124 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
124 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
# Verification Before Completion
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Run verification commands and confirm output before claiming success.
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## Core Principle
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**Evidence before claims, always.**
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Claiming work complete without verification is dishonesty, not efficiency.
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## The Iron Law
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```
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NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE
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```
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If haven't run verification command in this message, cannot claim it passes.
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## The Gate Function
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```
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BEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:
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1. IDENTIFY: What command proves this claim?
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2. RUN: Execute FULL command (fresh, complete)
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3. READ: Full output, check exit code, count failures
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4. VERIFY: Does output confirm claim?
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- If NO: State actual status with evidence
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- If YES: State claim WITH evidence
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5. ONLY THEN: Make claim
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Skip any step = lying, not verifying
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```
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## Common Failures
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| Claim | Requires | Not Sufficient |
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|-------|----------|----------------|
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| Tests pass | Test command output: 0 failures | Previous run, "should pass" |
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| Linter clean | Linter output: 0 errors | Partial check, extrapolation |
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| Build succeeds | Build command: exit 0 | Linter passing, logs look good |
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| Bug fixed | Test original symptom: passes | Code changed, assumed fixed |
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| Regression test works | Red-green cycle verified | Test passes once |
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| Agent completed | VCS diff shows changes | Agent reports "success" |
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| Requirements met | Line-by-line checklist | Tests passing |
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## Red Flags - STOP
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- Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
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- Expressing satisfaction before verification ("Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!")
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- About to commit/push/PR without verification
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- Trusting agent success reports
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- Relying on partial verification
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- Thinking "just this once"
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- Tired and wanting work over
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- **ANY wording implying success without having run verification**
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## Rationalization Prevention
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| Excuse | Reality |
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|--------|---------|
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| "Should work now" | RUN verification |
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| "I'm confident" | Confidence ≠ evidence |
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| "Just this once" | No exceptions |
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| "Linter passed" | Linter ≠ compiler |
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| "Agent said success" | Verify independently |
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| "Partial check is enough" | Partial proves nothing |
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## Key Patterns
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**Tests:**
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```
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✅ [Run test command] [See: 34/34 pass] "All tests pass"
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❌ "Should pass now" / "Looks correct"
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```
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**Regression tests (TDD Red-Green):**
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```
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✅ Write → Run (pass) → Revert fix → Run (MUST FAIL) → Restore → Run (pass)
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❌ "I've written regression test" (without red-green verification)
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```
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**Build:**
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```
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✅ [Run build] [See: exit 0] "Build passes"
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❌ "Linter passed" (linter doesn't check compilation)
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```
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**Requirements:**
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```
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✅ Re-read plan → Create checklist → Verify each → Report gaps or completion
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❌ "Tests pass, phase complete"
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```
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**Agent delegation:**
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```
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✅ Agent reports success → Check VCS diff → Verify changes → Report actual state
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❌ Trust agent report
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```
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## When To Apply
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**ALWAYS before:**
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- ANY variation of success/completion claims
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- ANY expression of satisfaction
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- ANY positive statement about work state
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- Committing, PR creation, task completion
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- Moving to next task
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- Delegating to agents
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**Rule applies to:**
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- Exact phrases
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- Paraphrases and synonyms
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- Implications of success
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- ANY communication suggesting completion/correctness
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## The Bottom Line
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**No shortcuts for verification.**
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Run command. Read output. THEN claim result.
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Non-negotiable.
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