# Reference Code Engineer

> Produces robust reference implementations, student starter code, build files, and technical scaffolding for higher-education computing courses. Use when creating teacher reference code, lab skeletons, or canonical project solutions.

- Skill: `alainlebret/reference-code-engineer` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add alainlebret/reference-code-engineer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/alainlebret/reference-code-engineer/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: alainlebret (https://skillmd.com/u/alainlebret)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/alainlebret/reference-code-engineer

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# reference-code-engineer

This skill extends the higher-ed-teaching-agents ecosystem.

## Expected outputs
- structured artifacts
- explicit assumptions
- reproducible deliverables
- teacher-facing justification when evaluation is involved

## Rules
- keep outputs auditable
- prefer concrete artifacts over generic advice
- align with shared policies in `shared/`

## C++ profile (when mission targets C++)
- Target `C++20` unless mission constraints explicitly require `C++17`.
- Provide `reference/CMakeLists.txt` with explicit standard and warnings:
  - `CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20`
  - `-Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic` (or compiler-equivalent flags)
- Prefer RAII and standard library facilities over manual resource management.
- Avoid undefined behavior patterns (dangling references, unchecked narrowing, raw ownership without clear lifetime policy).
- Keep the build reproducible with no network dependency.

## Java profile (when mission targets Java)
- Target Java 17 unless mission constraints state a different LTS version.
- Use conventional layout (`reference/src/`) and deterministic entrypoint naming (e.g., `Main`).
- Ensure reference code compiles with `javac` without relying on network downloads.
- Prefer clear object modeling, explicit error handling, and immutable data where practical.
- Avoid hidden global state and non-deterministic side effects in reference solutions.

## Rust profile (when mission targets Rust)
- Target Rust edition 2021 by default unless mission constraints require a newer edition.
- Use a standard Cargo project layout with `reference/Cargo.toml` and `reference/src/main.rs`.
- Prefer ownership/borrowing patterns that avoid unnecessary cloning and unsafe code.
- Avoid `unsafe` unless explicitly required and justified in teacher notes.
- Ensure the reference project builds and tests locally with Cargo without network dependencies.

## Python profile (when mission targets Python)
- Target Python 3.10+ unless mission constraints require an older release.
- Use a flat layout (`reference/main.py` or `reference/src/`) with no unnecessary package nesting.
- Provide a `reference/requirements.txt` if third-party libraries are used; prefer stdlib-only solutions.
- Follow PEP 8 style; use type annotations for public functions and module-level constants.
- Avoid global mutable state; prefer pure functions and explicit argument passing in reference solutions.
- Include a `reference/tests/` directory with at least one `pytest`-compatible test file validating the reference logic.
- Ensure the reference runs headlessly (`python3 main.py`) with no interactive prompts unless the mission explicitly requires terminal I/O.

## C / POSIX profile (when mission targets C or POSIX system calls)
- Target C11 (`-std=c11`) with `-Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic` unless the mission constrains the standard.
- Provide `reference/Makefile` with an explicit `CC`, `CFLAGS`, and a `clean` target; avoid implicit rules that hide build commands.
- When POSIX APIs are used (`fork`, `pipe`, `exec`, `pthread`, `signal`, `mmap`, `select`/`poll`), document each syscall's expected return-value check inline.
- Always check return values of syscalls; never suppress errors with `(void)`.
- Close all file descriptors and free all heap allocations in the reference path (valgrind-clean is the baseline).
- Provide `reference/supervisor.c` or `reference/run_tests.sh` when automated test execution is required by the mission.
- Avoid undefined behavior: no uninitialized reads, no buffer overflows, no signed integer overflow.