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AI/CLAUDE.md
2026-04-03 00:56:48 -07:00

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Derek's AI Preferences

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


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 for full detail.


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)

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 23 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

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

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

Detailed References