**Before writing a single line of code:** run `mcp__codescene__code_health_score` to check the current codebase health against `.codescene-thresholds`. If the score is already below the threshold, **stop and refactor first** — find the worst files with the MCP, improve them, commit, then start the task. Never start feature work on a codebase that is already below the gate.
- Read task description and all comments fully
- For To Rework: the ❌ QA failed comment tells you exactly what to fix
- Check `docs/adr/` for relevant architecture decisions before structural choices
- **A task is NOT done until `git push origin main` succeeds.** If the hook blocks: read the error, fix it (clippy, tests, CodeScene, build), commit the fix, push again. **⛔ NEVER use --no-verify**
### TDD (mandatory)
Red → Green → Refactor → Commit. One cycle per commit. For bugs: write failing regression test first, then fix. Exception: pure CSS/layout changes.
**Test quality (Kent Beck's Desiderata):** Isolated · Deterministic · Fast · Behavioral · Structure-insensitive · Specific · Predictive. Fix flaky tests first. Prefer E2E over unit tests for user flows.
All user-facing UI labels/copy must live in `src/lib/locales/en.json` and be translated into every target listed in `lara.yaml`. When adding or changing interface copy:
```bash
pnpm l10n:translate
```
Use `pnpm l10n:translate:force` only when intentionally regenerating existing translations. Commit `src/lib/locales/*.json`, `lara.yaml`/`lara.lock` changes if produced, and verify placeholders/product names stayed intact.
### Product analytics (mandatory for meaningful features)
New features should almost always emit a PostHog event so we can see whether users actually discover and use them. Skip instrumentation only for very small changes where a dedicated event would create noise. Use clear, stable event names, avoid PII or note content, and include only safe metadata that helps evaluate adoption and failures.
When adding or changing a meaningful user-facing feature, include the event name(s) in the Todoist completion comment alongside QA, docs, and code health. If intentionally not instrumenting a feature, explain why in the completion comment.
Pre-commit and pre-push hooks enforce **Hotspot Code Health** and **Average Code Health** ≥ thresholds in `.codescene-thresholds`. Both gates block commit/push. Thresholds are a **ratchet** — only go up. When pre-push sees improved remote scores, it updates `.codescene-thresholds`, stages it, and stops so you can commit the new floor with normal verified hooks before pushing again. Never add `// eslint-disable`, `#[allow(...)]`, or `as any`.
**Release rule:** CodeScene is a before/after gate, not just a final score. Every task must record the starting CodeScene state before edits and the final state after edits. If touched code gets worse, refactor before committing.
**CodeScene access order:** use CodeScene MCP tools if available. If MCP is unavailable, use the installed `cs` CLI for file-level review/delta work, and use the CodeScene API (`CODESCENE_PAT` + `CODESCENE_PROJECT_ID`) for project-wide Hotspot/Average threshold checks from `.codescene-thresholds`.
**Before editing any existing code file:** capture its current file-level CodeScene score. After your edits, re-run the same file-level review and verify the score is higher. If the file already starts at `10.0`, it must remain `10.0`.
**New files:** every new **scorable code file** must reach CodeScene score `10.0` before commit. If CodeScene reports `null` / "no scorable code" for a new file, it must still have zero CodeScene findings/warnings.
**Before every commit:** run CodeScene file-level review on every touched or newly created code file and verify the rule above. **Boy Scout Rule:** every file you touch must leave with a higher score, unless it was already `10.0`, in which case it must stay `10.0`.
**If CodeScene gate blocks your push:** use `mcp__codescene__code_health_score` to find the worst file, refactor it, commit, push again. Do NOT stop or wait for laputa-refactor — that is a background loop, not a substitute for fixing your own regressions.
Use Codacy as a security and static-analysis gate before a task is considered releasable.
- Prefer the Codacy MCP inside Codex to inspect repository/file issues for every touched code file.
- If MCP is unavailable, use the local CLI wrapper, e.g. `.codacy/cli.sh analyze <path> --format sarif`; choose the relevant tool when useful (`eslint`, `opengrep`, `trivy`, `lizard`).
- **Always fix Critical and High severity findings introduced by your change.** Do not move the task to In Review with new Critical/High Codacy issues.
- Review Medium findings. Fix them when they are real defects or security-sensitive; otherwise explain why they are acceptable in the completion comment.
- Never silence a Codacy rule just to pass the scan. Prefer small code changes that remove the finding.
**Phase 1 — Playwright (only for core user flows):**
Write Playwright test in `tests/smoke/<slug>.spec.ts` only if feature touches: vault open, note create/save/delete, search, wikilink navigation, git commit/push, conflict resolution. Tag a test with `@smoke` only if it protects a core pre-push workflow. Do NOT tag cosmetic or mock-heavy checks — keep those in the full regression lane. The curated `pnpm playwright:smoke` suite must stay under **5 minutes**; use `pnpm playwright:regression` for the full Playwright pass.
```bash
pnpm dev --port 5201 &
sleep 3
BASE_URL="http://localhost:5201" npx playwright test tests/smoke/<slug>.spec.ts
Use computer-use/browser-control style interaction for native UI QA when available: click, hover, drag, select, scroll, and type the way a real user would with the mouse and trackpad. For every UI feature, test the primary mouse-driven path first, then verify any relevant keyboard shortcut or keyboard-first workflow still works. Tolaria is still a keyboard-first app, but QA must not assume users only interact by keyboard.
Use `osascript` for app focus, keyboard shortcuts, and keyboard-specific checks. **⚠️ WKWebView:** `osascript keystroke` can be blocked inside editor content — use computer use for native editor interaction when possible, and rely on Playwright for deterministic text-input coverage. Write result as Todoist comment (✅ or ❌).
- Codacy: MCP/CLI scan summary; confirm no new Critical/High findings.
- Localization: any user-facing copy lives in `src/lib/locales/en.json`, `pnpm l10n:translate` was run, and `pnpm l10n:validate` passes. If no copy changed, say “Localization: no UI copy changes”.
- PostHog: meaningful new user actions/events are instrumented with safe metadata; noisy/minor changes explicitly say “PostHog: no event needed because …”.
- Refactoring: any files refactored to meet the CodeScene gate, or "none needed".
- ADRs: any new/updated ADRs, or "none".
- Docs: any updated docs (`ARCHITECTURE.md`, `ABSTRACTIONS.md`, etc.), or "none".
ADRs live in `docs/adr/`. Create in the same commit as the code. Never edit existing — create a new one that supersedes. Use `/create-adr`. **When:** new dependency, storage strategy, platform target, core abstraction, cross-cutting pattern. **Not for:** bug fixes, styling, refactors.
After any Tauri command, new component/hook, data model change, or new integration: update `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`, `docs/ABSTRACTIONS.md`, and/or `docs/GETTING-STARTED.md` in the same commit.
- Treat `demo-vault/` and `demo-vault-v2/` as disposable QA fixtures unless the task explicitly changes demo content.
- If you create untracked notes, attachments, or other temporary files there for testing, delete them before the task is complete.
- If you modify tracked demo-vault files only to test or QA behavior, revert those edits before the final commit.
- Before declaring a task done, make sure `git status --short -- demo-vault demo-vault-v2` is empty unless demo fixture changes are part of the task.
- If a fresh run starts and the only local dirt is inside `demo-vault/` or `demo-vault-v2/`, clean those paths first and continue. That case is recoverable QA residue, not a blocker.
Default to `demo-vault-v2/`. If you must use `~/Laputa/` for testing:
- **Never commit or push** any test notes to the remote vault
- **Delete all test notes from disk** when done — do not leave untitled or temporary notes on the filesystem. Run `cd ~/Laputa && git checkout -- . && git clean -fd` to restore the vault to its last committed state.
- **Rationale:** test notes pollute the local vault over time, making it a collection of nonsensical untitled files. The vault must stay clean on disk, not just on the remote.
**Always use shadcn/ui components.** Never use raw HTML form elements (`<input>`, `<select>`, `<button>`, native `<input type="date">`, etc.) for user-facing UI. Every interactive element must use the shadcn/ui equivalent:
| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Text input | `Input` from shadcn/ui |
| Dropdown/select | `Select` from shadcn/ui |
| Date picker | `Calendar` + `Popover` from shadcn/ui (NOT native `<input type="date">`) |
| Button | `Button` from shadcn/ui |
| Autocomplete/combobox | Reuse existing combobox components from the app (check `src/components/`) |
| Wikilink picker | Reuse the wikilink autocomplete component already used in the editor and Properties panel |
| Emoji picker | Reuse the emoji picker component already used for note/type icons |
| Color picker | Reuse the color swatch picker used for type customization |
| Toggle/switch | `Switch` or `ToggleGroup` from shadcn/ui |
**When in doubt:** search `src/components/` for an existing component before building new. **Visual language:** all new UI must feel native to Tolaria — if it looks like a browser default, it's wrong.
