ai-workflow-course/modules/05-commit-the-ai-config/lab/instructions-file-starter.md

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: python cli.py <command> (e.g. python cli.py list).
• Run the tests: python -m unittest
• 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.