validation-standards

Edit tool errors occur when the old_string doesn't match exactly in the file. Read the file first to confirm the exact text, whitespace, and line breaks, then use that precise string in your edit. Enable replace_all only when targeting multiple identical occurrences.

Pre-edit validation requires: reading the target file to confirm it exists and contains the expected content, verifying the parent directory exists for writes, checking that old_string appears exactly once unless using replace_all, and ensuring documentation stays synchronized across related files.

Common patterns include editing before reading, writing to non-existent directories, and inconsistent documentation. Track your session state, validate each tool call against requirements before execution, and use post-error analysis to identify root causes and apply auto-fix strategies for recovery.

Documentation consistency validation ensures versions, file paths, component counts, and cross-references match across all related files. Update all references simultaneously when modifying content, verify metadata stays synchronized, and run full-project validation checklists to catch drift.

Execution flow validation catches state mismatches and prerequisite gaps. Verify working directory, required files exist before commands reference them, environment variables are set, and prior steps completed successfully. Use execution flow validation checklists to trace dependencies.

Yes. Comprehensive validation methodologies provide pre-execution, post-execution, and full-project checklists that score tool usage across Read, Edit, Write, NotebookEdit, and Bash operations, detect error patterns, and recommend corrections before changes propagate.