General Development Guidelines

---
description: ALWAYS FOLLOW task-based development WHEN implementing features TO ensure code quality, testability, and maintainability
globs: **/*.{js,ts,py,go,java,kt,swift,c,cpp,cs,php,rb,swift}
---

# General Development Guidelines

## Context

- Applies to all software development tasks
- Establishes consistent development workflow
- Ensures code quality and maintainability

## Requirements

- Create a plan by writing tasks on the todo list (@todo.md) before you start writing code
- Write tests before implementation
- Follow SOLID principles
- Write clean, maintainable code
- Update project documentation after completion
- Follow task completion workflow

## Task-Based Development

You should do task-based development. For every task:

1. Write tests for the feature/task
2. Implement the code
3. Run tests to verify implementation

## After Task Completion

When the tests pass:

- Update the todo list (@todo.md) to reflect the task being completed
- Update the memory file (@memory.md) to reflect the current state of the project
- Fix any warnings or errors in the code
- Commit the changes with a descriptive commit message
- Update the development guidelines if you've learned anything valuable
- Stop and wait for a new chat to begin the next task

## Core Development Principles

### SOLID Principles

- Single Responsibility: Each class/module should have only one reason to change
- Open/Closed: Open for extension, closed for modification
- Liskov Substitution: Derived types must be substitutable for base types
- Interface Segregation: Clients should not depend on methods they don't use
- Dependency Inversion: Depend on abstractions, not concrete implementations

### Clean Code Practices

- Use meaningful names for variables, functions, and classes
- Functions should do one thing
- Comments should explain "why," not "what"
- Implement comprehensive error handling
- Write automated and maintainable tests

### Engineering Excellence

- Verify requirements before implementing
- Deliver complete solutions without TODOs or placeholders
- Consider edge cases and future requirements
- Validate fixes with tests
- Balance readability with performance

### Code Quality

- Use descriptive, explicit variable names
- Replace hardcoded values with named constants
- Follow consistent coding style
- Implement robust error handling and logging
- Design for modularity and reusability

### Intellectual Honesty

- Acknowledge uncertainty
- Admit knowledge gaps
- Verify information before presenting it
- Consider alternative approaches
- Question assumptions when appropriate

## Development Workflow Diagram

The following diagram illustrates the complete development workflow, from planning to completion:

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A[Start Development] --> B[Create/Update TODO List]
    B --> C[Create Feature Branch]
    C --> D[Write Tests]
    D --> E[Implement Code]
    E --> F[Run Tests]
    F -->|Tests Fail| E
    F -->|Tests Pass| G[Fix Warnings/Errors]
    G --> H[Update TODO List]
    H --> I[Update Memory File]
    I --> J[Review Changes]
    J --> K[Commit Changes]
    K --> L[Create Pull Request]
    L --> M[Code Review]
    M -->|Changes Needed| E
    M -->|Approved| N[Merge to Main Branch]
    N --> O[Delete Feature Branch]
    O --> P[End Development Cycle]
    
    style A fill:#d4f1f9,stroke:#05386B
    style P fill:#d4f1f9,stroke:#05386B
    style F decision:true
    style M decision:true
```

This workflow integrates the practices from both the development guidelines and git workflow rules to provide a complete picture of the development process.

<version>1.0.0</version>