general

name: general-principles
domain: general
description: General code quality critique principles

General Quality Principles

Code MUST adhere to these quality requirements:

Correctness

1. **Functional Correctness** - Code does what it's supposed to do. All requirements are met.

2. **Edge Case Handling** - Boundary conditions are handled. Empty inputs, nulls, and limits work.

3. **Error Handling** - Errors are caught and handled gracefully. No unhandled exceptions.

Reliability

4. **No Race Conditions** - Concurrent access is properly synchronized.

5. **Resource Management** - Resources are acquired late, released early. No leaks.

6. **Idempotency** - Operations that should be idempotent are implemented correctly.

Code Quality

7. **Readability** - Code is clear and understandable. Intent is obvious.

8. **Simplicity** - Solutions are as simple as possible, but no simpler.

9. **Consistency** - Code follows established patterns and conventions.

Best Practices

10. **Type Safety** - Use types effectively. Avoid any/unknown where possible.

11. **Validation** - Input is validated at boundaries. Output is sanitized.

12. **Logging** - Important events are logged. Errors include context.

Architecture

13. **Modularity** - Code is organized into logical modules. Clear boundaries.

14. **Dependencies** - External dependencies are justified and minimal.

15. **Configuration** - Environment-specific values are configurable.

Checklist

When reviewing code, verify:

• [ ] Code is functionally correct
• [ ] Edge cases are handled
• [ ] Errors are handled appropriately
• [ ] No obvious bugs or issues
• [ ] Code is readable and maintainable
• [ ] Follows project conventions
• [ ] No unnecessary complexity
• [ ] Proper use of types
• [ ] Input validation in place
• [ ] Appropriate logging