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.clinerules

Cline rules for Unity

Cline and Roo Code read project rules before they edit. A root `.clinerules` file is the shared place for stack commands, safety limits, and how the agent should use tools. This copy is written for a Unity project. This repository is a Unity project in C#. Compose behavior with components, expose inspector values with SerializeField, and keep the Unity API on the main thread.

The example uses a balanced, readable style, pragmatic tests, and comments only where the intent is not obvious. Open the generator to make the agent stricter, switch to test-first, quiet the comments, or pick a different file.

The example assumes Unity LTS and C# MonoBehaviours. It does not assume Netcode, Addressables, or a particular input system. If the project uses the new Input System or a custom framework, follow that.

Example file

Balanced strictness, readable style, pragmatic tests. Download name: .clinerules

# Cline and Roo rules

Project rules for Cline and Roo Code in this Unity repository.
Use the project's commands. Do not invent a package manager, and do not run destructive shell commands.

## Tool use

- Read the files you will change before editing them.
- Prefer a focused patch over rewriting a whole file.
- Run the test command from this file after a behavior change, or say why you could not.
- Do not delete generated folders, lockfiles, or migrations unless the task says so.

## Stack

This repository is a Unity project in C#. Compose behavior with components, expose inspector values with SerializeField, and keep the Unity API on the main thread.

## Layout

- Runtime scripts live under `Assets/` in the folder the feature already uses.
- Editor-only code lives in an `Editor` folder or an editor assembly definition.
- Prefabs and ScriptableObjects are the data. Do not hard-code tuning numbers that designers already edit in the inspector.

## Commands

- Open: `Open the project in the Unity Editor for this version`
- Tests: `Window > General > Test Runner`
- Play: `Enter Play Mode from the scene you changed`

Use the script the repo already defines when it differs from the command above.

## Conventions

- Expose inspector fields with `[SerializeField]` and a private field. Do not make fields public just to show them.
- Cache component references in `Awake` or via `[SerializeField]`. Do not call `GetComponent` or `Find` methods inside `Update`.
- Use events, UnityEvents, or a message the project already has. Do not poll a flag every frame when a callback exists.
- Scene and prefab changes are part of the change. Do not leave a missing script behind.
- Keep gameplay code out of `Editor` assemblies, and editor windows out of runtime assemblies.
- Match the naming already in the assembly: PascalCase for types and methods, the project's field prefix if it has one.

## Testing

Add or update tests when behavior changes.

Use the Unity Test Framework. Prefer an Edit Mode test for pure C# and a Play Mode test only when you need the engine.

## Style

- Optimize for the next reader over the shortest diff.
- Comment only when the why is non-obvious.
- Name things the way neighboring files already do.
- Do not reformat code you did not change.

## Errors

- Fail at the boundary. Do not swallow errors.
- Log with context (`Debug.LogError(message, this)`) for unexpected states. Disable the component or skip the frame for a missing optional reference, and say which reference.

## Scope

- Do the requested task. Do not refactor unrelated code.
- Match the rigor already in the repo. Fix what you touch.
- Ask one clarifying question only when the task cannot be finished without it. Otherwise state the assumption and continue.

## Avoid

- Do not touch `UnityEngine` objects from a worker thread.
- Do not use `GameObject.Find` or `FindObjectOfType` in `Update`.
- Do not compare tags with `==` on a typo-prone string when `CompareTag` will do.
- Do not commit `Library/` or other generated folders. Respect the project's `.gitignore`.

## Done when

- The requested behavior works.
- The script compiles in the Editor, and you ran the Test Runner or Play Mode for the scene you touched.
- The diff stays inside the task.
- You list anything you could not run.

Add it to the project

  1. 01

    Copy a starting file

    Copy the example Cline rules on this page, or open the generator if you want different testing, strictness, or comment rules.

  2. 02

    Save it at .clinerules

    Save it as `.clinerules` at the root of the Unity repo. If you use Roo Code rules per folder, copy the body to `.roo/rules/project.md` as well.

  3. 03

    Start a fresh agent session

    Rules files are read when a session starts. A chat that is already open may still be using the old instructions.

  4. 04

    Give it one small task

    Ask for one change a Unity agent often gets wrong, such as a component that moves work out of Update when it only needs to react to an event. If it ignores the file, confirm the path and start a new session.

Questions about this file

Where do I put Cline rules in a Unity repo?

Save it as `.clinerules` at the root of the Unity repo. If you use Roo Code rules per folder, copy the body to `.roo/rules/project.md` as well.

Which tools read this Cline rules?

Cline reads `.clinerules`. Roo Code reads `.clinerules` and can also load `.roo/rules`. Other agents ignore this filename.

What does the Unity example assume?

The example assumes Unity LTS and C# MonoBehaviours. It does not assume Netcode, Addressables, or a particular input system. If the project uses the new Input System or a custom framework, follow that.

Does VibeSpell upload my repository?

No. Recipe pages are static, and the generator builds the file in your browser from the options you pick. Your source code never leaves the machine.

Other files for Unity

Cline rules for other stacks