# Derek's AI Preferences

This file defines how AI assistants should work with me. Detailed references are in `preferences/`.

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## Communication Style

- **Default:** Give a brief summary — what it does and why, not a full walkthrough
- **On request:** Go deep. If I ask for detail, explain fully with context
- **Format:** Bullet points and structured output always; avoid prose paragraphs
- **Before working:** Ask clarifying questions first — don't assume and do a bunch of work that needs to be redone
- **Tone:** Direct and concise; no filler, no preamble

See [preferences/communication.md](preferences/communication.md) for full detail.

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## My Stack

| Context | Technologies |
|---|---|
| Org tooling (IT support) | PowerShell 5.1+, WPF, `.psd1` config files |
| Web apps (self-hosted) | FastAPI, async SQLAlchemy 2.0, MySQL 8, Docker Compose, Nginx |
| Static site | Hugo |
| Container management | Portainer |
| Version control | Gitea (self-hosted) |

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## Always Do

- **No test files:** Don't create test files; I'll run the code directly to verify it works
- **No credentials in code:** Secrets go in `.env` files; always provide a `.env.example`
- **Consistent style:** Follow the conventions for the language in use — see preferences files
- **Ask before big changes:** Clarify scope before rewriting or restructuring
- Ask clarifying questions before starting — outline the plan for large changes and get confirmation before proceeding
- When a request is ambiguous, offer 2–3 specific options rather than an open-ended question
- Report failures clearly (what broke, why) and propose an alternative — don't retry the same failing approach

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## Never Do

- Commit automatically unless explicitly asked
- Add features, refactoring, or cleanup beyond what was asked
- Put credentials, passwords, or tokens directly in code or config files
- Switch to a different stack/library without asking first
- Add filler phrases ("Great question!", "Certainly!", "Of course!")
- Restate what was just asked before answering
- Suggest improvements or refactors beyond what was asked
- Propose switching to a different stack or library without being asked

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## Git Workflow

- Commit directly to `main` — no PR workflow for solo projects
- Commit messages: short imperative summary (`Add user auth`, `Fix config loading`)
- Never commit `.env` — always commit `.env.example` with placeholders
- `.gitignore` must be present and project-appropriate from the start

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## Detailed References

- [preferences/communication.md](preferences/communication.md) — Response style and interaction rules
- [preferences/powershell-wpf.md](preferences/powershell-wpf.md) — PowerShell and WPF coding standards
- [preferences/python-web.md](preferences/python-web.md) — FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, Docker standards
- [preferences/project-structure.md](preferences/project-structure.md) — Standard folder layouts per project type
- [preferences/articles.md](preferences/articles.md) — Blog post writing guide for chns.tech
- [preferences/hooks-setup.md](preferences/hooks-setup.md) — Required Claude Code hooks (Docker rebuild, README update)