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Code Standards and Best Practices

Overview

This document outlines the coding standards and best practices for contributing to IdeaWeaver. Following these guidelines ensures consistency, maintainability, and high-quality code across the project.

Code Style

Python

  • Follow PEP 8 style guide
  • Use type hints for function parameters and return values
  • Maximum line length: 88 characters (Black formatter default)
  • Use meaningful variable and function names
  • Include docstrings for all public functions and classes

Example: 

from typing import List, Optional

def process_model_output(
    output: List[str],
    threshold: float = 0.5,
    max_length: Optional[int] = None
) -> List[str]:
    """
    Process model output with optional filtering.

    Args:
        output: List of model output strings
        threshold: Confidence threshold for filtering
        max_length: Maximum length for each output string

    Returns:
        List of processed output strings
    """
    # Implementation
    pass

Documentation

  • Use Markdown for all documentation
  • Include code examples where appropriate
  • Keep documentation up-to-date with code changes
  • Use clear and concise language
  • Include screenshots for UI-related features

Git Workflow

Branch Naming

  • Feature branches: feature/description
  • Bug fixes: fix/description
  • Documentation: docs/description
  • Hotfixes: hotfix/description

Commit Messages

Follow the Conventional Commits specification:

<type>(<scope>): <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer]

Types: - feat: New feature - fix: Bug fix - docs: Documentation changes - style: Code style changes - refactor: Code refactoring - test: Adding or modifying tests - chore: Maintenance tasks

Pull Requests

  1. Create a descriptive PR title
  2. Fill out the PR template completely
  3. Link related issues
  4. Request reviews from relevant team members
  5. Ensure CI checks pass
  6. Address review comments promptly

Testing

Unit Tests

  • Write tests for all new features
  • Maintain minimum 80% code coverage
  • Use pytest for testing
  • Mock external dependencies

Example: 

import pytest
from ideaweaver.core import ModelProcessor

def test_model_processor():
    processor = ModelProcessor()
    result = processor.process("test input")
    assert result is not None
    assert isinstance(result, str)

Integration Tests

  • Test component interactions
  • Include end-to-end workflows
  • Test error handling
  • Verify API endpoints

Security

Code Security

  • Never commit sensitive data
  • Use environment variables for secrets
  • Validate all user inputs
  • Follow security best practices
  • Regular security audits

API Security

  • Implement rate limiting
  • Use proper authentication
  • Validate API requests
  • Handle errors gracefully
  • Log security events

Performance

Code Optimization

  • Profile code regularly
  • Optimize critical paths
  • Use appropriate data structures
  • Implement caching where beneficial
  • Monitor memory usage

Best Practices

  1. Error Handling
  2. Use specific exception types
  3. Provide meaningful error messages
  4. Log errors appropriately

  5. Handle edge cases

  6. Logging

  7. Use appropriate log levels
  8. Include context in log messages
  9. Rotate log files

  10. Monitor log patterns

  11. Configuration

  12. Use environment variables
  13. Provide default values
  14. Validate configuration
  15. Document all options

Review Process

  1. Self-Review
  2. Run linters
  3. Check test coverage
  4. Verify documentation

  5. Test functionality

  6. Peer Review

  7. Code quality
  8. Performance impact
  9. Security considerations
  10. Documentation accuracy

Resources