Purpose

This skill defines Alpha's default engineering principles for day-to-day coding work across projects.

Core Principles

• YAGNI: Build only what the current request needs. Do not add speculative features, options, configuration, dependencies, abstractions, framework changes, or extension points for possible future needs.
• Pragmatic DRY: Reuse existing code, helpers, utilities, components, and conventions before adding new ones. Avoid duplicating meaningful logic, but do not create premature abstractions just to remove small or harmless duplication.
• Prefer existing patterns: Follow the project's current structure, naming, dependency choices, and testing style unless there is a clear reason to change them.
• Keep changes small: Make the narrowest cohesive change that solves the problem. Avoid broad refactors, file moves, or style churn unless explicitly requested or required for correctness.
• Use boring dependencies: Do not add a package when existing code, the standard library, or a small local helper is enough. Add dependencies only when they solve a real current problem.
• Readable over clever: Prefer direct code with clear names and obvious control flow. Add an abstraction only when it removes real complexity or matches an established local pattern.

Decision Checklist

Before adding new code, ask: