The Boy Scout Rule

"Always leave the campground cleaner than you found it." — Robert Baden-Powell

"Always check a module in cleaner than when you checked it out." — Robert C. Martin, Clean Code

The Philosophy

You don't have to make every module perfect. You simply have to make it a little bit better than when you found it.

If we all followed this simple rule:

• Our systems would gradually get better as they evolved
• Teams would care for the system as a whole
• The relentless deterioration of software would end

When Working on Code

Every time you touch code, look for at least one small improvement:

Quick Wins (Do These Immediately)

• Rename a poorly named variable -> triggers clean-names
• Delete a redundant comment -> triggers clean-comments
• Remove dead code or unused imports
• Replace a magic number with a named constant
• Extract a deeply nested block into a well-named function

Deeper Improvements (When Time Allows)

• Split a function that does multiple things -> triggers clean-functions
• Remove duplication (DRY) -> triggers clean-general
• Add missing boundary checks
• Improve test coverage -> triggers clean-tests

The Rule in Practice

// You're asked to fix a bug in this function:
function proc(d: number[], x: number[], flag = false): number[] {
  // process data
  for (const i of d) {
    if (i > 0) {
      if (flag) {
        x.push(i * 1.0825); // tax
      } else {
        x.push(i);
      }
    }
  }
  return x;
}

// Don't just fix the bug and leave.
// Leave it cleaner:
const TAX_RATE = 0.0825;

/** Filter positive values, optionally applying tax. */
function processPositiveValues(
  values: readonly number[],
  applyTax = false
): number[] {
  const rate = applyTax ? 1 + TAX_RATE : 1;
  return values.filter((v) => v > 0).map((v) => v * rate);
}

What changed:

• ✅ Descriptive function name
• ✅ Clear parameter names
• ✅ Explicit TypeScript types
• ✅ Named constant for magic number
• ✅ No output argument mutation
• ✅ Useful inline documentation

Skill Orchestration

This skill coordinates with specialized skills based on what you're doing:

The Mindset

Don't:

• Leave code worse than you found it
• Say "that's not my code"
• Wait for a dedicated refactoring sprint
• Make massive changes unrelated to your task

Do:

• Make one small improvement with every commit
• Fix what you see, even if you didn't break it
• Keep changes proportional to your task
• Leave a trail of quality improvements

AI Behavior

When working on code:

1. Complete the requested task first
2. Identify at least one small cleanup opportunity
3. Apply the appropriate specialized skill
4. Note the improvement made (e.g., "Also cleaned up: renamed x to results for clarity")

When reviewing code:

1. Load typescript-clean-code for comprehensive rule checking
2. Flag violations by rule number
3. Suggest incremental improvements, not complete rewrites

The Boy Scout Promise

Every piece of code you touch gets a little better. Not perfect-just better.

Over time, better compounds into excellent.