# Nova‑Z Best Practices

- Branching: `main` (protected, release-ready), `dev` (integration), `feature/*` (short-lived).
- PRs: From feature/* into dev; from dev into main via reviewed PR.
- Reviews: At least 1 approval; small, scoped PRs (<400 lines diff preferred).
- Commits: Conventional commits (feat, fix, chore, docs, refactor, test, perf, ci).
- Testing: Add/maintain tests for changes; keep CI green before merge.
- Security: No secrets in code; use `.env` and secret managers; never commit tokens.
- Config: Env-driven via `.env`; document new vars in RUNNING.md.
- Observability: Expose metrics; keep `/metrics/prom` scraping stable; document dashboards.
- Performance: Measure changes under representative loads; avoid regressions.
- Docs: Update README/RUNNING and relevant docs alongside code changes.
- Releases: Tag releases on main; maintain CHANGELOG when versioning.

## Code Style
- Python: PEP8; type hints where helpful; keep functions short and focused.
- API: Backwards-compatible changes preferred; version endpoints if needed.
- Errors: Fail fast with clear messages; add actionable logs.

## CI Gate Suggestions
- Lint + type check
- Unit tests
- Minimal integration/e2e smoke
- Security scans (secrets, deps)
- Build/package where relevant