AI agent skill · by @ciembor

The Pragmatic Programmer

Apply Hunt and Thomas-inspired pragmatic programming rules when improving engineering judgment, feedback loops, DRY knowledge, orthogonality, automation, or adaptability.

Archived 2026-10-23 · Source updated 2026-09-10 · License: MIT. Check the original repository for the latest version.

SKILL.md instructions

# The Pragmatic Programmer Skill

Use this skill when a task involves pragmatic engineering judgment, responsibility, DRY at the knowledge level, orthogonality, automation, prototyping, fast feedback, or adaptable design.

Before making design or code decisions, read and apply [the-pragmatic-programmer.mini.md](the-pragmatic-programmer.mini.md). Use [the-pragmatic-programmer.md](the-pragmatic-programmer.md) only as a deeper reference when the mini rules are not enough for the current engineering tradeoff.