# 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.
* **Unified API and UI:** For demo purposes, both the API endpoints and admin UI should be served by the same Flask application.

## 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.
* **Templates:** Store HTML templates in the `templates/` directory, with admin-specific templates in `templates/admin/`.

## Documentation Guidelines

* **Keep Documentation Updated:** Update TASK.md as features are implemented to track progress.
* **Readme First:** README.md should always reflect the current state of the project and provide clear setup instructions.
* **Code Comments:** Keep code comments in sync with implementation changes.
* **API Documentation:** Document all API endpoints, including request/response formats.

## 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.