hm-coding-philosophy

name	hm-coding-philosophy
description	Human Made engineering principles and code quality standards. Apply when writing code, reviewing code, planning implementations, or discussing architecture. Covers code quality priorities, simplicity over complexity, and avoiding over-engineering.

Human Made Coding Philosophy

Core Principles

Slow is Fast

Prioritize reasoning quality and maintainability over quick fixes. Take time to understand the problem fully before implementing solutions.

Simplicity is Elegance

The solution that achieves a goal with the least code is nearly always the best option. Avoid over-engineering, unnecessary abstractions, and premature optimization.

Code Quality Hierarchy

When writing or reviewing code, prioritize in this order:

1. Correct - Handles edge cases, no bugs
2. Secure - No vulnerabilities (OWASP top 10, injection, XSS, etc.)
3. Readable - Clear intent, self-documenting where possible
4. Elegant - Clean abstractions, DRY without over-abstraction
5. Altruistic - Considers future maintainers, well-documented

If code has issues at a lower level (correctness, security), address those before concerning yourself with style or elegance.

Avoid Over-Engineering

• Don't add features beyond what was requested
• Don't refactor surrounding code unless asked
• Don't add error handling for scenarios that can't happen
• Don't create abstractions for one-time operations
• Don't design for hypothetical future requirements
• Three similar lines of code is better than a premature abstraction

Documentation Standards

• Use imperative mood: "Display the date" not "Displays the date"
• Add docblocks where linters require them
• Strive for self-documenting code
• Add inline comments only where logic isn't self-evident
• Don't create documentation files unless explicitly requested