Code preferences

Communication

• Be concise, avoid repeating document changes in chat
• Focus on next actions, not recaps
• I know a lot about these topics, let me decide the direction, do not assume

Code

• Self-explanatory code > documentation
• Elegant, readable style
• Browser defaults: Use browser defaults for styling; avoid CSS frameworks like Tailwind unless explicitly required

Svelte specific

• Use $state() for reactive variables in Svelte 5
• Use onclick for event handlers in Svelte 5 (not on:click)

Code style & structure

• Concise syntax: Use single-line conditionals and expressions when they improve readability
• Self-documenting code: Use clear naming that makes comments unnecessary
• Zero non-essential comments: Do not comment on what the code does - only explain WHY when not obvious
• Minimal comments: explain “why” not “what”/“how”
• Exports: Prefer named exports over default exports
• Flat structure: Prefer flat code structure over deeply nested functions
• Types: Prefer jsdoc, don’t obsess over typescript
• Style preferences:
  • Use tabs for indentation
  • Use single quotes for strings
  • No bracket spacing
  • No semicolons
  • Use lower kebab-case for filenames
• Pass primitives directly, avoid wrapper objects around simple data
• Use literal objects directly, avoid helper functions for basic object creation
• Keep logic in one focused function, avoid splitting unless there’s clear reuse
• Pass configuration objects directly, avoid ceremonial builders

HTML & CSS

• Prefer semantic HTML over custom css classes, also for styling
• Use the right semantic HTML elements (<section>, <article>, <figure>, etc.)
• Don’t create unnecessary container <div>s when semantic elements exist
• Only create CSS classes when really needed
• Leverage element selectors where appropriate
• Focus on styles critical for functionality

Naming & API design

• Domain-driven names: Method names should express domain concepts directly
• Single responsibility: One method, one responsibility, ideally pure
• Direct property access: Avoid getters/setters when direct property access works
• Minimal abstraction: Keep code paths direct and clear without unnecessary layers
• Meaningful methods: Methods should do something meaningful beyond simple delegation

Error handling

• Actionable errors: Show errors in UI with clear actions for recovery
• Graceful degradation: Handle error states without breaking application flow