By name: tiger-style
description: TigerBeetle coding style for safety-critical Zig code. Use for writing new code aligned with TigerStyle, or analyzing existing code to produce structured reports showing aligned patterns, violations, and gray areas.
argument-hint: "[analyze | check]"
TigerStyle Skill
Coding style from TigerBeetle optimized for Safety > Performance > DX.
Usage Modes
| Invocation | Mode | Output |
|---|---|---|
/tiger-style |
Writing | Guidance for writing new code |
/tiger-style analyze <file> |
Analysis | Complete report: Aligned + Violations + Gray Areas |
/tiger-style check |
Quick check | Violations only (brief) |
Mode Instructions
Writing Mode (/tiger-style)
When invoked without arguments, activate TigerStyle for all code you write or modify in this session:
- Read SAFETY.md, PERFORMANCE.md, and DX.md to load the full rule set.
- Apply all rules as you write Zig code. Every function you produce must have 2+ assertions (preconditions, postconditions, or invariants).
- Before presenting code to the user, validate it against CHECKLIST.md.
- If a rule would be violated, fix it before showing the code. If a gray area arises, flag it to the user.
Analyze Mode (/tiger-style analyze <file>)
When invoked with analyze and a file path:
- Read the file specified in
$ARGUMENTS(the path afteranalyze). - Read SAFETY.md, PERFORMANCE.md, and DX.md for the complete rule set.
- Produce a structured report following the template in REPORT_FORMAT.md.
- Check every rule against the file. Be thorough - scan for all violation types, not just obvious ones.
- Group aligned patterns by category. Group violations by severity. Note gray areas with reasoning.
Check Mode (/tiger-style check)
When invoked with check:
- Scan the current file, staged changes, or recently modified Zig files.
- Report only violations, grouped by severity (CRITICAL first, then MAJOR, then MINOR).
- Skip aligned patterns and gray areas - keep output brief.
- Use the format:
SEVERITY | location | rule | issue(one line per violation).
Workflow
After analysis or check, guide the user through fixing:
- Fix CRITICAL violations first - these are safety risks.
- Fix MAJOR violations - these affect maintainability.
- MINOR violations are worth fixing but should not block progress.
- Run
/tiger-style checkto verify fixes. - Repeat until clean.
Quick Lookup
| Topic | See | Key Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Assertions | SAFETY.md | Min 2 per function, pair assertions, split compound |
| Control flow | SAFETY.md | No recursion, split compound conditions, every if has else |
| Memory | SAFETY.md | Static only, no dynamic after init |
| Function size | SAFETY.md | Max 70 lines |
| Types | SAFETY.md | Explicit sizes (u32 not usize) |
| Performance | PERFORMANCE.md | Design-time thinking, batching, buffer bleeds |
| Resources | PERFORMANCE.md | Network > disk > memory > CPU |
| Naming | DX.md | snake_case, units last, semantic richness |
| Formatting | DX.md | 80 cols, 4-space indent, braces on ifs |
| Bug prevention | DX.md | Off-by-one, explicit division, options structs |
| Pre-submit | CHECKLIST.md | Quick validation checklist |
| Report format | REPORT_FORMAT.md | Analysis output template |
Our Customizations (vs pure TigerStyle)
| Rule | TigerStyle | Our Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Line length | 100 columns | 80 columns |
| Assertions | 2+ per function | Same |
| Memory in structs | Never store allocator | Same + never store Io |
Severity Definitions
| Severity | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CRITICAL | Safety risk: missing assertions, unbounded loops, dynamic memory, ignored errors, missing else branches |
| MAJOR | Maintainability: function too long, complex control flow, usize instead of explicit type |
| MINOR | Style: naming, formatting, comments |