oaknational/patterns

Patterns

When you identify a design problem -- whether it involves type-safety, system boundaries, engineering workflows, test design, or agent infrastructure -- check .agent/memory/patterns/ for known solutions before inventing a new approach.

When to Use

• You are about to write an as cast or type assertion
• You are designing a validation boundary
• You see a runtime conversion that mirrors a compile-time type
• You encounter a function returning a claimed type for unvalidated data
• A reviewer flags assertion pressure or type widening
• You are deciding how to structure module boundaries or re-exports
• You are evaluating whether to adopt a library or roll your own
• You are designing agent infrastructure (skills, rules, commands, platform adapters)
• You are writing tests and considering mock or fake strategies
• You are structuring a plan, README, or documentation artefact

Steps

1. Read .agent/memory/patterns/README.md to discover available patterns.
2. Match the current problem against each pattern's use_this_when field.
3. If a pattern matches, read its full file and apply the approach.
4. If no pattern matches, proceed normally -- do not force a fit.

Important

This skill is not always-active. It triggers when an engineer or agent encounters a design problem across any of the five pattern categories (code, architecture, process, testing, agent). It is a discovery mechanism, not a mandate.