Self-Contained Artifact

Write artifacts that present currently valid information without relying on unstated working context.

Apply these rules to the artifact itself. Accompanying replies may report changes, verification results, and remaining work.

• Treat conversations, drafts, feedback, and revision history as source material, not assumed reader knowledge.
• Integrate confirmed corrections and remove superseded statements. Do not emphasize mistakes, corrections, or before-and-after comparisons merely because an error occurred.
• Resolve conflicting or unconfirmed information through available evidence or clarification; recency alone does not establish correctness. Preserve uncertainty when it cannot be resolved.
• State the context needed to understand the content directly. Avoid phrases such as "as discussed earlier" or "based on your correction" that depend on the production process.
• Match detail to the intended audience and purpose. Include only what readers need to understand or use the current state; do not add comments that repeat what the code already makes clear.
• Retain history or differences when they are the purpose of the deliverable or affect current use. State unknowns and open decisions explicitly.