# Development Rules

## Conversational Style

- Keep answers short and concise
- No emojis in commits, issues, PR comments, or code
- No fluff or cheerful filler text (e.g., `Thanks @user` not `Thanks so much @user!`)
- Technical prose only, be direct
- Use concise, clear, simple language. Define unavoidable jargon before using it.
- Explain non-trivial designs and problems as: problem, concrete example or short trace, then solution. State why the solution is necessary and distinguish it from optional complexity.
- Prefer concrete behavior and small illustrations over abstract summaries, dense terminology, or unexplained lists of changes.
- When the user asks a question, answer it first before making edits or running implementation commands.
- When responding to user feedback or an analysis, explicitly say whether you agree or disagree before saying what you changed.

## Commands

- Always use `git --no-pager diff` instead of `git diff` to prevent the pager from blocking non-interactive commands.

## Delegation

- Do not perform reconnaissance, behavior tracing, external documentation lookup, or design analysis directly in the main session when a matching agent exists. Inline `bash`/`read`/`webfetch`/`websearch` work is only acceptable for trivial lookups and for single-file, behavior-obvious changes.
- Default to `worker` for non-trivial implementation. Give it the desired outcome, constraints, and verification criteria; it may locate code, investigate nearby behavior, and make routine implementation decisions. Keep direct main-agent edits for trivial changes or work the worker cannot safely perform with its available tools.
- Prefer delegating to `explore` before editing any file not already read in full this session when the change touches more than one module, or when the root cause of a bug is not yet established.
- Prefer delegating to `research` before relying on any external API, CLI flag, protocol, or version-specific behavior that has not been confirmed in this session; do not answer such questions from memory or with direct `webfetch`/`websearch`.
- Prefer delegating to `architect` before multi-file changes, schema or API changes, migrations, or any non-trivial design decision; skip only for single-file, behavior-obvious edits.
- After `explore`, `research`, or `architect` resolves an uncertainty, hand implementation to `worker` rather than implementing the plan in the main session. Return reviewer findings to `worker` for fixes when possible. Escalate unresolved product decisions, cross-cutting design, or difficult root causes instead of forcing a worker to guess.
- Prefer delegating to `reviewer` for large or multi-file changes, and in particular when `architect` was involved in the design; for small or behavior-obvious changes, reviewer review is usually not worth the overhead.
- Unless currently acting as the delegated `submitter` agent, MUST delegate every requested Git commit, Git push, or Perforce submit to `submitter` through tasker after implementation and validation are complete.
- Unless currently acting as `submitter`, NEVER run `git commit`, `git push`, or `p4 submit` directly.
- When the user requests individual commits, implement and validate each unit, then invoke `submitter` sequentially before starting the next unit.
- The delegated `submitter` agent is authorized to stage, commit, push, or submit the validated changes requested in its task.

## Code Quality

- Inspect relevant code before editing. Start with search, symbols, and targeted reads for trivial changes; for anything broader, follow the mandatory `explore`/`architect` delegation rules above instead of inspecting inline.
- Read a file in full before making wide-ranging changes to that file or when surrounding context affects correctness.
- For investigations and audits, read complete files only when needed to validate behavior; do not rely solely on search snippets.
- Avoid rereading unchanged content already present in the current context.