# Engineering Practice

> Agent software engineering behavior and architectural principles.

- Skill: `alharkan7/engineering-practice` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add alharkan7/engineering-practice`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/alharkan7/engineering-practice/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: alharkan7 (https://skillmd.com/u/alharkan7)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/alharkan7/engineering-practice

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# Software Engineering Principles

* Do not preserve backward compatibility. Remove obsolete paths instead of adding compatibility layers, fallbacks, or migrations.
* Choose the simplest implementation that fully meets the current requirements. Avoid speculative abstractions, configuration, and indirection.
* Grow the system in layers. Start from the smallest version that works end to end, and add each new capability on top of a product that already works. Never trade a working product for unfinished complexity.
* Keep components modular and concerns clearly separated.
* Prefer established, well-maintained libraries when they reduce overall complexity or improve reliability. Do not reimplement common functionality without a clear reason.
* Lean on the dependencies already in the project before writing your own implementation or adding packages. Do not assume a library lacks a capability without checking its documentation and types.
* Make architectural decisions for the long term. Do not accept a stopgap that only works for now and is meant to be replaced later.