AGENTS.md - Article Writing Guidelines

Article Structure Standards

1. Title Format

# [Action-Oriented Title]

[Brief introduction - 1-2 sentences explaining the problem and solution]

Examples:

• ✅ # Avoid Database Queries in Large Data Loops
• ✅ # Fix N+1 Query Problem in JPA/Hibernate
• ❌ # Database Queries (too vague)
• ❌ # How to Optimize (not specific enough)

---

2. Section Hierarchy

## [Main Section]

### [Subsection]

#### [Sub-subsection] (use sparingly)

Rules:

• Use ## for main sections (Problem, Solution, Examples)
• Use ### for subsections
• Avoid #### unless necessary
• Maximum 3 levels deep

---

3. Problem-Solution Pattern

Standard Structure:

## The Problem

[Describe the scenario and why it's a problem]

### ❌ Bad Practice: [Name]

```java
// Code showing the bad practice

Performance Impact:

• [Impact 1]
• [Impact 2]
• [Critical impact in bold]

✅ Good Practice: [Name]

// Code showing the good practice

Performance Impact:

• [Benefit 1]
• [Benefit 2]
• [Key benefit in bold]

---

### 4. Code Examples

**Format:**

```markdown
### [Descriptive Title]

```java
// ✅ Good code with comment explaining why
List<Entity> result = repository.selectByIds(ids);

// ❌ Bad code with comment explaining why not
for (Entity e : entities) {
    repository.selectById(e.getId()); // N queries!
}

**Rules:**
- Always use language identifier (`java`, `sql`, `yaml`, etc.)
- Use `✅` for good practices
- Use `❌` for bad practices
- Add inline comments explaining the code
- Keep examples focused and minimal

---

### 5. Performance Comparison Tables

**Format:**

```markdown
## Performance Comparison

| Approach | Metric 1 | Metric 2 | Metric 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Bad Way | Value | Value | **Critical** |
| Good Way | Value | Value | Normal |
| **Improvement** | **Xx** | **Yx** | **Z%** |

Rules:

• Always include comparison table when discussing performance
• Use **bold** for critical values
• Show improvement multiplier/factor
• Include both quantitative and qualitative metrics

---

6. Best Practices Section

Format:

## Best Practices

### 1. [Practice Name]

```java
// Example code

Explanation:

• [Why this is important]
• [When to apply]

2. [Practice Name]

...

**Rules:**
- Number the practices (1, 2, 3...)
- Each practice has: Title + Code + Explanation
- Keep explanations concise (2-3 bullet points)

---

### 7. Common Pitfalls Section

**Format:**

```markdown
## Common Pitfalls to Avoid

### ❌ Pitfall 1: [Pitfall Name]

```java
// Bad code

// Good code

Why it's bad: [Explanation]

**Rules:**
- Use `❌ Pitfall N:` format
- Show both bad and good code
- Explain why the bad approach is problematic
- Number pitfalls for easy reference

---

### 8. Advanced Techniques (Optional)

**Format:**

```markdown
## Advanced Techniques

### 1. [Technique Name]

```java
// Advanced example

When to use: [Scenario]

Trade-offs: [Pros and cons]

---

### 9. Real-World Case Studies (Optional)

**Format:**

```markdown
## Real-World Case Studies

### Case 1: [Case Name]

**Problem:** [Description]

**Root Cause:** [Analysis]

**Solution:**
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]

**Result:** [Quantitative improvement]

---

10. Summary Section

Format:

## Summary

When [scenario]:

1. **[Key point 1]** - [Brief explanation]
2. **[Key point 2]** - [Brief explanation]
3. **[Key point 3]** - [Brief explanation]

**Remember:** [One-sentence takeaway]

Rules:

• Number the key points
• Bold the key phrase, add brief explanation
• End with memorable "Remember" statement

---

11. Quick Checklist (Optional)

Format:

## Quick Checklist

Before [action]:

- [ ] [Check item 1]
- [ ] [Check item 2]
- [ ] [Check item 3]

---

Writing Style Guidelines

Language

• Use English for all technical articles
• Keep sentences concise and direct
• Use active voice: "Query the database" not "The database is queried"

Tone

• Professional but accessible
• Focus on practical solutions
• Avoid jargon without explanation

Formatting

• Use **bold** for emphasis on key points
• Use inline code for technical terms
• Use emoji sparingly (✅ ❌ ⚠️ only)

Code Comments

• Explain why, not what
• Use // ✅ for good practices
• Use // ❌ for bad practices
• Use // TRIGGER WARNING for anti-patterns

---

Article Template

# [Action-Oriented Title]

[1-2 sentence introduction]

## The Problem

[Scenario description]

### ❌ Bad Practice: [Name]

```java
// Bad code

Performance Impact:

• [Impacts]

✅ Good Practice: [Name]

// Good code

Performance Impact:

• [Benefits]

Implementation Examples

[Example 1]

// Code

Performance Comparison

Approach	Metric	Result
Bad	X	Slow
Good	Y	Fast

Best Practices

1. [Practice]

// Code

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ Pitfall 1: [Name]

// Bad

// Good

Summary

1. [Point 1] - [Explanation]
2. [Point 2] - [Explanation]

Remember: [Takeaway]

---

## Quality Checklist

Before publishing, verify:

- [ ] Title is action-oriented and specific
- [ ] Introduction clearly states the problem
- [ ] All code examples have language identifiers
- [ ] Good practices marked with ✅
- [ ] Bad practices marked with ❌
- [ ] Performance comparison table included
- [ ] Summary has numbered key points
- [ ] "Remember" statement is memorable
- [ ] No emoji overuse (only ✅ ❌ ⚠️)
- [ ] All code is syntactically correct
- [ ] Links to related articles (if any)