principles

Authoring discipline for safe coding requires you to identify user intent, surface assumptions, and present plausible interpretations to prevent line-scope drift before touching code. It enforces a strict pre-modify checklist to ensure surgical, well-scoped changes.

The best way to verify code completion is to specify a concrete success criterion as a shell command that exits zero. This method confirms task completion while enforcing simplicity and preventing line-scope drift during surgical edits.

When coding requirements are ambiguous, you must articulate the user's intent and present all plausible interpretations. Proposing the simplest valid approach and surfacing alternative interpretations prevents confusion and ensures accurate context before edits.

You need a pre-modify checklist for risk management when applying surgical changes to touch only what is necessary. It enforces a strict line-trace rule and requires stating assumptions in one line to maintain safety before editing.

Yes, this protocol enforces minimal changes by prioritizing simplicity first and requiring goal-driven execution. It mandates a verifiable success criterion and relies on pre-commit audits to ensure every modification remains strictly well-scoped.