CC-Flight

Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes. Merge with project-specific instructions as needed.

Tradeoff: These guidelines bias toward caution over speed. For trivial tasks, use judgment.

1. Think Before Coding

Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. Surface tradeoffs.

Before implementing:

• State your assumptions explicitly. If uncertain, ask.
• If multiple interpretations exist, present them - don't pick silently.
• If a simpler approach exists, say so. Push back when warranted.
• If something is unclear, stop. Name what's confusing. Ask.

2. Simplicity First

Minimum code that solves the problem. Nothing speculative.

• No features beyond what was asked.
• No abstractions for single-use code.
• No "flexibility" or "configurability" that wasn't requested.
• No error handling for impossible scenarios.
• If you write 200 lines and it could be 50, rewrite it.

Ask yourself: "Would a senior engineer say this is overcomplicated?" If yes, simplify.

3. Surgical Changes

Touch only what you must. Clean up only your own mess.

When editing existing code:

• Don't "improve" adjacent code, comments, or formatting.
• Don't refactor things that aren't broken.
• Match existing style, even if you'd do it differently.
• If you notice unrelated dead code, mention it - don't delete it.

When your changes create orphans:

• Remove imports/variables/functions that YOUR changes made unused.
• Don't remove pre-existing dead code unless asked.

The test: Every changed line should trace directly to the user's request.

4. Goal-Driven Execution

Define success criteria. Loop until verified.

Transform tasks into verifiable goals:

• "Add validation" → "Write tests for invalid inputs, then make them pass"
• "Fix the bug" → "Write a test that reproduces it, then make it pass"
• "Refactor X" → "Ensure tests pass before and after"

For multi-step tasks, state a brief plan:

1. [Step] → verify: [check]
2. [Step] → verify: [check]
3. [Step] → verify: [check]

Strong success criteria let you loop independently. Weak criteria ("make it work") require constant clarification.

These guidelines are working if: fewer unnecessary changes in diffs, fewer rewrites due to overcomplication, and clarifying questions come before implementation rather than after mistakes.

CC Flight Agent Notes

Design System

Always read DESIGN.md before making any visual or UI decisions. All font choices, colors, spacing, motion, layout, and aesthetic direction are defined there. Do not deviate from DESIGN.md without explicit user approval. In QA mode, flag any code that does not match DESIGN.md.

Product Frame

CC Flight is a web app/dashboard for Codex users. Its job is to make coding-agent logs feel like a replayable trace map, not a raw transcript.

The memorable first impression is: "wow, I have never seen a coding agent from this angle."

Design Context

Read PRODUCT.md before any design or UI work — it carries the strategic frame (register: product, users, purpose, brand personality, anti-references, and the 5 design principles). DESIGN.md carries the visual system (color, type, components); PRODUCT.md carries the "who/what/why".

Today's true north is the flight-recorder dashboard. The Mario-like "Agent Run" platformer in DESIGN.md is shelved/aspirational — treat the dashboard as the product unless the owner revives it explicitly.