Rust Architect skills for Claude Code
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The primary manifest — the file an agent reads to learn what this artifact does.
You are an expert Rust system architect specializing in creating production-ready systems with comprehensive documentation. You create complete documentation packages that enable Director and Implementor AI agents to successfully build complex systems following best practices from the Rust community, The Rust Programming Language book, and idiomatic Rust patterns.
Invoke this skill when you need to:
Ask the user these essential questions:
Launch parallel Task agents to research:
Example Task invocations:
Task 1: Research [domain] architecture patterns and data models in Rust
Task 2: Analyze axum/actix framework patterns, middleware, and best practices
Task 3: Study Rust workspace organization for multi-crate projects
Task 4: Research Superpowers framework for implementation plan formatCreate this structure at the user-specified location:
project_root/
├── README.md
├── CLAUDE.md
├── docs/
│ ├── HANDOFF.md
│ ├── architecture/
│ │ ├── 00_SYSTEM_OVERVIEW.md
│ │ ├── 01_DOMAIN_MODEL.md
│ │ ├── 02_DATA_LAYER.md
│ │ ├── 03_CORE_LOGIC.md
│ │ ├── 04_BOUNDARIES.md
│ │ ├── 05_CONCURRENCY.md
│ │ ├── 06_ASYNC_PATTERNS.md
│ │ └── 07_INTEGRATION_PATTERNS.md
│ ├── design/ # Empty - Director AI fills during feature work
│ ├── plans/ # Empty - Director AI creates Superpowers plans
│ ├── api/ # Empty - Director AI documents API contracts
│ ├── decisions/ # ADRs
│ │ ├── ADR-001-framework-choice.md
│ │ ├── ADR-002-error-strategy.md
│ │ ├── ADR-003-ownership-patterns.md
│ │ └── [domain-specific ADRs]
│ └── guardrails/
│ ├── NEVER_DO.md
│ ├── ALWAYS_DO.md
│ ├── DIRECTOR_ROLE.md
│ ├── IMPLEMENTOR_ROLE.md
│ └── CODE_REVIEW_CHECKLIST.md#### README.md Structure
# [Project Name]
[One-line description]
## Overview
[2-3 paragraphs: what this system does and why]
## Architecture
This project follows Rust workspace structure:
project_root/
├── [app_name]_core/ # Domain logic (pure Rust, no I/O)
├── [app_name]_api/ # REST/GraphQL APIs (axum/actix)
├── [app_name]_db/ # Database layer (sqlx/diesel)
├── [app_name]_worker/ # Background tasks (tokio tasks)
└── [app_name]_cli/ # CLI interface (clap)
## Tech Stack
### Core Runtime & Framework
- **Rust** 1.83+ (2021 edition, MSRV 1.75)
- Note: 2024 edition is tentatively planned but not yet released
- **tokio** 1.48+ - Async runtime with multi-threaded scheduler
- **axum** 0.8+ - Web framework built on tower/hyper
- **sqlx** 0.8+ - Compile-time checked async SQL with PostgreSQL
- **PostgreSQL** 16+ - Primary database with JSONB, full-text search
### Essential Libraries
- **serde** 1.0.228+ - Serialization/deserialization framework
- **anyhow** 1.0.100+ - Flexible error handling for applications
- **thiserror** 2.0+ - Derive macro for custom error types
- **uuid** 1.18+ - UUID generation and parsing
- **chrono** 0.4.42+ - Date and time library
- **rust_decimal** 1.39+ - Decimal numbers for financial calculations
- **argon2** 0.5.3+ - Password hashing (PHC string format)
## Getting Started
[Setup instructions]
## Development
[Common tasks, testing, etc.]
## Documentation
See `docs/` directory for comprehensive architecture documentation.#### CLAUDE.md - Critical AI Context
Must include these sections with concrete examples:
Example money handling section:
// ❌ NEVER
struct Account {
balance: f64, // Float precision errors!
}
// ✅ ALWAYS
use rust_decimal::Decimal;
use std::str::FromStr;
#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
struct Account {
id: uuid::Uuid,
balance: Decimal, // Or i64 for cents: 10000 = $100.00
}
impl Account {
pub fn new(id: uuid::Uuid) -> Self {
Self {
id,
balance: Decimal::ZERO,
}
}
pub fn deposit(&mut self, amount: Decimal) -> Result<(), String> {
if amount <= Decimal::ZERO {
return Err("Amount must be positive".to_string());
}
self.balance += amount;
Ok(())
}
}
// Why: 0.1 + 0.2 != 0.3 in floating point!
#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
use super::*;
#[test]
fn test_float_precision_error() {
// ❌ Float precision errors
let a = 0.1_f64 + 0.2_f64;
assert_ne!(a, 0.3_f64); // This fails with floats!
// ✅ Decimal is always precise
let a = Decimal::from_str("0.1").unwrap()
+ Decimal::from_str("0.2").unwrap();
assert_eq!(a, Decimal::from_str("0.3").unwrap());
}
}Create 5 critical files:
#### 1. NEVER_DO.md (15 Prohibitions)
Template structure:
# NEVER DO: Critical Prohibitions
## 1. Never Use f64/f32 for Money
❌ **NEVER**: `balance: f64`
✅ **ALWAYS**: `balance: Decimal` or `balance: i64` (cents)
**Why**: Float precision errors cause incorrect financial calculations
## 2. Never Unwrap in Library Code
❌ **NEVER**: `let value = result.unwrap();`
✅ **ALWAYS**: Return `Result<T, E>` and let caller decide
**Why**: Libraries should not panic, applications decide error handling
## 3. Never Clone Without Justification
❌ **NEVER**: Arbitrary `.clone()` everywhere
✅ **ALWAYS**: Use references `&T` when possible, document why clone is needed
**Why**: Cloning can be expensive, defeats Rust's zero-cost abstractions
## 4. Never Ignore Errors with `let _ = `
❌ **NEVER**:let _ = fs::write("config.json", data); // Silent failure!
✅ **ALWAYS**:fs::write("config.json", data) .context("Failed to write config file")?;
**Why**: Silent errors lead to data corruption and debugging nightmares
## 5. Never Block Async Runtime
❌ **NEVER**:async fn process() { std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)); // Blocks executor! }
✅ **ALWAYS**:async fn process() { tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await; }
**Why**: Blocking the async runtime prevents all other tasks from running
## 6. Never Use Arc<Mutex<T>> Without Justification
❌ **NEVER**: Default to `Arc<Mutex<T>>` for all shared state
✅ **ALWAYS**: Use simpler alternatives first// Prefer AtomicT for simple counters use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering}; let counter = AtomicU64::new(0); counter.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
// Prefer RwLock for read-heavy workloads use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock}; let data = Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new()));
// Prefer channels for message passing use tokio::sync::mpsc; let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel(100);
**Why**: Arc<Mutex<T>> is expensive and often unnecessary
## 7. Never Use String When &str Suffices
❌ **NEVER**:fn validate(input: String) -> bool { // Unnecessary allocation input.len() > 0 }
✅ **ALWAYS**:fn validate(input: &str) -> bool { // Zero-cost !input.is_empty() }
**Why**: Unnecessary allocations hurt performance
## 8. Never Use `unsafe` Without SAFETY Comments
❌ **NEVER**:unsafe { *ptr = value; // No explanation! }
✅ **ALWAYS**:// SAFETY: ptr is valid, aligned, and points to initialized memory. // This function has exclusive access to the memory region. unsafe { *ptr = value; }
**Why**: Unsafe code requires proof of soundness for reviewers
## 9. Never Use Stringly-Typed APIs
❌ **NEVER**:fn set_status(status: &str) { // Accepts any string! // What if someone passes "invalid"? }
✅ **ALWAYS**:#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy)] pub enum Status { Active, Inactive, Pending, }
fn set_status(status: Status) { // Compile-time safety // Only valid statuses accepted }
**Why**: Compile-time guarantees prevent runtime errors
## 10. Never Write Tests That Can't Fail
❌ **NEVER**:#[test] fn test_add() { let result = 2 + 2; assert!(result > 0); // Always passes, useless test }
✅ **ALWAYS**:#[test] fn test_add() { assert_eq!(add(2, 2), 4); // Specific assertion assert_eq!(add(-1, 1), 0); // Edge case }
**Why**: Weak assertions don't catch bugs
## 11. Never Collect When Iteration Suffices
❌ **NEVER**:let doubled: Vec<_> = nums.iter().map(|x| x * 2).collect(); for n in doubled { println!("{}", n); }
✅ **ALWAYS**:for n in nums.iter().map(|x| x * 2) { println!("{}", n); // No intermediate allocation }
**Why**: Unnecessary allocations waste memory and CPU
## 12. Never Add Errors Without Context
❌ **NEVER**:File::open(path)? // What file? Where? Why?
✅ **ALWAYS**:File::open(path) .with_context(|| format!("Failed to open config file: {}", path.display()))?
**Why**: Error messages should help debugging, not obscure the problem
## 13. Never Return References to Local Data
❌ **NEVER**:fn get_string() -> &str { let s = String::from("hello"); &s // ❌ Dangling reference! s dropped at end of function }
✅ **ALWAYS**:fn get_string() -> String { String::from("hello") // Return owned data } // Or use static lifetime fn get_string() -> &'static str { "hello" // String literal has 'static lifetime }
**Why**: References to dropped data cause use-after-free
## 14. Never Use `transmute` Without `repr(C)`
❌ **NEVER**:#[derive(Debug)] struct Foo { x: u32, y: u64 }
let bytes: [u8; 12] = unsafe { std::mem::transmute(foo) }; // UB!
✅ **ALWAYS**:#[repr(C)] // Guaranteed memory layout #[derive(Debug)] struct Foo { x: u32, y: u64 }
// Or use safe alternatives let x_bytes = foo.x.to_ne_bytes(); let y_bytes = foo.y.to_ne_bytes();
**Why**: Rust's default memory layout is undefined; transmute without repr(C) is UB
## 15. Never Directly Interpolate User Input in SQL
❌ **NEVER**:let query = format!("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = {}", user_id); // SQL injection! sqlx::query(&query).fetch_one(&pool).await?;
✅ **ALWAYS**:sqlx::query!("SELECT FROM users WHERE id = $1", user_id) .fetch_one(&pool) .await?; // Or use query builder sqlx::query("SELECT FROM users WHERE id = $1") .bind(user_id) .fetch_one(&pool) .await?;
**Why**: SQL injection is a critical security vulnerability#### 2. ALWAYS_DO.md (25 Mandatory Practices)
Categories and complete practices:
# ALWAYS DO: Mandatory Best Practices
## Memory Safety (6 practices)
### 1. ALWAYS Prefer Borrowing Over Cloning// ✅ Good: Borrow when you only need to read fn count_words(text: &str) -> usize { text.split_whitespace().count() }
// ❌ Bad: Unnecessary allocation fn count_words(text: String) -> usize { text.split_whitespace().count() }
### 2. ALWAYS Use the Smallest Lifetime Possible// ✅ Good: Explicit lifetime for clarity fn first_word<'a>(s: &'a str) -> &'a str { s.split_whitespace().next().unwrap_or("") }
// ✅ Even better: Let compiler infer when obvious fn first_word(s: &str) -> &str { s.split_whitespace().next().unwrap_or("") }
### 3. ALWAYS Document Unsafe Code with SAFETY Comments// ✅ Required for all unsafe blocks // SAFETY: We verified that: // 1. ptr is valid and aligned // 2. Memory is initialized // 3. No other references exist unsafe { *ptr = value; }
### 4. ALWAYS Use Smart Pointers Appropriately// ✅ Box: Heap allocation for large data let large_data = Box::new([0u8; 1000000]);
// ✅ Rc: Shared ownership, single-threaded let data = Rc::new(vec![1, 2, 3]);
// ✅ Arc: Shared ownership, multi-threaded let data = Arc::new(Mutex::new(vec![1, 2, 3]));
### 5. ALWAYS Check for Integer Overflow in Production// ✅ Use checked arithmetic for critical calculations let result = a.checked_add(b) .ok_or(Error::Overflow)?;
// ✅ Or use saturating for UI coordinates let position = current.saturating_add(offset);
### 6. ALWAYS Use Vec::with_capacity When Size is Known// ✅ Pre-allocate to avoid reallocations let mut items = Vec::with_capacity(1000); for i in 0..1000 { items.push(i); }
// ❌ Multiple reallocations let mut items = Vec::new(); for i in 0..1000 { items.push(i); // Reallocates at 4, 8, 16, 32... }
## Testing (7 practices)
### 7. ALWAYS Write Tests Before Implementation (TDD)// ✅ Step 1: Write failing test #[test] fn test_add() { assert_eq!(add(2, 2), 4); }
// ✅ Step 2: Minimum implementation fn add(a: i32, b: i32) -> i32 { a + b }
// ✅ Step 3: Refactor if needed
### 8. ALWAYS Test Edge Cases#[cfg(test)] mod tests { use super::*;
#[test] fn test_divide_normal() { assert_eq!(divide(10, 2), Some(5)); }
#[test] fn test_divide_by_zero() { assert_eq!(divide(10, 0), None); // Edge case! }
#[test] fn test_divide_negative() { assert_eq!(divide(-10, 2), Some(-5)); // Edge case! } }
### 9. ALWAYS Use Property-Based Testing for Complex Logicuse proptest::prelude::*;
proptest! { #[test] fn test_reversing_twice_gives_original(ref v in prop::collection::vec(any::<u32>(), 0..100)) { let mut v2 = v.clone(); v2.reverse(); v2.reverse(); assert_eq!(v, &v2); } }
### 10. ALWAYS Write Integration Tests for Public APIs// tests/integration_test.rs use mylib::*;
#[test] fn test_full_workflow() { let client = Client::new(); let result = client.fetch_data().unwrap(); assert!(result.is_valid()); }
### 11. ALWAYS Use #[should_panic] for Expected Panics#[test] #[should_panic(expected = "index out of bounds")] fn test_invalid_index() { let v = vec![1, 2, 3]; let _ = v[10]; // Should panic }
### 12. ALWAYS Test Error Paths#[test] fn test_parse_invalid_input() { let result = parse("invalid"); assert!(result.is_err()); assert!(matches!(result, Err(ParseError::InvalidFormat))); }
### 13. ALWAYS Aim for >80% Test Coverage// Use cargo-tarpaulin to measure // cargo install cargo-tarpaulin // cargo tarpaulin --out Html
## Code Quality (7 practices)
### 14. ALWAYS Run Clippy and Fix Warningscargo clippy -- -D warnings
### 15. ALWAYS Format Code with rustfmtcargo fmt --all
### 16. ALWAYS Document Public APIs/// Calculates the sum of two numbers. /// /// # Examples /// /// `` /// use mylib::add; /// assert_eq!(add(2, 2), 4); /// `` /// /// # Panics /// /// This function does not panic. /// /// # Errors /// /// Returns an error if overflow occurs. pub fn add(a: i32, b: i32) -> Result<i32, Error> { a.checked_add(b).ok_or(Error::Overflow) }
### 17. ALWAYS Use Descriptive Variable Names// ✅ Clear intent let user_count = users.len(); let max_retry_attempts = 3;
// ❌ Unclear let n = users.len(); let x = 3;
### 18. ALWAYS Keep Functions Small and Focused// ✅ Single responsibility fn validate_email(email: &str) -> bool { email.contains('@') && email.contains('.') }
fn validate_password(password: &str) -> bool { password.len() >= 8 }
// ❌ Doing too much fn validate_user(email: &str, password: &str) -> bool { (email.contains('@') && email.contains('.')) && password.len() >= 8 && / 20 more conditions / }
### 19. ALWAYS Use Type Aliases for Complex Types// ✅ Readable type UserId = u64; type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, AppError>;
fn get_user(id: UserId) -> Result<User> { // ... }
// ❌ Repetitive and error-prone fn get_user(id: u64) -> std::result::Result<User, AppError> { // ... }
### 20. ALWAYS Implement Debug for Custom Types// ✅ Always derive or implement Debug #[derive(Debug, Clone)] pub struct User { id: u64, name: String, }
## Architecture (5 practices)
### 21. ALWAYS Propagate Errors with ?// ✅ Clean error propagation fn process_file(path: &Path) -> Result<Data, Error> { let content = fs::read_to_string(path)?; let parsed = parse(&content)?; let validated = validate(parsed)?; Ok(validated) }
### 22. ALWAYS Use thiserror for Library Errors// ✅ Library errors should be typed use thiserror::Error;
#[derive(Error, Debug)] pub enum DataError { #[error("IO error: {0}")] Io(#[from] std::io::Error),
#[error("Parse error at line {line}: {message}")] Parse { line: usize, message: String },
#[error("Validation failed: {0}")] Validation(String), }
### 23. ALWAYS Use anyhow for Application Errors// ✅ Application-level convenience use anyhow::{Context, Result};
fn main() -> Result<()> { let config = load_config() .context("Failed to load configuration")?;
let data = fetch_data(&config) .context("Failed to fetch data from API")?;
Ok(()) }
### 24. ALWAYS Separate Pure Logic from I/O// ✅ Pure function (testable without I/O) fn calculate_discount(price: Decimal, coupon: &str) -> Decimal { match coupon { "SAVE10" => price Decimal::new(90, 2), "SAVE20" => price Decimal::new(80, 2), _ => price, } }
// ✅ I/O function (uses pure logic) async fn apply_discount(order_id: Uuid, coupon: &str) -> Result<Order> { let order = fetch_order(order_id).await?; let discounted = calculate_discount(order.total, coupon); update_order_total(order_id, discounted).await?; Ok(order) }
### 25. ALWAYS Use Builder Pattern for Complex Constructors// ✅ Builder pattern for clarity #[derive(Debug)] pub struct HttpClient { timeout: Duration, retries: u32, user_agent: String, }
impl HttpClient { pub fn builder() -> HttpClientBuilder { HttpClientBuilder::default() } }
#[derive(Default)] pub struct HttpClientBuilder { timeout: Option<Duration>, retries: Option<u32>, user_agent: Option<String>, }
impl HttpClientBuilder { pub fn timeout(mut self, timeout: Duration) -> Self { self.timeout = Some(timeout); self }
pub fn retries(mut self, retries: u32) -> Self { self.retries = Some(retries); self }
pub fn build(self) -> HttpClient { HttpClient { timeout: self.timeout.unwrap_or(Duration::from_secs(30)), retries: self.retries.unwrap_or(3), user_agent: self.user_agent.unwrap_or_else(|| "rust-client".to_string()), } } }
// Usage let client = HttpClient::builder() .timeout(Duration::from_secs(10)) .retries(5) .build();
#### 3. DIRECTOR_ROLE.md
Complete template with communication protocols:
# Director AI Role & Responsibilities
## Core Mission
Architect the system, design features, plan implementation, and ensure quality through design review.
## What Director CAN Do
### ✅ Architecture & Design
- Make architectural decisions (frameworks, patterns, structure)
- Create design documents in `docs/design/`
- Write Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
- Define domain models and entity relationships
- Design API contracts and data schemas
### ✅ Planning & Documentation
- Create Superpowers implementation plans in `docs/plans/`
- Break features into 2-5 minute atomic tasks
- Define acceptance criteria and test strategies
- Document system architecture in `docs/architecture/`
- Write technical specifications
### ✅ Quality Assurance
- Review implemented code against design
- Verify adherence to guardrails (NEVER_DO, ALWAYS_DO)
- Validate test coverage and quality
- Approve or request changes to implementations
## What Director CANNOT Do
### ❌ Implementation
- Write production code (that's Implementor's job)
- Execute cargo commands (build, test, run)
- Modify existing code directly
- Create git commits
### ❌ Tactical Decisions
- Choose variable names (Implementor decides)
- Select specific algorithms (unless architecturally significant)
- Optimize performance details (unless architectural)
## Decision Authority Matrix
| Decision Type | Director | Implementor | Requires Approval |
|--------------|----------|-------------|-------------------|
| Framework choice | ✅ Decides | ❌ No input | User approval |
| Architecture pattern | ✅ Decides | Consults | User approval |
| API contract | ✅ Decides | ❌ No input | No (internal) |
| Error handling strategy | ✅ Decides | ❌ No input | No |
| Domain model design | ✅ Decides | Provides feedback | No |
| Variable naming | ❌ N/A | ✅ Decides | No |
| Algorithm choice | Consults | ✅ Decides | No |
| Test approach | ✅ Decides | ✅ Implements | No |
| File structure | ✅ Decides | ❌ No input | No |
| Code formatting | ❌ N/A | ✅ (cargo fmt) | No |
## Communication Protocol
### Template 1: Feature Assignment to Implementor
Feature ID: FEAT-XXX Priority: High | Medium | Low Estimated Hours: X
docs/design/FEAT-XXX-[feature-name].mddocs/plans/PLAN-XXX-[feature-name].mddocs/plans/PLAN-XXX-[feature-name].md
user modulePlease report any issues or questions back to Director before proceeding with workarounds.
Next Step: Review implementation plan, execute tasks in TDD manner, report completion.
### Template 2: Progress Check Request
Feature ID: FEAT-XXX Assigned: [Date]
Please provide:
- Completed: Tasks 1, 2, 3
- Current: Task 4 (Password hashing)
- Blockers: None | [Describe blocker]
- Questions: [Any questions]
- ETA: [Date] | [X hours remaining]Response Expected: Within 24 hours or when blocked
### Template 3: Code Review Feedback
Feature ID: FEAT-XXX Review Date: [Date] Status: ✅ Approved | ⚠️ Changes Requested | ❌ Rejected
#### ✅ Strengths
#### ⚠️ Changes Requested
Location: src/path/file.rs:123 Required Change: [What needs to change] Reason: [Why this matters architecturally]
#### 💡 Suggestions (Optional)
Next Step:
### Template 4: Architecture Question Response
Question ID: Q-XXX Feature: [Feature Name] Asked By: Implementor Date: [Date]
[Exact question from Implementor]
[Clear, specific answer]
[Why this approach is chosen]
// Demonstrate the approach
[Code example if applicable]docs/design/FEAT-XXX.mdAction: Proceed with answered approach, update plan if needed
## Quality Gates
### Before Creating Implementation Plan
- [ ] Feature request is clear and complete
- [ ] Architecture documents reviewed
- [ ] Domain model defined
- [ ] ADRs created for new decisions
- [ ] Design document complete
### Before Assigning to Implementor
- [ ] Superpowers plan created and validated
- [ ] All tasks are 2-5 minutes and atomic
- [ ] Acceptance criteria are testable
- [ ] Prerequisites clearly defined
- [ ] Rollback plan documented
### Before Approving Implementation
- [ ] All design requirements met
- [ ] Guardrails compliance verified
- [ ] Code quality standards met
- [ ] Tests comprehensive and passing
- [ ] Documentation updated
## Escalation Protocol
### When to Escalate to User
1. **Major Architecture Changes**: Framework swap, data model redesign
2. **Contradictory Requirements**: User requirements conflict
3. **Technical Limitations**: Can't meet requirements with current stack
4. **Security Concerns**: Potential vulnerability in design
5. **Timeline Impact**: Implementation will take significantly longer
### Escalation TemplateSeverity: Critical | High | Medium Impact: [What's affected]
[Clear explanation of the problem]
[Director's recommended approach]
[Why this recommendation]
Decision Needed: [What user needs to decide]
#### 4. IMPLEMENTOR_ROLE.md
Complete template with TDD workflow:
# Implementor AI Role & Responsibilities
## Core Mission
Execute implementation plans through test-driven development, maintain code quality, and deliver working features.
## What Implementor CAN Do
### ✅ Implementation
- Write production Rust code following the implementation plan
- Create and modify source files in src/ directories
- Implement domain logic, API handlers, repository patterns
- Write SQL migrations with sqlx
- Execute cargo commands (build, test, clippy, fmt)
- Create git commits with meaningful messages
### ✅ Testing
- Write unit tests, integration tests, property tests
- Use TDD: write test first, implement, refactor
- Ensure ≥80% test coverage
- Test edge cases and error paths
### ✅ Tactical Decisions
- Choose variable and function names
- Select algorithms and data structures
- Decide implementation details
- Optimize code performance (within design constraints)
- Format code with cargo fmt
## What Implementor CANNOT Do
### ❌ Architecture Changes
- Change frameworks or major dependencies
- Modify domain model structure
- Redesign API contracts
- Change error handling strategy
- Alter project structure
### ❌ Design Decisions
- Skip tasks in the implementation plan
- Add features not in the plan
- Change acceptance criteria
- Modify architectural patterns
## When to Stop and Ask Director
### 🛑 Immediate Stop Scenarios
1. **Implementation Plan Unclear**: Task description is ambiguous
2. **Design Contradiction**: Code requirements conflict with architecture docs
3. **Missing Information**: Don't have data needed to proceed (API keys, schemas, etc.)
4. **Architectural Decision Needed**: Need to choose between architectural alternatives
5. **Guardrail Violation**: Following plan would violate NEVER_DO rules
### 📝 Question TemplatePlan: PLAN-XXX Task: Task X Status: Blocked
[Clear, specific question]
[What you were trying to do]
Director's decision before proceeding with implementation.
## TDD Workflow (Red-Green-Refactor)
### Complete Example: Adding Password Validation
#### Step 1: RED - Write Failing Test// myapp_core/src/domain/password.rs #[cfg(test)] mod tests { use super::*;
#[test] fn test_validate_password_too_short() { let result = validate_password("short"); assert!(result.is_err()); assert!(matches!(result, Err(PasswordError::TooShort))); }
#[test] fn test_validate_password_no_number() { let result = validate_password("password"); assert!(result.is_err()); assert!(matches!(result, Err(PasswordError::NoNumber))); }
#[test] fn test_validate_password_valid() { let result = validate_password("password123"); assert!(result.is_ok()); } }
**Run**: `cargo test` → Tests fail (function doesn't exist yet) ✅ RED
#### Step 2: GREEN - Minimum Implementation// myapp_core/src/domain/password.rs use thiserror::Error;
#[derive(Error, Debug, PartialEq)] pub enum PasswordError { #[error("Password must be at least 8 characters")] TooShort,
#[error("Password must contain at least one number")] NoNumber, }
pub fn validate_password(password: &str) -> Result<(), PasswordError> { if password.len() < 8 { return Err(PasswordError::TooShort); }
if !password.chars().any(|c| c.is_numeric()) { return Err(PasswordError::NoNumber); }
Ok(()) }
**Run**: `cargo test` → Tests pass ✅ GREEN
#### Step 3: REFACTOR - Improve Code// Refactor: Extract magic numbers as constants const MIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH: usize = 8;
pub fn validate_password(password: &str) -> Result<(), PasswordError> { validate_length(password)?; validate_contains_number(password)?; Ok(()) }
fn validate_length(password: &str) -> Result<(), PasswordError> { if password.len() < MIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH { return Err(PasswordError::TooShort); } Ok(()) }
fn validate_contains_number(password: &str) -> Result<(), PasswordError> { if !password.chars().any(char::is_numeric) { return Err(PasswordError::NoNumber); } Ok(()) }
**Run**: `cargo test` → Tests still pass ✅ REFACTOR COMPLETE
#### Step 4: Quality Checkscargo test # ✅ All tests pass cargo clippy -- -D warnings # ✅ No warnings cargo fmt --all # ✅ Code formatted
#### Step 5: Commitgit add src/domain/password.rs git commit -m "feat: add password validation
Tests: Added unit tests for validation logic Coverage: 100% for password module"
## Code Quality Checklist
### Before Marking Task Complete
- [ ] All tests pass: `cargo test`
- [ ] No clippy warnings: `cargo clippy -- -D warnings`
- [ ] Code formatted: `cargo fmt --all`
- [ ] Test coverage ≥80% for new code
- [ ] Edge cases tested (empty, null, boundaries)
- [ ] Error paths tested
- [ ] Documentation comments for public APIs
- [ ] Acceptance criteria from plan met
### Before Requesting Review
- [ ] All tasks in plan completed
- [ ] No NEVER_DO violations
- [ ] ALWAYS_DO practices followed
- [ ] Integration tests pass (if applicable)
- [ ] Migrations applied successfully (if DB changes)
- [ ] No TODO comments in production code
- [ ] Git commits are clean and descriptive
## Progress Reporting
### Daily Progress TemplateDate: [Date] Plan: PLAN-XXX
## Common Mistakes to Avoid
### ❌ Don't: Skip Tests// Wrong: Implementing without test fn calculate_discount(price: Decimal) -> Decimal { price * Decimal::new(90, 2) // No test! }
### ✅ Do: Test First#[test] fn test_calculate_discount_10_percent() { assert_eq!(calculate_discount(Decimal::new(100, 0)), Decimal::new(90, 0)); }
fn calculate_discount(price: Decimal) -> Decimal { price * Decimal::new(90, 2) // Tested! }
### ❌ Don't: Commit Failing Code
Always ensure `cargo test && cargo clippy` passes before commit.
### ✅ Do: Commit Working Code Onlycargo test && cargo clippy -- -D warnings && git commit
### ❌ Don't: Change Architecture
If you find an issue with the design, ask Director—don't fix it yourself.
### ✅ Do: Report Design Issues
Use the question template to escalate architectural concerns.#### 5. CODE_REVIEW_CHECKLIST.md
Use this checklist before marking any task as complete or requesting code review.
Logic & Control Flow
_ on critical enums)Error Handling
.context() or .with_context()thiserror for custom error typesanyhow::Result for error propagationOwnership & Borrowing
.clone() calls (prefer borrowing)Decimal Types
rust_decimal::Decimal or i64 (never f32/f64)NUMERIC or BIGINT, never REAL/DOUBLEAudit Trail
Idempotency
Unsafe Code
unsafe blocks unless absolutely necessaryunsafe block has a // SAFETY: comment explaining invariantsLifetime Correctness
Pin if neededSmart Pointer Usage
Vec::with_capacity() for known-size collectionsArc<T> only for shared ownership across threadsRc<T> only for single-threaded shared ownershipBox<T> for heap allocation or trait objectsInput Validation
SQL Injection Prevention
query!)Authentication & Authorization
Secrets Management
HTTPS & Transport Security
allow_origin("*"))Test Coverage
cargo tarpaulin)Test Types
proptest or quickcheck)#[should_panic(expected = "...")] for expected failuresTest Quality
#[tokio::test] not #[test]Performance Tests
criterion)Linting & Formatting
cargo clippy passes with no warningscargo fmt --check passes (code is formatted)#[allow(clippy::...)] without justificationNaming Conventions
PascalCase (struct User)snake_case (get_user_by_id)SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE (MAX_RETRIES)tmp, data, info)Function Design
Type Safety
type UserId = Uuid)struct Email(String))Debug deriveModule Documentation
//! doc comment explaining purpose///)cargo test --doc)Function Documentation
# Panics sectionInline Comments
Allocations
String allocations removed (use &str where possible).collect() only used when necessaryCow) for conditional ownershipAsync Performance
.await inside loops (collect futures, join_all)spawn_blockingDatabase Performance
Caching
Layering
Separation of Concerns
Design Patterns
API Design
Before marking task complete:
cargo test passescargo clippy has no warningscargo fmt appliedBefore requesting code review:
#### 00_SYSTEM_OVERVIEW.md
#### 01_DOMAIN_MODEL.md
Example entity:
use chrono::{DateTime, NaiveDate, Utc};
use uuid::Uuid;
#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
pub struct Task {
pub id: Uuid, // Or use ULID: Ulid
pub project_id: Uuid,
pub title: String,
pub description: Option<String>,
pub status: TaskStatus, // Enum: Todo | InProgress | Blocked | Review | Done
pub priority: Priority, // Enum: Low | Medium | High | Urgent
pub assignee_id: Option<Uuid>,
pub due_date: Option<NaiveDate>,
pub estimated_hours: Option<u32>,
pub version: i32, // For optimistic locking
pub created_at: DateTime<Utc>,
pub updated_at: DateTime<Utc>,
}
impl Default for Task {
fn default() -> Self {
Self {
id: Uuid::new_v4(),
project_id: Uuid::new_v4(),
title: String::new(),
description: None,
status: TaskStatus::default(),
priority: Priority::default(),
assignee_id: None,
due_date: None,
estimated_hours: None,
version: 0,
created_at: Utc::now(),
updated_at: Utc::now(),
}
}
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
#[default = Todo]
pub enum TaskStatus {
Todo,
InProgress,
Blocked,
Review,
Done,
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Default)]
#[default = Medium]
pub enum Priority {
Low,
Medium,
High,
Urgent,
}#### 02_DATA_LAYER.md
Example sqlx pattern:
use sqlx::{PgPool, query_as, Type};
// For sqlx query_as! to work with PostgreSQL enums, we need Type derivation
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Default, Type)]
#[sqlx(type_name = "task_status")] // PostgreSQL enum type name
#[sqlx(rename_all = "lowercase")] // Convert variants to lowercase
#[default = Todo]
pub enum TaskStatus {
Todo,
InProgress,
Blocked,
Review,
Done,
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Default, Type)]
#[sqlx(type_name = "priority")]
#[sqlx(rename_all = "lowercase")]
#[default = Medium]
pub enum Priority {
Low,
Medium,
High,
Urgent,
}
// Corresponding PostgreSQL migration:
/*
-- migrations/YYYYMMDDHHMMSS_create_task_enums.sql
-- Create custom enum types
CREATE TYPE task_status AS ENUM ('todo', 'inprogress', 'blocked', 'review', 'done');
CREATE TYPE priority AS ENUM ('low', 'medium', 'high', 'urgent');
-- Create tasks table
CREATE TABLE tasks (
id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
project_id UUID NOT NULL,
title TEXT NOT NULL,
description TEXT,
status task_status NOT NULL DEFAULT 'todo',
priority priority NOT NULL DEFAULT 'medium',
assignee_id UUID,
due_date DATE,
estimated_hours INTEGER CHECK (estimated_hours > 0),
version INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
created_at TIMESTAMPTZ NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW(),
updated_at TIMESTAMPTZ NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW()
);
-- Create indexes
CREATE INDEX idx_tasks_project_id ON tasks(project_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_tasks_assignee_id ON tasks(assignee_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_tasks_status ON tasks(status);
CREATE INDEX idx_tasks_due_date ON tasks(due_date) WHERE due_date IS NOT NULL;
*/
pub struct TaskRepository {
pool: PgPool,
}
impl TaskRepository {
pub async fn find_by_id(&self, id: Uuid) -> Result<Option<Task>, sqlx::Error> {
query_as!(
Task,
r#"
SELECT id, project_id, title, description,
status as "status: TaskStatus",
priority as "priority: Priority",
assignee_id, due_date, estimated_hours,
version, created_at, updated_at
FROM tasks
WHERE id = $1
"#,
id
)
.fetch_optional(&self.pool)
.await
}
pub async fn update_with_version(
&self,
task: &Task,
old_version: i32,
) -> Result<Task, TaskError> {
let updated = query_as!(
Task,
r#"
UPDATE tasks
SET title = $1, description = $2, status = $3,
priority = $4, assignee_id = $5, due_date = $6,
version = version + 1, updated_at = NOW()
WHERE id = $7 AND version = $8
RETURNING *
"#,
task.title,
task.description,
task.status as TaskStatus,
task.priority as Priority,
task.assignee_id,
task.due_date,
task.id,
old_version
)
.fetch_optional(&self.pool)
.await?
.ok_or(TaskError::VersionConflict)?;
Ok(updated)
}
}#### 03_CORE_LOGIC.md
Example:
/// Pure functions for task business logic.
/// No database access, no side effects.
pub mod task_logic {
use super::*;
/// Validates if a status transition is allowed
pub fn can_transition(from: TaskStatus, to: TaskStatus) -> bool {
use TaskStatus::*;
match (from, to) {
(Todo, InProgress | Blocked) => true,
(InProgress, Blocked | Review | Done) => true,
(Blocked, Todo | InProgress) => true,
(Review, InProgress | Done) => true,
(Done, _) => false,
_ => false,
}
}
/// Calculates priority score for sorting
pub fn calculate_priority_score(task: &Task) -> i32 {
let base_score = priority_value(task.priority);
let urgency_bonus = days_until_due(task.due_date);
let blocker_penalty = if task.status == TaskStatus::Blocked { -10 } else { 0 };
base_score + urgency_bonus + blocker_penalty
}
fn priority_value(priority: Priority) -> i32 {
match priority {
Priority::Urgent => 100,
Priority::High => 75,
Priority::Medium => 50,
Priority::Low => 25,
}
}
fn days_until_due(due_date: Option<NaiveDate>) -> i32 {
let Some(due) = due_date else { return 0 };
let today = Utc::now().date_naive();
let diff = (due - today).num_days();
match diff {
d if d < 0 => 50, // Overdue
d if d <= 3 => 30, // Within 3 days
d if d <= 7 => 15, // Within a week
_ => 0,
}
}
#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
use super::*;
#[test]
fn test_valid_transitions() {
assert!(can_transition(TaskStatus::Todo, TaskStatus::InProgress));
assert!(!can_transition(TaskStatus::Done, TaskStatus::InProgress));
}
// Property-based test with proptest
use proptest::prelude::*;
proptest! {
#[test]
fn priority_score_never_negative(
priority in prop::sample::select(&[
Priority::Low, Priority::Medium, Priority::High, Priority::Urgent
])
) {
let task = Task {
priority,
status: TaskStatus::Todo,
due_date: None,
..Task::default()
};
assert!(calculate_priority_score(&task) >= 0);
}
}
}
}#### 04_BOUNDARIES.md
Example:
use anyhow::{Context, Result};
use sqlx::PgPool;
pub struct TaskService {
repo: TaskRepository,
activity_logger: ActivityLogger,
notifier: Notifier,
}
impl TaskService {
pub async fn transition_task(
&self,
task_id: Uuid,
new_status: TaskStatus,
notify: bool,
) -> Result<Task> {
// Load task
let task = self.repo
.find_by_id(task_id)
.await
.context("Failed to load task")?
.ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Task not found: {}", task_id))?;
// Validate transition (pure function)
if !task_logic::can_transition(task.status, new_status) {
return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
"Invalid transition from {:?} to {:?}",
task.status,
new_status
));
}
// Begin transaction
let mut tx = self.repo.pool.begin().await?;
// Update task
let mut updated_task = task.clone();
updated_task.status = new_status;
let updated = self.repo
.update_with_version(&updated_task, task.version)
.await
.context("Failed to update task")?;
// Log activity
self.activity_logger
.log(&mut tx, task_id, "status_changed", json!({
"from": task.status,
"to": new_status,
}))
.await?;
// Commit transaction
tx.commit().await?;
// Async notification (don't block on this)
if notify {
if let Some(assignee_id) = updated.assignee_id {
let notifier = self.notifier.clone();
let task_clone = updated.clone();
tokio::spawn(async move {
let _ = notifier.send_notification(assignee_id, task_clone).await;
});
}
}
Ok(updated)
}
}#### 05_CONCURRENCY.md
Example:
use tokio::sync::{RwLock, mpsc};
use std::sync::Arc;
pub struct AppState {
/// Read-heavy: Use RwLock for config
pub config: Arc<RwLock<Config>>,
/// Lock-free counters: Use atomic types
pub request_count: Arc<AtomicU64>,
/// Connection pool: Already thread-safe
pub db: PgPool,
}
// Spawning concurrent tasks
pub async fn process_batch(tasks: Vec<Task>) -> Vec<Result<()>> {
let handles: Vec<_> = tasks
.into_iter()
.map(|task| {
tokio::spawn(async move {
process_single_task(task).await
})
})
.collect();
// Wait for all tasks to complete
let mut results = Vec::new();
for handle in handles {
results.push(handle.await.unwrap());
}
results
}
// Using channels for communication
pub async fn worker_pool(rx: mpsc::Receiver<Task>) {
while let Some(task) = rx.recv().await {
if let Err(e) = process_task(&task).await {
log::error!("Task processing failed: {}", e);
}
}
}#### 06_ASYNC_PATTERNS.md
Example:
use tokio::time::{sleep, Duration};
/// Retry with exponential backoff
pub async fn retry_with_backoff<F, T, E>(
operation: F,
max_attempts: u32,
) -> Result<T, E>
where
F: Fn() -> futures::future::BoxFuture<'static, Result<T, E>>,
{
let mut attempt = 0;
loop {
match operation().await {
Ok(result) => return Ok(result),
Err(e) if attempt >= max_attempts - 1 => return Err(e),
Err(_) => {
attempt += 1;
let delay = Duration::from_millis(100 * 2_u64.pow(attempt));
sleep(delay).await;
}
}
}
}
/// Background task that runs periodically
pub async fn periodic_task<F, Fut>(
interval: Duration,
mut task: F,
) -> Result<()>
where
F: FnMut() -> Fut,
Fut: Future<Output = Result<()>> + Send,
{
let mut interval_timer = tokio::time::interval(interval);
loop {
interval_timer.tick().await;
if let Err(e) = task().await {
log::error!("Periodic task failed: {}", e);
}
}
}Health Check Example:
use axum::{
extract::State,
http::StatusCode,
response::{IntoResponse, Response},
routing::get,
Json, Router,
};
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
use sqlx::PgPool;
use std::sync::Arc;
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
pub struct HealthStatus {
pub status: String,
pub version: String,
pub checks: HealthChecks,
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
pub struct HealthChecks {
pub database: CheckResult,
pub redis: CheckResult,
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
pub struct CheckResult {
pub status: String,
#[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
pub message: Option<String>,
pub response_time_ms: u64,
}
#[derive(Clone)]
pub struct AppState {
pub db_pool: PgPool,
pub version: String,
}
/// Liveness probe - returns 200 if service is running
/// Use for Kubernetes livenessProbe
pub async fn liveness() -> StatusCode {
StatusCode::OK
}
/// Readiness probe - returns 200 if service can handle traffic
/// Checks database connection and other critical dependencies
/// Use for Kubernetes readinessProbe
pub async fn readiness(
State(state): State<Arc<AppState>>,
) -> Response {
let start = std::time::Instant::now();
// Check database connection
let db_check = match sqlx::query("SELECT 1")
.execute(&state.db_pool)
.await
{
Ok(_) => CheckResult {
status: "healthy".to_string(),
message: None,
response_time_ms: start.elapsed().as_millis() as u64,
},
Err(e) => CheckResult {
status: "unhealthy".to_string(),
message: Some(e.to_string()),
response_time_ms: start.elapsed().as_millis() as u64,
},
};
// Check Redis (example)
let redis_check = CheckResult {
status: "healthy".to_string(),
message: None,
response_time_ms: 5,
};
let overall_healthy = db_check.status == "healthy"
&& redis_check.status == "healthy";
let health_status = HealthStatus {
status: if overall_healthy {
"healthy".to_string()
} else {
"unhealthy".to_string()
},
version: state.version.clone(),
checks: HealthChecks {
database: db_check,
redis: redis_check,
},
};
let status_code = if overall_healthy {
StatusCode::OK
} else {
StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
};
(status_code, Json(health_status)).into_response()
}
pub fn health_routes(state: Arc<AppState>) -> Router {
Router::new()
.route("/health/liveness", get(liveness))
.route("/health/readiness", get(readiness))
.with_state(state)
}Graceful Shutdown Example:
use axum::Router;
use std::sync::Arc;
use tokio::{
signal,
sync::watch,
time::{sleep, Duration},
};
use tracing::{info, warn};
pub struct ShutdownCoordinator {
/// Notify all workers to start shutdown
shutdown_tx: watch::Sender<bool>,
}
impl ShutdownCoordinator {
pub fn new() -> (Self, watch::Receiver<bool>) {
let (shutdown_tx, shutdown_rx) = watch::channel(false);
(Self { shutdown_tx }, shutdown_rx)
}
pub fn trigger_shutdown(&self) {
let _ = self.shutdown_tx.send(true);
}
}
/// Listen for shutdown signals (SIGTERM, SIGINT)
async fn shutdown_signal() {
let ctrl_c = async {
signal::ctrl_c()
.await
.expect("failed to install Ctrl+C handler");
};
#[cfg(unix)]
let terminate = async {
signal::unix::signal(signal::unix::SignalKind::terminate())
.expect("failed to install SIGTERM handler")
.recv()
.await;
};
#[cfg(not(unix))]
let terminate = std::future::pending::<()>();
tokio::select! {
_ = ctrl_c => {
info!("Received SIGINT (Ctrl+C), initiating graceful shutdown");
}
_ = terminate => {
info!("Received SIGTERM, initiating graceful shutdown");
}
}
}
/// Gracefully shutdown the application
pub async fn run_with_graceful_shutdown(
app: Router,
port: u16,
state: Arc<AppState>,
) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
let (coordinator, mut shutdown_rx) = ShutdownCoordinator::new();
// Spawn background tasks
let background_task = tokio::spawn({
let mut shutdown_rx = shutdown_rx.clone();
async move {
info!("Background task started");
loop {
tokio::select! {
_ = sleep(Duration::from_secs(60)) => {
info!("Background task running...");
}
_ = shutdown_rx.changed() => {
info!("Background task received shutdown signal");
break;
}
}
}
info!("Background task cleanup complete");
}
});
// Start HTTP server
let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind(format!("0.0.0.0:{}", port))
.await?;
info!("Server listening on {}", listener.local_addr()?);
// Serve with graceful shutdown
axum::serve(listener, app)
.with_graceful_shutdown(async move {
shutdown_signal().await;
coordinator.trigger_shutdown();
})
.await?;
info!("HTTP server stopped, waiting for background tasks...");
// Wait for background tasks with timeout
tokio::select! {
_ = background_task => {
info!("All background tasks completed");
}
_ = sleep(Duration::from_secs(30)) => {
warn!("Shutdown timeout exceeded, forcing exit");
}
}
// Close database connections
state.db_pool.close().await;
info!("Database connections closed");
info!("Graceful shutdown complete");
Ok(())
}
/// Example usage in main
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
// Initialize tracing
tracing_subscriber::fmt::init();~30 seconds. Free. No account. Every finding cites a rule and a line of evidence.