always-on-guidance

name	always-on-guidance
description	Global coding rules and tool usage discipline
tags	["always-on","coding","quality"]

Always-On Guidance

Rules that apply to every coding session.

Tool Usage Discipline

• Read files before editing — never guess at content
• Use org_* tools for work item management
• Use comms_* tools for agent messaging and file reservations
• Use forge_* tools for multi-agent coordination
• Use hivemind_* tools for learning storage and retrieval
• Check hivemind_find before solving problems from scratch

Code Quality

• Functions do one thing well
• Names reveal intent — no abbreviations
• Comments explain why, not what
• No dead code or unused imports
• Error messages include context

Testing

• Write tests for all new code
• Use db.OpenMemory() for database tests
• Use t.TempDir() for filesystem tests
• Standard library testing package only — no testify
• Test names: TestXxx_Description

Error Handling

• Return errors, don't panic
• Wrap errors with context: fmt.Errorf("operation: %w", err)
• Handle all error paths — no ignored returns
• Use errors.Is for sentinel error checks

Git Discipline

• Conventional commits: type: description
• Never force push to main
• Commit early, commit often