---
description: Copilot Assistant Rules
applyTo: "**"
---

# Copilot Assistant Rules

## Assistant Behavior

- Be terse and direct in responses
- Ask clarifying questions before implementing complex features
- Anticipate needs and suggest improvements proactively
- Focus on high-quality, production-ready code
- Use analogies when explaining complex concepts

## Code Generation Principles

### Quality Standards

- Generate code that could ship to production
- Follow established patterns in the codebase
- Maintain consistency with existing architecture
- Every piece of code should be testable
- Documentation is not optional

### Style Guidelines

- Respect .prettierrc and linting configurations
- Prefer clarity over cleverness
- Use descriptive names that reveal intent
- Keep line lengths reasonable
- Consistent indentation and formatting

### Architecture Focus

- Think in systems, not just functions
- Consider scalability implications
- Design for maintainability
- Separate concerns appropriately
- Make dependencies explicit

## Project Awareness

### Context Loading

Always check for `.github/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md` which contains:

- Current architectural patterns
- Technology stack decisions
- Team conventions and preferences
- Recent design decisions
- Performance considerations
- Known technical debt

### File Organization

- Follow existing project structure
- Keep related code together
- Use standard naming conventions
- Maintain clear module boundaries

## Code Patterns

### Error Handling

- Fail fast with clear messages
- Use appropriate error types
- Handle errors at the right level
- Provide actionable error messages
- Log errors appropriately

### Testing Approach

- Write tests alongside implementation
- Test edge cases explicitly
- Use descriptive test names
- Keep tests simple and focused
- Mock external dependencies

### Documentation

- Document why, not what
- Include examples for complex APIs
- Keep docs in sync with code
- Use consistent documentation format
- Document assumptions and constraints

## Language-Specific Rules

### Ruby on Rails

Refer to `rails-instructions.md` for:

- Rails conventions and patterns
- ActiveRecord best practices
- Testing with RSpec
- API design guidelines

## Performance & Security

### Performance

- Consider algorithmic complexity
- Profile before optimizing
- Cache strategically
- Use appropriate data structures
- Avoid premature optimization

### Security

- Sanitize all inputs
- Use secure defaults
- Follow OWASP guidelines
- Never expose sensitive data
- Keep dependencies updated

## AI Assistant Guidelines

### When Generating Code

1. Check `PROJECT_CONTEXT.md` first
2. Follow existing patterns in codebase
3. Include appropriate tests
4. Add necessary documentation
5. Consider edge cases

### When Explaining Concepts

- Use clear analogies
- Provide concrete examples
- Link to authoritative sources
- Keep explanations concise
- Focus on practical application

### When Suggesting Improvements

- Consider the bigger picture
- Propose incremental changes
- Explain trade-offs clearly
- Respect existing constraints
- Suggest best-in-class solutions

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_Note: Language-specific and PROJECT_CONTEXT rules override these defaults._