Verification Before Completion
Iron Law
code
NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE
Haven't run the verification command in THIS message? Cannot claim it passes.
The Gate
code
BEFORE claiming any status: 1. IDENTIFY — What command proves this claim? 2. RUN — Execute the FULL command (fresh, not cached) 3. READ — Full output, check exit code, count failures 4. VERIFY — Does output confirm the claim? - NO → State actual status with evidence - YES → State claim WITH evidence 5. ONLY THEN — Make the claim Skip any step = lying, not verifying
What Counts as Evidence
| Claim | Requires | NOT Sufficient |
|---|---|---|
| Tests pass | Test output: 0 failures | Previous run, "should pass" |
| Build succeeds | Build output: exit 0 | Linter passing |
| Bug fixed | Original symptom gone | "Code changed, should work" |
| Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | "Tests pass" alone |
Red Flags — STOP
- •Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
- •Expressing satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Done!")
- •About to commit/push/PR without running tests
- •Relying on previous run results
- •Thinking "just this once"
Forbidden Phrases
- •"应该可以了"
- •"Should work now"
- •"Looks correct"
- •"I'm confident"
- •Any success claim without showing command output
The Rule
Run the command. Read the output. THEN claim the result. Non-negotiable.