Enforce Guidelines

The Iron Law

IF A GUIDELINE APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST FOLLOW IT.

This is not a suggestion. Guidelines are requirements. Violations require correction before work is considered complete.

When This Skill Activates

This skill activates automatically when:

• Writing Python code → python-standards.md, coding-standards.md
• Creating a new repository → repo-structure.md
• Making commits → git-workflow.md
• Reviewing or refactoring code → anti-patterns.md
• Any code changes → coding-standards.md

You MUST check for applicable guidelines before starting any task. Even a 1% chance a guideline applies means you consult it.

Decision Flow

Before responding to ANY code-related request:

1. What type of task is this?
   └─→ Identify: python, git, new-repo, refactor, debug, review

2. Which guidelines apply?
   └─→ Map task type to required guidelines (see mapping below)

3. Read the applicable guidelines
   └─→ Actually read them, don't assume you know the content

4. Extract MUST/MUST NOT constraints
   └─→ These are non-negotiable requirements

5. Proceed with task, citing guidelines when they influence decisions

Where to Find Guidelines

Guidelines are bundled as reference files alongside this skill:

• references/coding-standards.md
• references/python-standards.md
• references/repo-structure.md
• references/git-workflow.md
• references/anti-patterns.md
• references/pre-commit-checklist.md

Guideline Mapping

Red Flags (Rationalization Detection)

These thoughts indicate you're trying to skip guidelines:

Enforcement Mechanism

Before Starting Work

1. Identify task type from the mapping above
2. Read applicable guidelines - actually open and read them
3. Extract key constraints - list the MUST/MUST NOT rules
4. Acknowledge constraints - state which rules apply to this task

During Work

1. Cite guidelines when they influence a decision
2. Check compliance before completing each step
3. Run verification commands (ruff, pytest) as guidelines require

Before Completing Work

1. Run all required checks: ruff format . && ruff check . && pytest
2. Verify coverage: pytest runs with --cov by default, coverage must be ≥80%
3. Verify against checklist from applicable guidelines
4. Confirm no violations remain

Constraints

• You MUST read guidelines before starting code tasks
• You MUST cite the specific guideline when it influences a decision
• You MUST NOT skip guidelines because the task seems simple
• You MUST NOT proceed if guideline compliance is unclear
• You MUST run ruff format and ruff check before completing Python work
• You MUST run pytest if tests exist
• You SHOULD flag if you discover a case not covered by guidelines

Verification Checklist

Before marking any code task complete:

• Identified applicable guidelines
• Read the guidelines (not just remembered them)
• Listed MUST constraints that apply
• Followed all MUST constraints
• Avoided all MUST NOT patterns
• Ran ruff format on changed files
• Ran ruff check with no errors
• Ran pytest with coverage ≥80%
• No anti-patterns from anti-patterns.md

Cannot check all boxes? Work is not complete.

Examples

User: "Add a helper function to parse dates"

Agent (correct):

This is Python code, so I need to consult python-standards.md and coding-standards.md.

Key constraints:

• MUST use type hints for function signatures
• MUST run ruff format/check
• SHOULD write test first (TDD)

Let me write a failing test first, then implement...

Agent (incorrect):

Sure, here's a quick function:

def parse_date(s):
    return datetime.strptime(s, "%Y-%m-%d")

The incorrect response skips guidelines consultation, misses type hints, and doesn't run verification.