python

Writing Python

Guide for Python development in this project.

Quick Reference

Guidelines:

• Read files as all strings and convert later if you need to.
• Use openpyxl to manipulate Excel files.
• Use code from skills whenever possible.

Code organization:

• Imports at top
• Main logic first, helpers towards bottom (read main logic first)
• Include usage note at top showing how to run from project root and how to run related tests if applicable

Critical rules:

• NEVER use try/catch, fallbacks, or defaults - Create visible failures with full stack traces
• Never include checkmarks or other unicode symbols - only use standard ASCII text and operators.
• No empty __init__.py unless necessary

Package Installation:

• Always use PowerShell commands instead of VS Code extensions or MCP.
• Always use .venv.
• Use these steps: 1. Add it to requirements.txt; 2. Run .venv/Scripts/Activate.ps1; pip-audit -r requirements.txt to check for vulnerabilities (do not install packages with known high vulnerabilities); 3. Run .venv/Scripts/Activate.ps1; pip install -r requirements.txt to do the install.

Running Python:

• Always activate .venv first and run from the project root: .venv/Scripts/Activate.ps1; path-to-file/python script.py
• Create temporary test scripts instead of complex PowerShell commands (to avoid syntax errors which are very difficult to avoid), delete after use.

Testing:

• If file has test reference at top and you change it, run tests
• Always address warnings
• Add pytest tests as appropriate.

Running Python

• If you are going to run python code, create a script to avoid syntax errors.
• Remove any test or debug scripts when you are done with them, unless you were specifically asked to create the test.
• Make sure to activate the virtual environment at .venv before running python scripts; .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 ; python my_script.py
• To escape ", use "", not \".