# Clojure Coding Practices

> Use when authoring or reviewing Clojure, 2-space layout, gathered parens, sorted ns requires, lisp-case naming,?/! conventions, threading idioms, keyword maps, ex-info errors, and clj-kondo/cljfmt in CI.

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

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# Clojure Coding Practices

Application skill for Clojure style learning (from the archived `awesome-guidelines` style capsules). For ClojureScript-specific tooling, follow project `shadow-cljs` / `cljs` conventions.

## Core Principle

Clojure readability is **consistent layout + idiomatic expressions**, namespaces explicit, names conventional, data as maps/vectors, side effects marked.

## When to Use / NOT

- Clojure/ClojureScript application and library code.
- Setting up clj-kondo, cljfmt, clojure.test in CI.

**NOT when:**

- Non-Clojure code.
- Generated `cljs` from macros, validate generator output.

## Workflow

1. **Layout & ns**, indent, parens, `ns` hygiene (`clojure-style-layout-namespaces.md`).
2. **Naming**, lisp-case, `?`, `!`, dynamics (`clojure-style-naming-types.md`).
3. **Functions**, when/if-let, threading, arity (`clojure-style-functions-idioms.md`).
4. **Data & safety**, collections, errors, macros (`clojure-style-data-safety.md`).
5. **Verify**, cljfmt, clj-kondo, `clojure -M:test` on changed namespaces.

## Red Flags

- `:use` or `:refer :all`
- Single-segment library namespace
- camelCase/snake_case function names
- `def` inside function for local state
- Shadowing `clojure.core` without exclude
- List literals for sequential app data
- Index-based collection loops
- Catching `Throwable`
- Macro where function suffices
- Missing docstring on public API

## Verification

- `cljfmt check` / project formatter
- `clj-kondo --lint` on changed paths
- `clojure -M:test` or `lein test` / `bb test`
- Capsule checklist on namespace review


## References

- `awesome-guidelines/references/clojure-style-learning-note.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/clojure-style-layout-namespaces.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/clojure-style-naming-types.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/clojure-style-functions-idioms.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/clojure-style-data-safety.md`