clean-code
Pragmatic coding standards - concise, direct, no over-engineering, no unnecessary comments
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill clean-code- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads clean-code automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Clean Code - Pragmatic AI Coding Standards
CRITICAL SKILL - Be concise, direct, and solution-focused.
Core Principles
| Principle | Rule |
|---|---|
| SRP | Single Responsibility - each function/class does ONE thing |
| DRY | Don't Repeat Yourself - extract duplicates, reuse |
| KISS | Keep It Simple - simplest solution that works |
| YAGNI | You Aren't Gonna Need It - don't build unused features |
| Boy Scout | Leave code cleaner than you found it |
Naming Rules
| Element | Convention |
|---|---|
| Variables | Reveal intent: userCount not n |
| Functions | Verb + noun: getUserById() not user() |
| Booleans | Question form: isActive, hasPermission, canEdit |
| Constants | SCREAMING_SNAKE: MAX_RETRY_COUNT |
Rule: If you need a comment to explain a name, rename it.
Function Rules
| Rule | Description |
|---|---|
| Small | Max 20 lines, ideally 5-10 |
| One Thing | Does one thing, does it well |
| One Level | One level of abstraction per function |
| Few Args | Max 3 arguments, prefer 0-2 |
| No Side Effects | Don't mutate inputs unexpectedly |
Code Structure
| Pattern | Apply |
|---|---|
| Guard Clauses | Early returns for edge cases |
| Flat > Nested | Avoid deep nesting (max 2 levels) |
| Composition | Small functions composed together |
| Colocation | Keep related code close |
AI Coding Style
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| User asks for feature | Write it directly |
| User reports bug | Fix it, don't explain |
| No clear requirement | Ask, don't assume |
Anti-Patterns (DON'T)
| ❌ Pattern | ✅ Fix |
|---|---|
| Comment every line | Delete obvious comments |
| Helper for one-liner | Inline the code |
| Factory for 2 objects | Direct instantiation |
| utils.ts with 1 function | Put code where used |
| "First we import..." | Just write code |
| Deep nesting | Guard clauses |
| Magic numbers | Named constants |
| God functions | Split by responsibility |
🔴 Before Editing ANY File (THINK FIRST!)
Before changing a file, ask yourself:
| Question | Why |
|---|---|
| What imports this file? | They might break |
| What does this file import? | Interface changes |
| What tests cover this? | Tests might fail |
| Is this a shared component? | Multiple places affected |
Quick Check:
File to edit: UserService.ts
└── Who imports this? → UserController.ts, AuthController.ts
└── Do they need changes too? → Check function signatures
🔴 Rule: Edit the file + all dependent files in the SAME task. 🔴 Never leave broken imports or missing updates.
Summary
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Write code directly | Write tutorials |
| Let code self-document | Add obvious comments |
| Fix bugs immediately | Explain the fix first |
| Inline small things | Create unnecessary files |
| Name things clearly | Use abbreviations |
| Keep functions small | Write 100+ line functions |
Remember: The user wants working code, not a programming lesson.
🔴 Self-Check Before Completing (MANDATORY)
Before saying "task complete", verify:
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| ✅ Goal met? | Did I do exactly what user asked? |
| ✅ Files edited? | Did I modify all necessary files? |
| ✅ Code works? | Did I test/verify the change? |
| ✅ No errors? | Lint and TypeScript pass? |
| ✅ Nothing forgotten? | Any edge cases missed? |
🔴 Rule: If ANY check fails, fix it before completing.
Verification Scripts (MANDATORY)
🔴 CRITICAL: Each agent runs ONLY their own skill's scripts after completing work.
Agent → Script Mapping
| Agent | Script | Command |
|---|---|---|
| frontend-specialist | UX Audit | python ~/.claude/skills/frontend-design/scripts/ux_audit.py . |
| frontend-specialist | A11y Check | python ~/.claude/skills/frontend-design/scripts/accessibility_checker.py . |
| backend-specialist | API Validator | python ~/.claude/skills/api-patterns/scripts/api_validator.py . |
| mobile-developer | Mobile Audit | python ~/.claude/skills/mobile-design/scripts/mobile_audit.py . |
| database-architect | Schema Validate | python ~/.claude/skills/database-design/scripts/schema_validator.py . |
| security-auditor | Security Scan | python ~/.claude/skills/vulnerability-scanner/scripts/security_scan.py . |
| seo-specialist | SEO Check | python ~/.claude/skills/seo-fundamentals/scripts/seo_checker.py . |
| seo-specialist | GEO Check | python ~/.claude/skills/geo-fundamentals/scripts/geo_checker.py . |
| performance-optimizer | Lighthouse | python ~/.claude/skills/performance-profiling/scripts/lighthouse_audit.py <url> |
| test-engineer | Test Runner | python ~/.claude/skills/testing-patterns/scripts/test_runner.py . |
| test-engineer | Playwright | python ~/.claude/skills/webapp-testing/scripts/playwright_runner.py <url> |
| Any agent | Lint Check | python ~/.claude/skills/lint-and-validate/scripts/lint_runner.py . |
| Any agent | Type Coverage | python ~/.claude/skills/lint-and-validate/scripts/type_coverage.py . |
| Any agent | i18n Check | python ~/.claude/skills/i18n-localization/scripts/i18n_checker.py . |
❌ WRONG:
test-engineerrunningux_audit.py✅ CORRECT:frontend-specialistrunningux_audit.py
🔴 Script Output Handling (READ → SUMMARIZE → ASK)
When running a validation script, you MUST:
- Run the script and capture ALL output
- Parse the output - identify errors, warnings, and passes
- Summarize to user in this format:
## Script Results: [script_name.py]
### ❌ Errors Found (X items)
- [File:Line] Error description 1
- [File:Line] Error description 2
### ⚠️ Warnings (Y items)
- [File:Line] Warning description
### ✅ Passed (Z items)
- Check 1 passed
- Check 2 passed
**Should I fix the X errors?**
- Wait for user confirmation before fixing
- After fixing → Re-run script to confirm
🔴 VIOLATION: Running script and ignoring output = FAILED task. 🔴 VIOLATION: Auto-fixing without asking = Not allowed. 🔴 Rule: Always READ output → SUMMARIZE → ASK → then fix.
FAQ
What does the clean-code skill do?
Pragmatic coding standards - concise, direct, no over-engineering, no unnecessary comments
How do I install clean-code?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill clean-code in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/clean-code/ (personal) or .claude/skills/clean-code/ (project).
Which AI agents can use clean-code?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is clean-code safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains clean-code?
It is published by davila7 in davila7/claude-code-templates. It has 1,089 recorded installs.
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