---

name: engineering-principles description: Core repo preferences: simplicity-first, DRY, and avoid compatibility shims unless explicitly requested.

Engineering Principles

Simplicity-first

• Prefer the simplest correct solution.
• Avoid unnecessary abstraction, premature reusability, or “transitional layers” that keep legacy behavior alive.

No transitional compatibility by default

• Do not preserve backward compatibility by default.
• When migrating (legacy config/state/props → new approach), prefer a single source of truth:
  • Update call-sites in the same change.
  • Remove the old path instead of maintaining adapters.
• Do not add implicit fallbacks ("try old behavior if new behavior fails") or silent defaulting.
  • If a fallback might be needed for rollout safety, ask first and only implement it after explicit confirmation.
• If backward compatibility is required, ask first and keep it time-boxed with a removal plan.

Keep it DRY (but readable)

• Remove duplication when it improves maintainability.
• Prefer small focused helpers/composables over copy/paste.
• Don’t over-abstract UI: readability and local clarity matter.

Backend-first caching

• If caching is needed but not explicitly specified, prefer caching in the backend/API layer.
• Only implement UI-side caching (Pinia/localStorage/in-memory) when the requirement explicitly calls for it (e.g., offline UX, instant back/forward, client-only data).