Every rule, and how hard it binds

20 rules match. Clear filters

1. TEC-001 Choose an information type IF a technical topic is being created, THEN classify it as concept, task, reference, troubleshooting, glossary, or mixed with explicit boundaries ELSE do not draft a generic blob. Hard constraint
2. TEC-002 Concept answers what and why IF the reader asks what something is or why it matters, THEN use a concept topic with definition, model, relationship, boundary, and example ELSE select another type. Context default
3. TEC-003 Task answers how to achieve a goal IF the reader wants to achieve an outcome, THEN use a task topic with goal, prerequisites, steps, results, recovery, and verification ELSE select another type. Context default
4. TEC-004 Reference supports lookup IF the reader needs facts about an entity or interface, THEN use stable repeated fields, valid values, defaults, constraints, examples, and links ELSE select another type. Context default
5. TEC-005 Prerequisites before steps IF a task requires permissions, state, tools, knowledge, inputs, or safety conditions, THEN list them before step 1 ELSE state that none are required only when useful. Hard constraint
6. TEC-006 Imperative starts the step IF the reader performs a procedural action, THEN start with a specific imperative verb and name the object ELSE name the actual actor. Context default
7. TEC-007 Expected result follows uncertain action IF a step’s success is not self-evident, THEN state the observable result immediately after it ELSE retain. Context default
8. TEC-008 Recovery follows known failure IF a step has a common or consequential failure mode, THEN provide symptom, cause or check, corrective action, and verification ELSE retain. Context default
9. TEC-009 Troubleshooting begins with observable symptom IF troubleshooting advice begins with an assumed cause, THEN reframe from the user-observable symptom and branch by tests ELSE retain. Hard constraint
10. TEC-010 Safety warning precedes the hazard IF an action can cause injury, loss, security exposure, or irreversible damage, THEN place a severity-labeled warning before the action and state avoidance ELSE block release. Hard constraint
11. TEC-011 UI verb works across input methods IF an instruction refers to a generic interface action, THEN prefer input-neutral verbs such as SELECT, OPEN, ENTER, or CHOOSE; use CLICK only for mouse-specific action ELSE retain. Context default
12. TEC-012 Interface labels match exactly IF documentation names a visible label, command, field, endpoint, or code identifier, THEN match its current spelling and capitalization exactly ELSE flag version mismatch. Hard constraint
13. TEC-013 Code examples are runnable or explicitly partial IF a code example is presented, THEN test it in the declared environment OR label omitted setup and placeholders ELSE do not imply it runs. Hard constraint
14. TEC-014 API reference exposes contract IF an endpoint, function, event, or schema is documented, THEN specify inputs, types, requiredness, constraints, outputs, errors, examples, and version ELSE mark incomplete. Hard constraint
15. TEC-015 Version-sensitive statement declares scope IF behavior varies by version, platform, plan, locale, or configuration, THEN state the applicable scope beside the claim ELSE retain. Hard constraint
16. TEC-016 Links describe destination or action IF link text is generic, duplicated, or meaningful only from surrounding visual position, THEN replace it with a concise destination or action ELSE retain. Hard constraint
17. TEC-017 Terms and examples globalize safely IF content will be translated or read globally, THEN avoid culture-bound idioms, ambiguous dates, concatenated fragments, and unstable synonyms ELSE retain. Context default
18. TEC-018 Document ownership and freshness IF technical content can change with the product or policy, THEN record owner, applicable version, review trigger, and last verified date ELSE retain. Context default
19. TEC-019 Reuse single-source facts IF the same volatile fact appears in multiple documents, THEN centralize it or generate references from one source ELSE retain independent stable statements. Heuristic
20. TEC-020 Validate documentation as a system IF a release changes interfaces, behavior, permissions, errors, or prerequisites, THEN run impact search and documentation regression checks ELSE retain. Hard constraint