/docs/Templates/CLAUDE.template.md

CLAUDE.md

{{PROJECT_DESCRIPTION}}

Commands

{{BUILD_COMMAND}}        # build
{{TEST_COMMAND}}         # run tests
{{LINT_COMMAND}}         # lint / format

Structure

{{KEY_DIRECTORY_1}}/     # {{what it holds}}
{{KEY_DIRECTORY_2}}/     # {{what it holds}}

Conventions

• {{e.g. runtime/package manager rules: "all Python through uv run"}}
• {{e.g. commit style: "conventional commits"}}
• {{e.g. branch/PR rules}}

Coding Principles

Trade-off: these bias caution over speed. Skip them for trivial tasks at your discretion.

1. Think before coding

Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. State assumptions; if unsure, ask. Present competing interpretations instead of silently picking one. If a simpler approach exists, say so.

2. Simple first

The minimum code that solves the problem. No unrequested features, no abstractions for single-use code, no speculative flexibility, no error handling for impossible scenarios. If 200 lines could be 50, rewrite.

3. Surgical changes

Touch only what the request requires. Don't "improve" adjacent code or refactor what isn't broken; match the existing style. Delete only what your change orphaned. Test: every changed line traces back to the request.

4. Goal-driven execution

Define success criteria, then loop until verified: "fix the bug" means "write a reproducing test and make it pass". For multi-step work, show a short plan with a verification step per item.