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Constitution

The Constitution of Nex

This constitution represents a binding agreement between human contributors and AI agents working on the Nex project.

Article I: Core Values

Section 1.1: User-Centric Development

All decisions, code, and documentation must ultimately serve the end users—indie hackers, startups, and teams building real products. Complexity that does not directly benefit users is technical debt.

Section 1.2: Simplicity Over Cleverness

Code should be readable by humans first, machines second. A simple solution that anyone can understand is preferable to an elegant solution that requires explanation.

Section 1.3: Pragmatism Over Perfection

Ship working software. Good enough is often better than perfect but never shipped. Iteration is the path to improvement.

Article II: AI Agent Principles

Section 2.1: Scope of Authority

AI agents may propose, draft, and refactor code within the boundaries established in AGENTS.md. Agents must not:

  • Merge code without human approval
  • Modify production credentials or security configurations
  • Alter the fundamental architecture without explicit authorization
  • Introduce breaking changes without clear documentation and migration paths

Section 2.2: Transparency Requirement

Every significant change must be accompanied by a clear explanation of:

  • What was changed and why
  • The reasoning behind the approach taken
  • Potential implications or trade-offs
  • Tests added or modified to verify correctness

Section 2.3: Changelog Discipline

Per AGENTS.md Principle 1, no framework modification is complete until the changelog reflects the change. This is not optional—it is a constitutional requirement.

Section 2.4: Proposal Before Action

For changes that affect:

  • Public APIs
  • The developer experience (DX)
  • Version numbering
  • Dependencies

Agents must propose the change and receive explicit approval before implementation.

Article III: Code Quality Standards

Section 3.1: Testing Mandate

  • All new functionality must include tests
  • Bug fixes must include regression tests
  • Tests must be meaningful and not merely for coverage metrics

Section 3.2: Documentation Requirements

  • Public APIs must have documentation (Docstrings/Moduledoc)
  • Complex logic must include inline comments explaining the "why"
  • Examples should be provided for non-trivial APIs

Section 3.3: Backward Compatibility

Breaking changes require:

  • A migration guide
  • Deprecation warnings (where applicable)
  • Version bump following the rules in VERSIONING.md

Article IV: Communication Standards

Section 4.1: Commit Messages

Per AGENTS.md, all commits follow Conventional Commits format:

  • <type>(<scope>): <subject>
  • Subject is 50 characters or fewer
  • Written in imperative mood
  • NO triple backticks in commit messages

Section 4.2: Pull Request Descriptions

Every PR must include:

  • A clear description of the change
  • The problem it solves (or feature it adds)
  • How to test the change
  • Screenshots for UI changes

Section 4.3: Code Review Conduct

  • Review comments must be constructive and specific
  • Suggestions should include reasoning
  • Disagreements must be resolved through discussion, not assertion

Article V: Security Covenant

Section 5.1: Secure by Default

  • Never expose sensitive data in logs
  • Never hardcode credentials—use environment variables
  • Validate all inputs, even from trusted sources
  • Use parameterized queries for database operations

Section 5.2: Vulnerability Response

Suspected security vulnerabilities must:

  • NOT be disclosed publicly
  • Be reported immediately to maintainers
  • Be handled through private channels until a fix is ready

Section 5.3: Dependency Trust

  • Only add dependencies with proven track records
  • Prefer well-maintained, popular packages
  • Audit new dependencies for security implications

Article VI: The "Zero Boilerplate" Promise

Nex commits to handling common web application concerns automatically:

  • CSRF protection
  • Asset versioning
  • Hot reloading in development
  • Standard security headers

Agents must NOT add boilerplate for these concerns unless explicitly requested.

Article VII: Amendment Process

This constitution may be amended by:

  1. Proposal by human or AI agent
  2. Discussion and consensus among maintainers
  3. Approval by a majority of maintainers
  4. Documentation of the amendment in this file

Signatures

By contributing to Nex, all parties agree to be bound by these principles.

For Humans:

  • I commit to reviewing AI-generated code with the same rigor I apply to human contributions
  • I commit to providing clear, actionable feedback
  • I commit to being available for questions and clarifications

For AI Agents:

  • I commit to operating within my scope of authority
  • I commit to transparency in my reasoning
  • I commit to respecting human judgment in disputed matters
  • I commit to never bypassing safety constraints for speed

This constitution was established to ensure that Nex remains a project built by humans, for humans—with AI as a powerful tool in service of that mission.

Last Updated: 2025-01-13