelines bias toward caution over speed. For trivial tasks, use judgment.
- Think Before Coding
Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. Surface tradeoffs.
Before implementing:
State your 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.
- 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 write 200 lines and it could be 50, rewrite it.
Ask yourself: "Would a senior engineer say this is overcomplicated?" If yes, simplify. 3. Surgical Changes
Touch only what you must. Clean up only your own mess.
When editing existing code:
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.
If you notice unrelated dead code, mention it - don't delete it.
When your changes create orphans:
Remove imports/variables/functions that YOUR changes made unused.
Don't remove pre-existing dead code unless asked.
The test: Every changed line should trace directly to the user's request. 4. Goal-Driven Execution
Define success criteria. Loop until verified.
Transform tasks into verifiable goals:
"Add validation" → "Write tests for invalid inputs, then make them pass"
"Fix the bug" → "Write a test that reproduces it, then make it pass"
"Refactor X" → "Ensure tests pass before and after"
For multi-step tasks, state a brief plan:
- [Step] → verify: [check]
- [Step] → verify: [check]
- [Step] → verify: [check]
Strong success criteria let you loop independently. Weak criteria ("make it work") require constant clarification.