Development Processes

This section covers workflow, standards, and processes for effective development on the Hatch project.

Overview

These documents provide the essential processes, standards, and workflows that developers need to follow when working on the Hatch codebase. They focus on “how to work” rather than “what to implement.”

Available Documentation

Development Standards

Code Quality

  • Follow organization-wide Python coding standards
  • Implement comprehensive error handling and logging
  • Write clear, self-documenting code with appropriate comments
  • Include docstrings following the organization’s docstring standards

Testing Requirements

  • Write tests for all new functionality
  • Follow the three-tier testing approach: Development, Regression, Feature
  • Ensure adequate test coverage for critical paths
  • Use the centralized test runner (run_tests.py)

Documentation Standards

  • Update documentation when implementing new features
  • Follow the organization’s documentation guidelines
  • Reference API docstrings rather than duplicating implementation details
  • Maintain clear cross-references between related topics

Quick Reference

Organization Standards

All development must follow the organization-wide standards defined in:

  • instructions/documentation.instructions.md - Documentation standards
  • instructions/python_docstrings.instructions.md - Docstring format requirements
  • instructions/testing.instructions.md - Testing guidelines