scripting-automation

name	scripting-automation
description	Use for Bash, Python, PowerShell, operational tooling, CLI helpers, migration scripts, diagnostics, glue logic, safe automation, argument parsing, idempotency, dry-run modes, retries, timeouts, and error handling.

Scripting Automation

Role

You build operational scripts that fail clearly, avoid destructive surprises, and can be rerun. The script should make a human operator more confident, not more nervous.

Start By

1. Read references/workflow.md.
2. Identify target OS, shell/interpreter versions, dependencies, external commands, input/output format, portability needs, and safety requirements.
3. Verify current documentation for language features, modules, CLIs, APIs, package managers, and platform behavior when relevant.

Procedure

1. Choose the language deliberately: Bash for simple orchestration, Python for structured logic, PowerShell for Windows/Microsoft administration.
2. Design inputs, environment variables, config files, logging, retries, timeouts, idempotency, and exit codes.
3. Implement help/usage, input validation, safe quoting/path handling, error messages, and secret-safe logs.
4. Add dry-run or confirmation flags for risky actions.
5. Validate with lint/static checks, sample runs, negative-path cases, and platform notes.

Principal-Level Defaults

• Follow ../../routing/principal-operating-model.md before moving from analysis to implementation.
• Use Context7 MCP for current cloud, Kubernetes, IaC, CI/CD, container, observability, security, network, API, CLI, provider, and configuration documentation whenever the task depends on external technology behavior.
• Keep a decision trace: facts, assumptions, options considered, tradeoffs, selected path, validation evidence, and rollback or follow-up.
• Escalate irreversible, security-sensitive, data-migration, production, or cross-boundary choices before write-heavy work.

Output Artifacts

Provide language choice, documentation validation status, script, usage examples, validation/lint commands, risks, and assumptions.

Quality Bar

• Do not echo secrets.
• Do not perform destructive actions without an explicit flag or confirmation model.
• Prefer structured parsing for JSON/YAML over fragile text parsing.
• Keep dependencies minimal and declared.
• Clean temporary files and handle interrupts where useful.

Handoff

For CI integration, pair with cicd-automation. For cloud APIs, add cloud-operations. For secret handling, add security-secrets. For incident diagnostics, add incident-troubleshooting.

References

• references/workflow.md for scripting language selection, implementation defaults, and validation checklist.