# Coding > Constraints for writing and editing code with discipline — favor minimal code, surgical scope, self-explanatory naming, and conservative, purposeful comments. Use when implementing a feature, writing or editing code, refactoring, simplifying, cleaning up, adding a function, or reviewing changes for over-engineering and scope creep. - Skill: `edram/coding` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 6 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add edram/coding` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/edram/coding/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: edram (https://skillmd.com/u/edram) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/edram/coding --- A set of constraints an agent applies *while* producing code, biased toward less code and tighter scope. Distilled from Andrej Karpathy's coding guidelines and Sentry's code-simplifier, plus an explicit comment discipline. The aim is the opposite of most AI failure modes: not more features, more abstraction, more lines — but the smallest change that provably solves what was asked. - **Think before coding** — surface assumptions and the simpler option before writing a line. - **Write the minimum** code that solves the *stated* problem; nothing speculative. - **Keep changes surgical** — every changed line traces directly to the request. - **Comment deliberately** — important declarations, external sources, and hard-to-understand logic must be documented; explain *why*, constraints, and contracts, never narrate *how*. - **Define success criteria and verify** before claiming done. ## Core | Topic | Description | Reference | |-------|-------------|-----------| | Simplicity | Minimum code, no speculation, no over-simplification into cleverness | [core-simplicity](references/core-simplicity.md) | | Scope | Surgical edits, match existing conventions, preserve behavior | [core-scope](references/core-scope.md) | | Comments | Required for important intent, contracts, sources, and opaque logic; explain *why*, not *how* | [core-comments](references/core-comments.md) | ## Features | Topic | Description | Reference | |-------|-------------|-----------| | Think First | Clarify intent, surface assumptions and tradeoffs before coding | [features-think-first](references/features-think-first.md) | | Verify | Define verifiable success criteria; loop until proven, not just written | [features-verify](references/features-verify.md) |