# Equitas Professional Standards

## Overview

Equitas is a professional, enterprise-grade software platform. All code, documentation, and communications must maintain standards appropriate for enterprise customers.

## Core Principles

1. **Professional Communication** - No emojis, casual language, or informal expressions
2. **Code Quality** - Clean, efficient, maintainable code following best practices
3. **Documentation** - Clear, comprehensive, and professional documentation
4. **Enterprise Standards** - Suitable for enterprise deployment and integration

## Rules Summary

### No Emojis Policy

**CRITICAL RULE**: Emojis are strictly prohibited in:
- All source code files (.py)
- All documentation files (.md, .txt)
- Configuration files (.yml, .yaml, .toml, .ini)
- Commit messages
- Pull request descriptions
- Issue reports
- Comments and docstrings
- User-facing messages
- Error messages

### Code Quality Standards

- Follow PEP 8 Python style guide
- Maximum line length: 100 characters
- Use type hints for all functions
- Write comprehensive docstrings (Google style)
- Use descriptive variable and function names
- Avoid abbreviations unless widely understood
- Handle errors explicitly with proper exception types
- Use async/await for I/O operations
- Cache expensive computations
- Validate all inputs
- Never expose internal implementation details

### Documentation Standards

- Use clear, descriptive headings
- Format code blocks with language identifiers
- Include examples where helpful
- Keep documentation up-to-date
- Use formal, professional language
- Avoid casual expressions

### Security Standards

- Never commit secrets or API keys
- Use environment variables for configuration
- Validate and sanitize all inputs
- Use parameterized database queries
- Follow principle of least privilege

## Enforcement

These standards are enforced through:

1. **Automated Checks** - Pre-commit hooks and CI/CD pipeline
2. **Code Review** - Human reviewers verify compliance
3. **Documentation Review** - All documentation reviewed for professionalism

## Pre-Commit Checklist

Before committing:

- [ ] No emojis in any files
- [ ] Code follows PEP 8
- [ ] Type hints present
- [ ] Docstrings complete
- [ ] Tests written and passing
- [ ] No hardcoded secrets
- [ ] Error handling appropriate
- [ ] Code formatted (black, ruff)
- [ ] Commit message professional

## Automated Tools

- **black**: Code formatting
- **ruff**: Linting and import sorting
- **mypy**: Type checking
- **pre-commit**: Pre-commit hooks

## Violations

Violations will result in:
- Request for changes in Pull Request
- Rejection of commit if pre-commit hooks fail
- Request to update documentation

## Questions

For questions about these standards:
- Review [CODE_STYLE.md](CODE_STYLE.md) for detailed guidelines
- Check existing codebase for examples
- Contact maintainers via email

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**Remember**: Professional code is maintainable, readable, and accessible. Maintain high standards at all times.

