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+# Project Planning and Code Guidelines
+
+## General Code Guidelines
+
+* **Modular Design:** Use Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) where possible to separate concerns and promote code reuse.
+* **File Size Limit:** No single Python file should exceed **600 lines** to improve readability and maintainability.
+* **Commenting:**
+
+  * Use clear, concise comments to explain complex logic.
+  * Include function and class docstrings where appropriate.
+  * Use in-line comments sparingly and only when the logic is not immediately obvious.
+* **Code Structure:**
+
+  * Follow the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern where applicable.
+  * Group related classes and functions into separate modules for clarity.
+* **Error Handling:** Implement robust error handling with meaningful messages and fallback behavior where possible.
+* **Readability:**
+
+  * Use meaningful variable and function names.
+  * Avoid deeply nested loops and conditionals where possible.
+
+## API Design Guidelines
+
+* **RESTful Endpoints:** Use RESTful conventions for all API endpoints.
+* **Status Codes:** Return appropriate HTTP status codes (e.g., 200 for success, 404 for not found, 500 for server error).
+* **Error Responses:** Provide consistent and descriptive error messages.
+* **Data Validation:** Validate all incoming data to prevent unexpected behavior and security issues.
+
+## File Organization
+
+* **Static Files:** Store images in the `static/images/` directory.
+* **Product Data:** Store product metadata in `products.json`.
+* **Configuration Files:** Use a dedicated `config/` directory for environment-specific settings.
+
+## Security Guidelines
+
+* **No Hardcoded Credentials:** Avoid hardcoding sensitive information like passwords or API keys.
+* **Input Sanitization:** Validate and sanitize all user input to prevent injection attacks.
+* **Minimal Permissions:** Run the application with the least required privileges.
+
+## Future Considerations
+
+* **Scalability:** Plan for the potential migration to a database if the product catalog grows.
+* **API Rate Limiting:** Consider adding rate limiting for public APIs.
+* **Monitoring and Logging:** Implement basic logging for audit trails and error diagnosis.
+* **Deployment Automation:** Use Docker or other containerization for easy deployment and scaling.