global-standards_skill

Overview

This skill is a project-wide coding standards and conventions specialist that guides consistent decisions across languages and frameworks. It is intended to be used proactively when writing code, making architecture choices, or establishing project conventions to improve readability, reliability, and maintainability.

How this skill works

The skill inspects code and design choices against core areas: coding style, commenting, error handling, input validation, tech stack consistency, and project conventions. It recommends concrete actions (naming, docstrings, exception handling patterns, validation schemas, dependency choices, repo layout) and points to detailed references for each area when deeper guidance is needed.

When to use it

• Writing new code or modifying existing logic to ensure consistent style and structure
• Making architectural decisions or selecting libraries and frameworks
• Onboarding developers to learn project conventions quickly
• Performing code reviews or preparing a refactor to maintain standards
• Setting up CI/CD, linters, or repository layout for new services

Best practices

• Prioritize consistency: match surrounding code and established patterns
• Name to reveal intent and keep functions focused on a single responsibility
• Document why, not what; keep comments minimal and evergreen
• Validate at system boundaries and sanitize inputs; prefer allowlists
• Use appropriate error types, log with context, and implement retry/cleanup where needed
• Prefer existing tools and documented decisions over adding new dependencies

Example use cases

• Deciding whether to introduce a new dependency for a feature or reuse existing libraries
• Designing API request validation and consistent error responses across endpoints
• Refactoring a messy module: apply naming conventions, extract functions, remove dead code
• Defining repository structure and CI checks when adding a new microservice
• Reviewing pull requests for comment quality, exception handling, and formatting