clean-general

name	clean-general
description	Use when writing, fixing, or editing code in any language with duplicated logic, magic values, unclear one-liners, mixed responsibilities, clutter, arbitrary code, or inconsistent abstraction levels.

General Clean Code Principles

Critical Rules

G1: No Duplicated Knowledge

Every piece of knowledge has one authoritative representation.

# Bad - duplication
tax_rate = 0.0825
ca_total = subtotal * 1.0825
ny_total = subtotal * 1.07

# Good - single source of truth
TAX_RATES = {"CA": 0.0825, "NY": 0.07}

def calculate_total(subtotal: float, state: str) -> float:
    return subtotal * (1 + TAX_RATES[state])

G2: No Obscured Intent

Don't be clever. Be clear.

# Bad - what does this do?
return ((x & 0x0F) << 4) | (y & 0x0F)

# Good - obvious intent
return pack_coordinates(x, y)

G3: Replace Magic Values with Named Constants

# Bad
if elapsed_time > 86400:
    ...

# Good
SECONDS_PER_DAY = 86400
if elapsed_time > SECONDS_PER_DAY:
    ...

G4: Functions Should Do One Thing

If you can extract another function, your function does more than one thing.

G5: Delete Dead Code

Delete unused branches, helpers, exports, and unreachable code. Git preserves history; dead code makes future design decisions harder to read.

Review Checklist

When reviewing AI-generated code, verify:

• No duplicated knowledge (G1)
• Clear intent, no magic values (G2, G3)
• Functions do one thing (G4)
• Dead code removed (G5)