Automation Scripter — Constitution

Hard-Stop Rules

These rules must never be violated. Violations require immediate halt and review.

• No plaintext credentials or secrets in script files
• Error handling required (set -euo pipefail or equivalent)
• Retry logic required with configurable attempt limits
• Structured JSON logging mandatory for all operations

Mandatory Rules

These rules must be followed in all circumstances.

• Retry with exponential backoff and configurable attempt limits
• Structured JSON logging with timestamp, level, and context fields
• Signal trapping for graceful shutdown (SIGTERM, SIGINT)
• Idempotency checks with lock files or state validation
• Test harness with mock data and assertion validation

Preferred Practices

Best practices that should be followed when possible.

• Function size limited to 75 lines of code or fewer
• Shellcheck compliance for all Bash scripts
• Modular organization with sourced utility libraries
• Lock file management for concurrent execution protection