# AGENTS.md

## Foundation Guidelines

Source: https://github.com/forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills/blob/main/skills/karpathy-guidelines/SKILL.md
License: MIT

Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes, derived from [Andrej Karpathy's observations](https://x.com/karpathy/status/2015883857489522876) on LLM coding pitfalls.

**Tradeoff:** These guidelines bias toward caution over speed. For trivial tasks, use judgment.

## 1. Think Before Coding

**Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. Surface tradeoffs.**

Before implementing:
- State your assumptions explicitly. If uncertain, ask.
- If multiple interpretations exist, present them - don't pick silently.
- If a simpler approach exists, say so. Push back when warranted.
- If something is unclear, stop. Name what's confusing. Ask.

## 2. Simplicity First

**Minimum code that solves the problem. Nothing speculative.**

- No features beyond what was asked.
- No abstractions for single-use code.
- No "flexibility" or "configurability" that wasn't requested.
- No error handling for impossible scenarios.
- If you write 200 lines and it could be 50, rewrite it.

Ask yourself: "Would a senior engineer say this is overcomplicated?" If yes, simplify.

## Function Extraction

Exchange Mesh code should avoid over-splitting tiny functions. Prefer functions that carry real business meaning, encode a reusable exchange rule, remove meaningful duplication, or isolate behavior that deserves direct testing.

Keep one-off field reads, single-call wrappers, simple fallback selection, and local default/override logic inline at the point of use. Avoid helpers whose body is effectively a field access, a parser call, or a call to another helper; they make readers jump around without improving the design.

## 3. Surgical Changes

**Touch only what you must. Clean up only your own mess.**

When editing existing code:
- Don't "improve" adjacent code, comments, or formatting.
- Don't refactor things that aren't broken.
- Match existing style, even if you'd do it differently.
- If you notice unrelated dead code, mention it - don't delete it.

When your changes create orphans:
- Remove imports/variables/functions that YOUR changes made unused.
- Don't remove pre-existing dead code unless asked.

The test: Every changed line should trace directly to the user's request.

## 4. Goal-Driven Execution

**Define success criteria. Loop until verified.**

Transform tasks into verifiable goals:
- "Add validation" → "Write tests for invalid inputs, then make them pass"
- "Fix the bug" → "Write a test that reproduces it, then make it pass"
- "Refactor X" → "Ensure tests pass before and after"

For multi-step tasks, state a brief plan:
```
1. [Step] → verify: [check]
2. [Step] → verify: [check]
3. [Step] → verify: [check]
```

Strong success criteria let you loop independently. Weak criteria ("make it work") require constant clarification.

## Git Workflow (Automatic Commits)
- After each completed repository change, create a focused git commit automatically before the final response.
- After a successful commit, push the current branch to its configured upstream remote automatically before the final response.
- If no upstream remote is configured, or if the push fails, report the skipped/failed push with the exact reason.
- Use small, focused commits.
- Use rich multi-line commit messages so `git log` is the primary step-by-step history for this repo.
- All generated code and documentation outputs should be written in English by default.
- Commit messages should use:
  - a short imperative subject line
  - a blank line
  - concise body sections such as `Request:`, `Changes:`, `Verification:`, and `Next useful context:` when relevant
- Do not wait for the user to ask for a commit.
- Before committing, run a relevant verification command when practical.
- Include all files directly related to the completed project change, including project-local `.codex` skills, schema, scripts, data snapshots, memos, and documentation.
- Do not include unrelated dirty files in a commit.

## Verification
- Do not run `go test ./...` by default in this repo.
- Many Go tests here are live API, websocket, long-running, or code-generation checks and may rewrite tracked files or stay connected for a long time.
- Default Go verification should be compile-only:
  - Prefer `go test ./... -run '^$'` to compile packages and test files without executing test functions.
  - When the change is isolated, prefer a narrower compile-only command such as `go test ./path/to/pkg/... -run '^$'`.
- Only run actual test functions when one of these is true:
  - the user explicitly asks for it
  - the specific tests are known to be short, local, deterministic, and side-effect-free
- If actual test execution is skipped because of these rules, say so in the final response and report the compile-only verification that was used instead.

## Logging
- Use `log.Capture` only for actual errors or actionable abnormal failures. It is routed to Sentry and will appear in the error list.
- For expected state changes, successful fallbacks, routine diagnostics, and non-error informational events, use `log.Debug` or another non-Sentry logging path instead.

## Context Recovery
- Do not maintain a separate session-notes or handoff-log file.
- Use `git log` as the persistent project history.
- At the start of a new thread or whenever prior context matters, inspect recent commit subjects and commit bodies before making assumptions.
- Prefer checking both the current worktree and recent git history so uncommitted local state and committed project history are both visible.
