The Boy Scout Rule

"Always leave the campground cleaner than you found it." — Robert Baden-Powell

"Always check a module in cleaner than when you checked it out." — Robert C. Martin, Clean Code

The Philosophy

You don't have to make every module perfect. You simply have to make it a little bit better than when you found it.

If we all followed this simple rule:

• •Our systems would gradually get better as they evolved
• •Teams would care for the system as a whole
• •The relentless deterioration of software would end

When Working on Code

Every time you touch code, look for at least one small improvement:

Quick Wins (Do These Immediately)

• •Rename a poorly named variable → triggers clean-names
• •Delete a redundant comment → triggers clean-comments
• •Remove dead code or unused imports
• •Replace a magic number with a named constant
• •Extract a deeply nested block into a well-named function

Deeper Improvements (When Time Allows)

• •Split a function that does multiple things → triggers clean-functions
• •Remove duplication (DRY) → triggers clean-general
• •Add missing boundary checks
• •Improve test coverage → triggers clean-tests

The Rule in Practice

// You're asked to fix a bug in this function:
function proc(d: number[], x: number[], flag = false): number[] {
    // process data
    for (const i of d) {
        if (i > 0) {
            if (flag) {
                x.push(i * 1.0825);  // tax
            } else {
                x.push(i);
            }
        }
    }
    return x;
}

// Don't just fix the bug and leave.
// Leave it cleaner:
const TAX_RATE: number = 0.0825;

const filterPositiveValues = (
    values: number[],
    applyTax: boolean = false
): number[] => {
    /** Filter positive values, optionally applying tax. */
    const rate: number = applyTax
        ? 1 + TAX_RATE
        : 1;

    return values
        .filter((value: number): boolean => value > 0)
        .map((value: number): number => value * rate);
};

What changed:

• •✅ Descriptive function name (N1)
• •✅ Clear parameter names (N1)
• •✅ Type annotations (TS1)
• •✅ Named constant for magic number (G25)
• •✅ No output argument mutation (F2)
• •✅ Useful JSDoc comment (C4)

Skill Orchestration

This skill coordinates with specialized skills based on what you're doing:

The Mindset

Don't:

• •Leave code worse than you found it
• •Say "that's not my code"
• •Wait for a dedicated refactoring sprint
• •Make massive changes unrelated to your task

Do:

• •Make one small improvement with every commit
• •Fix what you see, even if you didn't break it
• •Keep changes proportional to your task
• •Leave a trail of quality improvements

AI Behavior

When working on code:

1. •Complete the requested task first
2. •Identify at least one small cleanup opportunity
3. •Apply the appropriate specialized skill
4. •Note the improvement made (e.g., "Also cleaned up: renamed x to results for clarity")

When reviewing code:

1. •Load typescript-clean-code for comprehensive rule checking
2. •Flag violations by rule number
3. •Suggest incremental improvements, not complete rewrites

The Boy Scout Promise

Every piece of code you touch gets a little better. Not perfect—just better.

Over time, better compounds into excellent.