# Pascal Coding Practices

> Use when authoring or reviewing Free Pascal/GNU Pascal, 2-space/no-tab layout, lowercase keywords, PascalCase T/P types, unit block order, brace comments, result returns, and fpc -Wall or fpsonar in CI.

- Skill: `ryan-brosas/pascal-coding-practices` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ryan-brosas/pascal-coding-practices`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ryan-brosas/pascal-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/pascal-coding-practices

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# Pascal Coding Practices

Application skill for classic Pascal style learning (from the archived `awesome-guidelines` style capsules). For Lazarus/LCL or Delphi VCL/Object Pascal, use `delphi-coding-practices` instead.

## Core Principle

Pascal library quality is **dialect-picked layout + ordered units**, declare FPC-tight or GPC-spaced style once, mirror interface in implementation, compile warning-clean.

## When to Use / NOT

- FPC compiler/RTL patches, GNU Pascal (GPC) code, portable `.pas` libraries without Delphi RTL.
- Setting up `fpc -Wall`, fpsonar, or project compile checks in CI.

**NOT when:**

- Lazarus LCL components or Delphi IDE projects, use `delphi-coding-practices`.
- Generated `.pas`, validate generators.

## Workflow

1. **Layout**, indent, begin/end, spacing profile (`pascal-style-formatting-layout.md`).
2. **Naming**, keywords, T/P types (`pascal-style-naming-types.md`).
3. **Units**, files, order, uses (`pascal-style-units-structure.md`).
4. **Comments/control**, braces, flow, CI (`pascal-style-comments-control.md`).
5. **Verify**, `fpc -Wall`, fpsonar optional, tests on changed units.

## Red Flags

- Tab indentation
- UPPERCASE keywords
- Mixed FPC-tight and GPC-spaced styles in one project
- `if x then begin` on one line
- Spaces around operators in FPC compiler tree
- Missing space before `(` in GPC published calls
- `(* *)` or `//` comments in published GPC code
- Function assigns to its name instead of `result` (FPC)
- Implicit Result variable against GPC rules
- Multiple units per `.pas` file
- Uppercase filenames
- Missing license/header block (GPC)
- Interface/implementation declaration order mismatch
- Unit cycles in interface uses
- Empty unit `begin end.`
- Wrong case semicolon in `case` before `else`
- Undocumented interface exports (GPC)
- Macros for constants
- goto/Exit for ordinary control flow
- `for` counter mutation or post-loop reliance
- Commenting out code with `{ … }` instead of `{$if False}`
- Comments inside compiler directives
- FCL-style non-indented routines in FPC compiler tree (or reverse)

## Verification

- `fpc -Wall` (and project `-O3` if GPC baseline) on changed units
- fpsonar or house linter (NoTabs, LowercaseKeywords, BeginEndRequired)
- Uses-cycle and interface-order review on new units
- Capsule checklist on spacing profile declaration in AGENTS/project docs


## References

- `awesome-guidelines/references/pascal-style-learning-note.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/pascal-style-formatting-layout.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/pascal-style-naming-types.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/pascal-style-units-structure.md`
- `awesome-guidelines/references/pascal-style-comments-control.md`