<!--
  STARTER: a committed AI instructions file for the `tasks-app` (Modules 1-2).

  Copy this to whatever filename YOUR agentic tool reads for repo-level instructions (check its
  docs), place it at the repo root, then edit every line to match reality. Wrong instructions are
  worse than none; read it through before you commit it. Delete this comment when you're done.

  The shape below is deliberately short. An instructions file is a briefing for an agent that will
  edit this code, not documentation for humans (that's the README). Keep only lines that change the
  AI's behavior; prune anything the model already gets right on its own.
-->

# Instructions for AI agents working on tasks-app

A tiny command-line task tracker. The point of this project is to be small enough to read in a
minute but real enough to have more than one file. Keep it that way; don't grow it into a product.

## Project layout

- `tasks.py`: core logic (`Task`, `TaskList`). New behavior that isn't about the command line goes
  here.
- `cli.py`: the command-line front end. Argument parsing and printing only; it calls into
  `tasks.py`. Reads and writes `tasks.json`.
- `tasks.json`: generated state. See "Don't touch" below.

## Build and test commands

- Run the app: `python3 cli.py <command>` (e.g. `python3 cli.py list`).
- Run the tests: `python3 -m unittest`  <!-- EDIT: set this to your real test command, or delete if you have no tests yet -->
- Do not claim a change works until you have actually run it. If tests exist, they must pass first.

## Coding standards

- Python 3.10+ . Standard library only; no third-party packages without being asked.
- Type-hint public functions and methods. Match the existing dataclass style in `tasks.py`.
- Handle bad input gracefully (e.g. a non-numeric index) rather than letting a raw traceback escape.

## Don't touch

- **Never edit `tasks.json` by hand.** It is generated by the app; hand-editing it corrupts state.
  Read it if you need to, but change it only by running the CLI.
- Don't reformat or rewrite files you aren't actively changing. Keep diffs small and focused.

## House style

- Keep functions small and single-purpose. Prefer clarity over cleverness.
- Match the surrounding code's style; don't introduce a new pattern for something the project already
  does one way.
- When you add a command, wire it into `cli.py`'s dispatch and update the usage string.
