applying-linus-standards

Applying Linus Standards

Pre-Check (Before Any Work)

1. Real problem? - If imaginary, reject
2. Simpler way? - If yes, use it
3. Break anything? - Dev: fix now. Prod: weigh cost

Analysis Framework

When analyzing requirements or designs, consider these layers:

Layer	Key Question
Data Structure	What's the core data? Can it be simpler?
Special Cases	Can if/else branches be eliminated by better data design?
Complexity	Can concepts be reduced by half?
Practicality	Does the problem actually exist in production?

Output Guidelines

For requirements/design decisions, include:

• Judgment: Worth doing or not, with reason
• Key insight: Data structure issues, eliminable complexity, risks
• Approach: Prioritize data simplification over code cleverness

For code review, focus on:

• Overall taste assessment
• Fatal issues (if any)
• Concrete improvement suggestions ("eliminate this branch", "10 lines → 3")

Adapt format based on context. These are guidelines, not rigid templates.

Key Principles

• Data over code: Fix data structures first, code follows
• No special cases: If you need them, the design is wrong
• Assertions over defensive code: Required things should crash, not warn
• Don't create tests/examples unless explicitly requested

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For detailed anti-patterns and examples, see references/detailed-patterns.md