Project Safety Skill

CRITICAL RULE: Never delete data or code files. Never. Use legacy/ folder for originals. Copy, don't move.

Establish safety rules and structures before Codex makes changes to research projects.

Purpose

Based on Scott Cunningham's workflow: prevent accidental data loss by establishing rules and using legacy folders before Codex reorganizes or modifies project files.

When to Use

• Starting a new research project folder
• Before asking Codex to reorganize files
• When Codex will be running code or modifying data
• Setting up a project for collaborative work

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Safety Rules Template

Add this to any project's AGENTS.md file:

## Safety Rules

1. **Never delete data files** — No .csv, .dta, .xlsx, .parquet, or any data format
2. **Never delete code files** — No .py, .R, .do, .tex, .md or scripts
3. **Use legacy/ folder** — If reorganizing, move originals to legacy/ first
4. **Copy from legacy, don't move** — Always preserve the original

### If you need to reorganize:
1. Create a legacy/ folder if it doesn't exist
2. Move ALL original files into legacy/
3. Copy (not move) needed files into new structure
4. Never modify anything in legacy/

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Directory Structure

After safety setup:

project/
├── AGENTS.md           ← Safety rules + project context
├── README.md           ← Project documentation
├── legacy/             ← PROTECTED: original files
│   └── [all originals]
├── code/
│   ├── R/
│   ├── python/
│   └── stata/
├── data/
│   ├── raw/            ← Copied from legacy, never modified
│   └── processed/
├── output/
│   ├── figures/
│   └── tables/
├── docs/
│   └── manuscript/
└── log/                ← Progress logs

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Dry Run Pattern

Before Codex executes potentially destructive operations, ask for a preview:

"Tell me what commands you would run to reorganize this folder, but don't execute them yet."

"Show me what files would be affected by this change before you make it."

"Walk me through your plan for cleaning this data before you run any code."

When to use dry runs:

• File operations (move, delete, rename)
• Git operations (reset, clean, force push)
• Database operations
• Batch processing
• Any operation affecting multiple files

After reviewing:

• If correct: "Go ahead"
• If wrong: "Wait — don't do X, instead Y"

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Workflow

1. Create AGENTS.md with safety rules
2. Create legacy/ folder
3. Move all originals to legacy/
4. Copy needed files into new structure
5. Verify legacy/ contains everything
6. Proceed with project work

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Prompt Template

I'm starting work on [PROJECT]. Before we do anything:

1. Create a AGENTS.md with safety rules (never delete data/code, use legacy folder)
2. Create a legacy/ folder
3. Move all existing files into legacy/
4. Show me the proposed new directory structure before creating it

Do a dry run first — tell me what you would do before doing it.

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Why This Matters

• Codex operates at speed — mistakes happen fast
• You can't always verify what Codex will do before it does it
• Version control (git, Dropbox) helps but prevention is better
• The legacy/ folder is your safety net
• Dry runs give you a chance to catch mistakes

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Example Use

"Set up my new Carbon Markets project with proper safety rules. Create the AGENTS.md, legacy folder, and recommended directory structure. Show me your plan before executing."