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# Developer Instructions

This document consolidates technical specifications and development guidelines for GitHub Agentic Workflows (gh-aw). It provides comprehensive guidance on code organization, validation architecture, security practices, and implementation patterns.

## Table of Contents

- [Capitalization Guidelines](#capitalization-guidelines)
- [Code Organization](#code-organization)
- [Validation Architecture](#validation-architecture)
- [Security Best Practices](#security-best-practices)
- [Safe Output Messages](#safe-output-messages)
- [Schema Validation](#schema-validation)
- [YAML Compatibility](#yaml-compatibility)
- [MCP Logs Guardrail](#mcp-logs-guardrail)
- [Release Management](#release-management)
- [Firewall Log Parsing](#firewall-log-parsing)
- [Breaking CLI Rules](#breaking-cli-rules)
- [Go Module Summaries](#go-module-summaries)


## Capitalization Guidelines

The gh-aw CLI follows context-based capitalization to distinguish between the product name and generic workflow references.

### Capitalization Rules

| Context | Format | Example |
|---------|--------|---------|
| Product name | **Capitalized** | "GitHub Agentic Workflows CLI from GitHub Next" |
| Generic workflows | **Lowercase** | "Enable agentic workflows" |
| Technical terms | **Capitalized** | "Compile Markdown workflows to GitHub Actions YAML" |

This convention distinguishes between the product name (GitHub Agentic Workflows) and the concept (agentic workflows), following industry standards similar to "GitHub Actions" vs. "actions".

### Implementation

The capitalization rules are enforced through automated tests in `cmd/gh-aw/capitalization_test.go` that run as part of the standard test suite.


## Code Organization

### File Organization Principles

The codebase follows clear patterns for organizing code by functionality rather than type. This section provides guidance on maintaining code quality and structure.

#### Prefer Many Small Files Over Large Ones

Organize code into focused files of 100-500 lines rather than creating large monolithic files.

**Example:**
```
create_issue.go (160 lines)
create_pull_request.go (238 lines)
create_discussion.go (118 lines)
```

#### Group by Functionality, Not by Type

**Recommended approach:**
```
create_issue.go            # Issue creation logic
create_issue_test.go       # Issue creation tests
add_comment.go             # Comment addition logic
add_comment_test.go        # Comment tests
```

**Avoid:**
```
models.go                  # All structs
logic.go                   # All business logic
tests.go                   # All tests
```

### Excellent Patterns to Follow

#### Create Functions Pattern

One file per GitHub entity creation operation:
- `create_issue.go` - GitHub issue creation logic
- `create_pull_request.go` - Pull request creation logic
- `create_discussion.go` - Discussion creation logic
- `create_code_scanning_alert.go` - Code scanning alert creation

Benefits:
- Clear separation of concerns
- Easy to locate specific functionality
- Prevents files from becoming too large
- Facilitates parallel development

#### Engine Separation Pattern

Each AI engine has its own file with shared helpers in `engine_helpers.go`:
- `copilot_engine.go` - GitHub Copilot engine
- `claude_engine.go` - Claude engine
- `codex_engine.go` - Codex engine
- `custom_engine.go` - Custom engine support
- `engine_helpers.go` - Shared engine utilities

#### Test Organization Pattern

Tests live alongside implementation files:
- Feature tests: `feature.go` + `feature_test.go`
- Integration tests: `feature_integration_test.go`
- Specific scenario tests: `feature_scenario_test.go`

### File Size Guidelines

| Category | Lines | Use Case | Example |
|----------|-------|----------|---------|
| Small files | 50-200 | Utilities, simple features | `args.go` (65 lines) |
| Medium files | 200-500 | Most feature implementations | `create_issue.go` (160 lines) |
| Large files | 500-800 | Complex features | `permissions.go` (905 lines) |
| Very large files | 800+ | Core infrastructure only | `compiler.go` (1596 lines) |

### Decision Tree: Creating New Files

```mermaid
graph TD

From kaushal-waygood/agentic-self-healing-ci, MIT.

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