nt8-sdk/development_workflow.md

NT8 Institutional SDK - Development Workflow

Overview

This document outlines the development workflow for the NT8 Institutional SDK, following the Archon workflow principles even in the absence of the Archon MCP server.

Archon Workflow Principles

The development process follows these core principles adapted from the Archon workflow:

1. Check Current Task

Before beginning any work, clearly define what needs to be accomplished:

• Review requirements and specifications
• Understand success criteria
• Identify dependencies and blockers

2. Research for Task

Conduct thorough research before implementation:

• Review existing code and documentation
• Understand best practices and patterns
• Identify potential challenges and solutions

3. Implement the Task

Execute the implementation with focus and precision:

• Follow established patterns and conventions
• Write clean, maintainable code
• Include comprehensive error handling
• Add structured logging for observability

4. Update Task Status

Track progress and document completion:

• Mark tasks as completed in the todo list
• Document any issues or deviations
• Note lessons learned for future reference

5. Get Next Task

Move systematically through the implementation:

• Prioritize tasks based on dependencies
• Focus on one task at a time
• Ensure quality before moving forward

Development Process

Phase 1: Planning and Design

1. Review specifications and requirements
2. Create architecture diagrams and documentation
3. Identify core components and their interactions
4. Plan implementation approach and timeline

Phase 2: Environment Setup

1. Create project structure and configuration files
2. Set up build and test infrastructure
3. Configure CI/CD pipeline
4. Verify development environment

Phase 3: Core Implementation

1. Implement core interfaces and models
2. Develop risk management components
3. Create position sizing algorithms
4. Build supporting utilities and helpers

Phase 4: Testing and Validation

1. Create comprehensive unit tests
2. Implement integration tests
3. Run validation scripts
4. Verify all success criteria

Phase 5: Documentation and Delivery

1. Create developer documentation
2. Write user guides and examples
3. Prepare release notes
4. Conduct final validation

Code Quality Standards

1. Code Structure

• Follow established naming conventions
• Use consistent formatting and style
• Organize code into logical modules
• Maintain clear separation of concerns

2. Error Handling

• Validate all inputs and parameters
• Provide meaningful error messages
• Handle exceptions gracefully
• Log errors for debugging

3. Testing

• Write unit tests for all public methods
• Include edge case testing
• Validate error conditions
• Maintain >90% code coverage

4. Documentation

• Include XML documentation for all public APIs
• Add inline comments for complex logic
• Document configuration options
• Provide usage examples

Git Workflow

Branching Strategy

• Use feature branches for all development
• Create branches from main for new features
• Keep feature branches short-lived
• Merge to main after review and testing

Commit Guidelines

• Write clear, descriptive commit messages
• Make small, focused commits
• Reference issues or tasks in commit messages
• Squash related commits before merging

Pull Request Process

• Create PRs for all feature work
• Include description of changes and testing
• Request review from team members
• Address feedback before merging

Development Environment

Required Tools

• .NET 6.0 SDK
• Visual Studio Code or Visual Studio
• Git for version control
• Docker Desktop (recommended)

Recommended Extensions

• C# for Visual Studio Code
• EditorConfig for VS Code
• GitLens for enhanced Git experience
• Docker extension for container management

Build and Test Process

Local Development

1. Restore NuGet packages: dotnet restore
2. Build solution: dotnet build
3. Run tests: dotnet test
4. Run specific test categories if needed

Continuous Integration

• Automated builds on every commit
• Run full test suite on each build
• Generate code coverage reports
• Deploy to test environments

Debugging and Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Build Failures

   • Check for missing NuGet packages
   • Verify .NET SDK version
   • Ensure all projects reference correct frameworks

2. Test Failures

   • Review test output for specific errors
   • Check test data and setup
   • Verify mock configurations

3. Runtime Errors

   • Check logs for error details
   • Validate configuration settings
   • Review dependency injection setup

Debugging Tools

• Visual Studio debugger
• Console logging
• Structured logging with correlation IDs
• Performance profiling tools

Release Process

Versioning

• Follow semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
• Increment version in Directory.Build.props
• Update release notes with changes
• Tag releases in Git

Deployment

• Create NuGet packages for SDK components
• Publish to internal package repository
• Update documentation with release notes
• Notify stakeholders of new releases

Best Practices

1. Code Reviews

• Review all code before merging
• Focus on correctness, maintainability, and performance
• Provide constructive feedback
• Ensure adherence to coding standards

2. Performance Considerations

• Minimize allocations in hot paths
• Use efficient data structures
• Cache expensive operations
• Profile performance regularly

3. Security

• Validate all inputs
• Sanitize user data
• Protect sensitive configuration
• Follow secure coding practices

4. Maintainability

• Write self-documenting code
• Use meaningful variable and method names
• Keep methods small and focused
• Refactor regularly to improve design

Task Management Without Archon

Since we're not using the Archon MCP server, we'll manage tasks using:

1. Todo Lists: Track progress using markdown checklists
2. Documentation: Maintain detailed records of implementation decisions
3. Git: Use commits and branches to track work progress
4. Issue Tracking: Use GitHub Issues or similar for task management

Task Status Tracking

• Todo: Task identified but not started
• In Progress: Actively working on task
• Review: Task completed, awaiting validation
• Done: Task validated and completed

Communication and Collaboration

Team Coordination

• Hold regular standups to discuss progress
• Use collaborative tools for communication
• Document architectural decisions
• Share knowledge and best practices

Knowledge Sharing

• Conduct code walkthroughs for complex features
• Create technical documentation
• Share lessons learned from issues
• Mentor new team members

Conclusion

This development workflow ensures consistent, high-quality implementation of the NT8 Institutional SDK. By following these principles and practices, we can deliver a robust, maintainable, and scalable trading platform that meets institutional requirements for risk management and performance.

The workflow emphasizes systematic progress, quality assurance, and continuous improvement. Each task should be approached with thorough research, careful implementation, and comprehensive validation to ensure the highest quality outcome.