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Clean Code

Guidelines for writing clean, maintainable, and human-readable code. Apply these rules when writing or reviewing code to ensure consistency and quality.

How to use
  1. Copy the rule content.
  2. In your project root, create .cursorrules or .cursor/rules/clean-code.mdc
  3. Paste the content and save.

Clean Code Guidelines

Constants Over Magic Numbers

  • Replace hard-coded values with named constants
  • Use descriptive constant names that explain the value’s purpose
  • Keep constants at the top of the file or in a dedicated constants file

Meaningful Names

  • Variables, functions, and classes should reveal their purpose
  • Names should explain why something exists and how it’s used
  • Avoid abbreviations unless they’re universally understood

Smart Comments

  • Don’t comment on what the code does - make the code self-documenting
  • Use comments to explain why something is done a certain way
  • Document APIs, complex algorithms, and non-obvious side effects

Single Responsibility

  • Each function should do exactly one thing
  • Functions should be small and focused
  • If a function needs a comment to explain what it does, it should be split

DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself)

  • Extract repeated code into reusable functions
  • Share common logic through proper abstraction
  • Maintain single sources of truth

Clean Structure

  • Keep related code together
  • Organize code in a logical hierarchy
  • Use consistent file and folder naming conventions

Encapsulation

  • Hide implementation details
  • Expose clear interfaces
  • Move nested conditionals into well-named functions

Code Quality Maintenance

  • Refactor continuously
  • Fix technical debt early
  • Leave code cleaner than you found it

Testing

  • Write tests before fixing bugs
  • Keep tests readable and maintainable
  • Test edge cases and error conditions

Version Control

  • Write clear commit messages
  • Make small, focused commits
  • Use meaningful branch names

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