Code Development Skill

This skill provides a structured approach to coding tasks with emphasis on quality, security, and maintainability.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill for any coding task including:

• Implementing new features or functionality
• Fixing bugs or issues
• Refactoring existing code
• Optimizing performance
• Adding or modifying tests
• Making any changes to source code

Core Development Workflow

1. Understand Before Coding

Before making changes:

• Read relevant existing code to understand current implementation
• Identify the scope of changes needed
• Consider edge cases and potential side effects
• Check for existing patterns and conventions in the codebase

2. Plan the Implementation

For non-trivial tasks:

• Use TodoWrite to break down the work into clear steps
• Identify files that need to be modified
• Consider the order of operations (e.g., tests before implementation, or vice versa)
• Plan for both happy path and error handling

3. Write Quality Code

Follow these principles:

Code Style & Conventions:

• Follow existing code style and patterns in the codebase
• Use spaces not tabs (per user configuration)
• Choose descriptive variable and function names
• Keep functions focused and single-purpose
• Add comments for complex logic, but prefer self-documenting code

Security Considerations:

• NEVER introduce security vulnerabilities
• Watch for: command injection, XSS, SQL injection, path traversal, insecure deserialization
• Validate and sanitize all user inputs
• Use parameterized queries for database operations
• Avoid hardcoding secrets or credentials
• Use secure defaults and principle of least privilege
• For detailed security guidance, consult references/security-guidelines.md

Error Handling:

• Handle errors gracefully with appropriate error messages
• Avoid exposing sensitive information in error messages
• Clean up resources properly (close files, connections, etc.)
• Consider failure modes and recovery strategies

Performance:

• Avoid unnecessary computations or database queries
• Consider time and space complexity for data structures and algorithms
• Use caching appropriately
• Profile before optimizing (don't prematurely optimize)

4. Testing

Prefer integration tests over unit tests. Integration tests:

• Test the full application as users would interact with it
• Catch more bugs (import issues, config problems, integration bugs)
• Are easier to maintain during refactoring
• Provide confidence that the actual user experience works

When changing program behavior:

• Add tests (per user configuration)
• Write integration tests first - test the full application/CLI
• Run the actual application process, don't import functions directly
• Write tests that cover both happy path and edge cases
• Ensure existing tests still pass
• Add unit tests sparingly - only for complex logic that needs isolation
• Test error handling and boundary conditions
• For TypeScript/JavaScript, use Jest
• For deterministic output, add snapshot tests - snapshots provide excellent regression protection
• When making changes, update snapshots if test output changes (npm test -- -u)

Test-driven development approach:

1. Write failing integration test first (recommended)
2. Implement the minimal code to make tests pass
3. Refactor while keeping tests green
4. Add unit tests only if needed for complex logic

For detailed testing guidance, consult references/testing-guidelines.md

5. Review Your Work

Before marking a task complete:

• Re-read the changes you made
• Check for introduced bugs or regressions
• Verify security considerations are addressed
• Ensure tests pass
• Look for opportunities to simplify
• Remove debug code, console.logs, or temporary changes

6. Iterate and Improve

If errors or issues arise:

• Don't mark tasks as complete if there are failures
• Debug systematically (check error messages, add logging, isolate the issue)
• Fix the root cause, not just symptoms
• Verify the fix works with tests

Common Patterns

When Editing Files

• Always use Read before Edit or Write
• Preserve exact indentation when using Edit tool
• Use Edit for targeted changes, Write for new files or complete rewrites

When Searching Code

• Use Grep for content search
• Use Glob for finding files by pattern
• Use Task tool with Explore agent for open-ended exploration

When Working with Git

• Check git status before committing
• Write clear, concise commit messages
• Don't commit secrets, credentials, or sensitive data
• Follow the repository's commit message conventions

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Don't write code without reading existing implementation
• Don't mark tasks complete when tests are failing
• Don't skip error handling or edge cases
• Don't introduce security vulnerabilities
• Don't hardcode values that should be configurable
• Don't duplicate code instead of extracting common functionality
• Don't leave commented-out code or debug statements
• Don't make changes without understanding the full impact

Language-Specific Considerations

When working in different languages, adapt to their idioms and best practices:

JavaScript/TypeScript:

• Use const/let, never var
• Prefer async/await over raw promises
• Handle promise rejections
• Use TypeScript types effectively
• Use Jest for testing
• Write integration tests that run the actual CLI/application process

Python:

• Follow PEP 8 style guidelines
• Use type hints for better code clarity
• Properly handle exceptions with try/except
• Use context managers (with statements) for resources

Go:

• Handle errors explicitly (don't ignore them)
• Use defer for cleanup
• Follow Go conventions (e.g., early returns)

Rust:

• Handle Result and Option types properly
• Use borrowing and ownership correctly
• Leverage the type system for safety

Java:

• Use appropriate exception handling
• Follow naming conventions (camelCase for methods/variables, PascalCase for classes)
• Properly close resources (use try-with-resources)

Best Practices Summary

1. Read first, code second - Understand before changing
2. Security by default - Never introduce vulnerabilities
3. Test your changes - Write integration tests first, unit tests sparingly
4. Follow conventions - Match the existing codebase style
5. Handle errors properly - Don't let exceptions crash the system
6. Review before submitting - Catch issues early
7. Iterate on feedback - Fix problems until tests pass

For more detailed information on specific topics:

• Security best practices: references/security-guidelines.md
• Testing strategies: references/testing-guidelines.md