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8 community-ranked rules
Write rules for yourself that prevent the same mistake
This belongs in automated testing or linting pipelines, not in agent instructions.
Provide `mytype_create()` and `mytype_destroy()` functions for allocation and cleanup — callers never call `malloc`/`free` on opaque types.
Saving the agent from reading multiple header and source files to infer the required create/destroy pattern for opaque types.
Use plan mode for verification steps, not just building
Adds minimal value over the 0922494eee667d5d rule as it restates plan mode use without distinct actionable guidance.
Validate all external inputs at system boundaries. Trust nothing from users, APIs, or files.
Saves time by specifying all three untrusted input sources (users, APIs, files) as requiring validation at system boundaries.
Declare opaque types as `typedef struct MyType MyType;` in public headers — define the struct only in the `.c` implementation file.
Saving the agent from reading multiple header and .c files to infer the exact opaque type declaration pattern.
Design a minimal, intuitive public API. Every exported symbol is a commitment — keep the surface area small.
Avoid N+1 query patterns — use batch loading, JOINs, or DataLoader patterns.
Write E2E tests for critical user journeys: signup, login, checkout, core workflows.
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