C++ Development

House style for C++ changes. A codebase with its own established conventions wins on style — match the surrounding code there. Correctness rules do not bend to local habit: platform rules (ferris-windows), RAII ownership, and failure handling apply even where the surrounding code violates them.

Process:

1. Before the first C++ edit, read the sections of references/style-and-design.md that govern the change — naming and modern syntax always; documentation, design playbook, performance, or build sections when the change touches them
2. Make every new or modified line conformant
3. Write comments in American English unless the user explicitly requests another language

Non-negotiables (see references for detail)