AGENTS.md

AGENTS.md

These instructions apply to the entire repository.

Language and Design

• Prefer C-like C++ ("Orthodox C++"): simple types, explicit ownership, RAII, and clear invariants.
• Target C++98 when possible.
• Do not introduce C++11+ features unless there is a clear need. If newer features are required, guard them and keep a C++98-compatible path when practical.
• Keep dependencies minimal and avoid template-heavy or meta-programming-heavy solutions.
• Do not rely on exceptions (the project builds with -fno-exceptions).

Style

• Follow the existing style in nearby files. Do not reformat unrelated code.
• Use 4 spaces for indentation and keep whitespace changes minimal.
• Keep include order consistent with existing files: system headers first, then local headers.
• Prefer project-established forms such as #if defined(...) preprocessor guards and uppercase macro names.
• Use simple, readable control flow; avoid clever constructs.

Compatibility Guidelines

• Prefer C/C++98-friendly headers and APIs already used in this repo (<stdio.h>, <string.h>, etc.) unless there is a reason to use something else.
• Avoid unguarded use of features like nullptr, auto, lambdas, override, variadic templates, and static_assert.
• Keep code warning-clean under the current compile flags.

Validation

• Build with C++98 first when touching C++ code:
  • STDVERSION=c++98 scripts/compile.sh
• Run tests after changes:
  • scripts/run_tests.sh