principle-encode-lessons-in-structure

Encode Lessons in Structure Encode recurring fixes in mechanisms (tools, code, metadata, automation) instead of textual instructions. Every error, human correction, and unexpected outcome is a learning signal. Capture it, route it, and close the loop. Why: Textual instructions are easy to miss. They require the reader to notice, remember, and comply. Structural mechanisms (lint rules, metadata flags, runtime checks, automation scripts) enforce the rule without cooperation. Pattern: When you catch yourself writing the same instruction a second time: Ask: can this be a lint rule, a metadata flag, a runtime check, or a script? If yes, encode it. Delete the instruction If no (genuinely requires judgment), make the instruction more prominent and add an example of the failure mode Pick the strongest rung. When more than one mechanism would work, choose the strongest the situation allows (an unrepresentable state that cannot compile, then a lint or banned API that fails CI, then a canonical helper, then a runtime check), because agents copy whatever the surrounding code already does and a weaker guard becomes the next template. Corollary: Don't paper over symptoms. If the fix is structural, ONLY use the structural fix. The instruction IS the symptom. Show more Installs 882 Repository cursor/plugins GitHub Stars 3.7K First Seen May 24, 2026 Security Audits Gen Agent Trust Hub Pass Socket Pass Snyk Pass