Documentation Standards
Purpose: Defines the non-negotiable standards for code comments, docstrings, and global artifacts.
1. Red Flags (Anti-Rationalization)
STOP if you are thinking:
- •"I'll add comments later" -> WRONG. Undocumented code is technical debt from the moment it is written.
- •"The code is self-documenting" -> WRONG. Code explains how; comments explain why.
- •"Artifacts are optional" -> WRONG. Artifacts like
.AGENTS.mdare the agent's long-term memory.
2. Docstrings & JSDoc
All classes and functions MUST have documentation.
Python
Use Google-style docstrings.
[!TIP] See
assets/templates/python_docstring.pyfor the format.
JavaScript / TypeScript
Use JSDoc standards.
[!TIP] See
assets/templates/jsdoc_template.tsfor the format.
3. Comments
- •Why vs What: Explain the reason for logic, not the syntax.
- •Work Tracking: Use
# T O D O:(Python) or// T O D O:(JS/TS) for future work.
4. Path Standards (CRITICAL)
- •Relative Paths Only: When linking to internal files in Artifacts (PLAN.md, TASK.md), ALWAYS use relative paths.
- •✅
[Ref](src/main.py) - •✅
[.agent/skills/core.md](.agent/skills/core.md) - •❌
file:///Users/username/project/src/main.py - •❌
/Absolute/System/Path
- •✅
5. Artifacts (.AGENTS.md)
MANDATORY: Every directory must have this file.
[!TIP] Use the template at
assets/templates/agents_md_template.md.
Rationalization Table
| Agent Excuse | Reality / Counter-Argument |
|---|---|
| "It's a throwaway script" | Scripts evolve into products. Documenting later costs 3x more time. |
| "I don't know the types yet" | Use Any or unknown but document what the value represents. |
6. Resources
- •
assets/templates/: Collections of templates. - •
examples/good_documentation.py: Gold standard example.