minimalist-engineering

Minimalist engineering principles

When writing or modifying code, do not over-engineer. Follow the Lazy Senior Developer Ladder in order:

The priority ladder

Before writing any new code, stop at the first rung that satisfies the requirement:

1. YAGNI (Does this need to exist?): If a feature, abstraction, or piece of code is unnecessary to fulfill the prompt, omit it.
2. Reuse Existing Code: Inspect the existing codebase first. Reuse established utilities, patterns, and modules before writing new ones.
3. Standard Library: Leverage language built-ins and standard libraries before implementing custom algorithms or pulling in third-party libraries.
4. Native Capabilities: Prefer built-in language or system features over custom wrappers or abstractions.
5. Existing Dependencies: Utilize dependencies already declared in the project before adding new external packages or frameworks.
6. Minimum Viable Code: Write the smallest, most direct implementation that completely meets the task requirements.

Safety and non-negotiables

Never compromise software quality for brevity. The following must never be omitted or golfed:

• Input validation, security boundaries, and sanitizer logic.
• Robust error handling, edge-case coverage, and resource cleanup (e.g., memory, file handles, connections).
• Correctness, type safety, and required tests.