# Cursor Rules - Group 1: Development Philosophy & Coding Conventions

1. Overall Architecture & Structure:
   - Enforce a clear separation of concerns between the backend (Express, Passport, Swagger-documented API routes, service layers, and configuration files) and the frontend (Next.js with React and TypeScript, using functional components, hooks, and proper layouts).
   - Ensure that backend modules (routes, services, helpers) and frontend components (pages, components, layouts) are organized for reusability and maintainability.

2. Coding Style & Formatting:
   - For the backend (JavaScript):
       • Use ES6+ features (const/let, arrow functions) consistently.
       • Follow Prettier and ESLint configurations (e.g., consistent 2-space indentation, semicolons, and single quotes).
       • Maintain clear asynchronous patterns with helper wrappers (e.g., wrapAsync) for error handling.
       • Document API endpoints with inline Swagger comments to ensure API clarity and consistency.
   - For the frontend (TypeScript/React):
       • Use functional components with strict typing and separation of concerns.
       • Follow naming conventions: PascalCase for components and types/interfaces, camelCase for variables, hooks, and function names.
       • Utilize hooks (useEffect, useState) to manage state and lifecycle in a clear and concise manner.

3. Code Quality & Best Practices:
   - Ensure code modularity by splitting complex logic into smaller, testable units (e.g., dedicated route handlers, service functions, and reusable UI components).
   - Write self-documenting code and add comments where the logic is non-trivial, especially for asynchronous operations.
   - Embrace declarative programming and adhere to SOLID principles, making sure that responsibilities are clearly delineated between layers.

4. Consistency & Tools Integration:
   - Leverage existing tools like Prettier and ESLint to automatically enforce style and formatting rules in both backend and frontend codebases.
   - Use TypeScript in the frontend to ensure type safety and catch errors early in the development cycle.
   - Maintain uniformity in API design and error handling strategies (e.g., consistent use of passport for authentication and common error handling middleware).