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feat(instructions): add writing style guide for markdown content#151

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WilliamBerryiii merged 2 commits intomainfrom
feat/150-writing-style-instructions
Jan 6, 2026
Merged

feat(instructions): add writing style guide for markdown content#151
WilliamBerryiii merged 2 commits intomainfrom
feat/150-writing-style-instructions

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Pull Request

Description

Add a writing style guide to .github/instructions/ that defines voice, tone, and language conventions for all markdown content in the repository.

This instruction file establishes:

  • Voice and Tone: Guidance for formal vs. instructional contexts with adaptability principles
  • Language and Vocabulary: Precision, variety, and jargon handling conventions
  • Sentence Structure: Length variation and clarity principles
  • Pronoun Usage: Context-appropriate selection patterns ("we", "you", "I", impersonal)
  • Clarity Principles: Front-loading information, using examples, avoiding buried ledes
  • Adaptability: Register shifting by document type (strategic → technical → casual)

The applyTo frontmatter targets **/*.md so these instructions apply automatically to all markdown files.

Related Issue(s)

Fixes #150

Type of Change

Select all that apply:

Code & Documentation:

  • Bug fix (non-breaking change fixing an issue)
  • New feature (non-breaking change adding functionality)
  • Breaking change (fix or feature causing existing functionality to change)
  • Documentation update

Infrastructure & Configuration:

  • GitHub Actions workflow
  • Linting configuration (markdown, PowerShell, etc.)
  • Security configuration
  • DevContainer configuration
  • Dependency update

AI Artifacts:

  • Reviewed contribution with prompt-builder chatmode and addressed all feedback
  • Copilot instructions (.github/instructions/*.instructions.md)
  • Copilot prompt (.github/prompts/*.prompt.md)
  • Copilot chatmode (.github/chatmodes/*.chatmode.md)

Other:

  • Script/automation (.ps1, .sh, .py)
  • Other (please describe):

Sample Prompts (for AI Artifact Contributions)

User Request:
"Help me write documentation for this new feature" or any markdown editing task.

Execution Flow:

  1. When editing any .md file, the instruction is automatically applied via applyTo: '**/*.md'
  2. Copilot references the voice, tone, and structural guidelines
  3. Generated content follows pronoun conventions, sentence variety, and clarity principles

Output Artifacts:
Markdown content that follows consistent style conventions across the repository.

Success Indicators:

  • Documentation maintains professional yet accessible tone
  • Pronoun usage matches context (team voice, instructional, personal insight)
  • Sentence length varies appropriately for readability
  • Important information is front-loaded

Testing

  • Evaluated existing repository documentation against the proposed guidelines
  • Confirmed strong compliance with current docs, validating that guidelines formalize existing patterns

Checklist

Required Checks

  • Documentation is updated (if applicable)
  • Files follow existing naming conventions
  • Changes are backwards compatible (if applicable)

AI Artifact Contributions

  • Used prompt-builder chatmode to review contribution
  • Addressed all feedback from prompt-builder review
  • Verified contribution follows common standards and type-specific requirements

Required Automated Checks

The following validation commands must pass before merging:

  • Markdown linting: npm run lint:md
  • Spell checking: npm run spell-check
  • Frontmatter validation: npm run lint:frontmatter
  • Link validation: npm run lint:md-links
  • PowerShell analysis: npm run lint:ps

Security Considerations

  • This PR does not contain any sensitive or NDA information
  • Any new dependencies have been reviewed for security issues
  • Security-related scripts follow the principle of least privilege

Additional Notes

This instruction file formalizes writing patterns already observed in the repository's best documentation. It provides objective criteria for style review and helps AI assistants generate content matching existing conventions.


📝 - Generated by Copilot

- define voice and tone conventions for formal and instructional contexts
- establish language, vocabulary, and sentence structure guidelines
- document pronoun usage patterns by context type
- include clarity principles and adaptability guidance

Fixes #150

📝 - Generated by Copilot
Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings January 5, 2026 21:32
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github-actions bot commented Jan 5, 2026

Dependency Review

✅ No vulnerabilities or license issues or OpenSSF Scorecard issues found.

Scanned Files

None

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Pull request overview

This PR introduces a comprehensive writing style guide to formalize voice, tone, and language conventions across all markdown documentation. The guide complements the existing markdown formatting rules by focusing on content style rather than technical formatting, establishing clear patterns for pronoun usage, sentence structure, and register adaptation.

Key changes:

  • Adds voice and tone guidance with context-specific conventions (formal vs. instructional)
  • Defines clarity principles including front-loading information and using varied vocabulary
  • Establishes pronoun usage patterns mapped to document context (team voice, instructional, personal, neutral)

…yle guide

- update description frontmatter to imperative phrasing
- add Patterns to Avoid section covering em dashes, bolded-prefix lists, hedging, and self-referential writing
- add Callouts and Alerts section documenting GitHub-flavored markdown alert types with usage examples

📝 - Generated by Copilot
@WilliamBerryiii WilliamBerryiii merged commit 02df6a8 into main Jan 6, 2026
14 checks passed
@WilliamBerryiii WilliamBerryiii deleted the feat/150-writing-style-instructions branch January 6, 2026 05:15
WilliamBerryiii pushed a commit that referenced this pull request Jan 19, 2026
🤖 I have created a release *beep* *boop*
---


##
[1.1.0](hve-core-v1.0.0...hve-core-v1.1.0)
(2026-01-19)


### ✨ Features

* **.devcontainer:** add development container configuration
([#24](#24))
([45debf5](45debf5))
* **.github:** add github metadata and mcp configuration
([#23](#23))
([1cb898d](1cb898d))
* **agent:** Add automated installation via hve-core-installer agent
([#82](#82))
([a2716d5](a2716d5))
* **agents:** add brd-builder.agent.md for building BRDs
([#122](#122))
([bfdc9f3](bfdc9f3))
* **agents:** redesign installer with Codespaces support and method
documentation ([#123](#123))
([6329fc0](6329fc0))
* **ai:** Establish AI-Assisted Development Framework
([#48](#48))
([f5199a4](f5199a4))
* **build:** implement automated release management with release-please
([#86](#86))
([90150e2](90150e2))
* **chatmodes:** add architecture diagram builder agent
([#145](#145))
([db24637](db24637))
* **config:** add development tools configuration files
([#19](#19))
([9f97522](9f97522))
* **config:** add npm package configuration and dependencies
([#20](#20))
([fcba198](fcba198))
* **copilot:** add GitHub Copilot instruction files
([#22](#22))
([4927284](4927284))
* **copilot:** add specialized chat modes for development workflows
([#21](#21))
([ae8495f](ae8495f))
* **docs:** add comprehensive AI artifact contribution documentation
([#76](#76))
([d81cf96](d81cf96))
* **docs:** add getting started guide for project configuration
([#57](#57))
([3b864fa](3b864fa))
* **docs:** add repository foundation and documentation files
([#18](#18))
([ad7efb6](ad7efb6)),
closes [#2](#2)
* **docs:** add RPI workflow documentation and restructure docs folder
([#102](#102))
([c3af708](c3af708))
* **extension:** hve core vs code extension
([#149](#149))
([041a1fd](041a1fd))
* **extension:** implement pre-release versioning with agent maturity
filtering ([#179](#179))
([fb38233](fb38233))
* **instructions:** add authoring standards for prompt engineering
artifacts ([#177](#177))
([5de3af9](5de3af9))
* **instructions:** add extension quick install and enhance installer
agent ([#176](#176))
([48e3d58](48e3d58))
* **instructions:** add VS Code variant prompt and gitignore
recommendation to installer
([#185](#185))
([b400493](b400493))
* **instructions:** add writing style guide for markdown content
([#151](#151))
([02df6a8](02df6a8))
* **instructions:** consolidate C# guidelines and update prompt agent
fields ([#158](#158))
([65342d4](65342d4))
* **instructions:** provide guidance on using safe commands to reduce
interactive prompting
([#117](#117))
([1268580](1268580))
* **linting:** add linting and validation scripts
([#26](#26))
([66be136](66be136))
* **prompt-builder:** enhance prompt engineering instructions and
validation protocols
([#155](#155))
([bc5004f](bc5004f))
* **prompts:** add ADR placement planning and update template paths
([#69](#69))
([380885f](380885f))
* **prompts:** add git workflow prompts from edge-ai
([#84](#84))
([56d66b6](56d66b6))
* **prompts:** add github-add-issue prompt and github-issue-manager
chatmode with delegation pattern
([#55](#55))
([d0e1789](d0e1789))
* **prompts:** add PR template discovery and integration to pull-request
prompt ([#141](#141))
([b8a4c7a](b8a4c7a))
* **prompts:** add task research initiation prompt and rpi
agent([#124](#124))
([5113e3b](5113e3b))
* **release:** implement release management strategy
([#161](#161))
([6164c3b](6164c3b))
* Risk Register Prompt
([#146](#146))
([843982c](843982c))
* **scripts:** enhanced JSON Schema validation for markdown frontmatter
([#59](#59))
([aba152c](aba152c))
* **security:** add checksum validation infrastructure
([#106](#106))
([07528fb](07528fb))
* **security:** add security scanning scripts
([#25](#25))
([82de5a1](82de5a1))
* **workflows:** add CodeQL security analysis to PR validation
([#132](#132))
([e5b6e8f](e5b6e8f))
* **workflows:** add orchestration workflows and documentation
([#29](#29))
([de442e0](de442e0))
* **workflows:** add security reusable workflows
([#28](#28))
([2c74399](2c74399))
* **workflows:** add validation reusable workflows
([#27](#27))
([f52352d](f52352d))


### 🐛 Bug Fixes

* **build:** add token parameter to release-please action
([#166](#166))
([c9189ec](c9189ec))
* **build:** disable MD012 lint rule in CHANGELOG for release-please
compatibility ([#173](#173))
([54502d8](54502d8)),
closes [#172](#172)
* **build:** pin npm commands for OpenSSF Scorecard compliance
([#181](#181))
([c29db54](c29db54))
* **build:** remediate GHSA-g9mf-h72j-4rw9 undici vulnerability
([#188](#188))
([634bf36](634bf36))
* **build:** seed CHANGELOG.md with version entry for release-please
frontmatter preservation
([#170](#170))
([2b299ac](2b299ac))
* **build:** use GitHub App token for release-please
([#167](#167))
([070e042](070e042))
* **build:** use hashtable splatting for named parameters
([#164](#164))
([02a965f](02a965f))
* **devcontainer:** remove unused Python requirements check
([#78](#78))
([f17a872](f17a872)),
closes [#77](#77)
* **docs:** fix broken links and update validation for .vscode/README.md
([#118](#118))
([160ae7a](160ae7a))
* **docs:** improve language consistency in Automated Installation
section ([#139](#139))
([a932918](a932918))
* **docs:** replace install button anchor with VS Code protocol handler
([#111](#111))
([41a265e](41a265e))
* **docs:** update install badges to use aka.ms redirect URLs
([#114](#114))
([868f655](868f655))
* **linting:** use cross-platform path separators in gitignore pattern
matching ([#121](#121))
([3f0aa1b](3f0aa1b))
* **scripts:** accepts the token (YYYY-MM-dd) in frontmatter validation
([#133](#133))
([2648215](2648215))
* **tools:** correct Method 5 path resolution in hve-core-installer
([#129](#129))
([57ef20d](57ef20d))


### 📚 Documentation

* add comprehensive RPI workflow documentation
([#153](#153))
([cbaa4a9](cbaa4a9))
* enhance README with contributing, responsible AI, and legal sections
([#52](#52))
([a424adc](a424adc))


### ♻️ Refactoring

* **instructions:** consolidate and enhance AI artifact guidelines
([#206](#206))
([54dd959](54dd959))
* migrate chatmodes to agents architecture
([#210](#210))
([712b0b7](712b0b7))


### 🔧 Maintenance

* **build:** clean up workflow permissions for Scorecard compliance
([#183](#183))
([64686e7](64686e7))
* **deps-dev:** bump cspell in the npm-dependencies group
([#61](#61))
([38650eb](38650eb))
* **deps-dev:** bump glob from 10.4.5 to 10.5.0
([#74](#74))
([b3ca9fd](b3ca9fd))
* **deps-dev:** bump markdownlint-cli2 from 0.19.1 to 0.20.0 in the
npm-dependencies group
([#134](#134))
([ebfbe84](ebfbe84))
* **deps-dev:** bump the npm-dependencies group across 1 directory with
2 updates ([#109](#109))
([936ab84](936ab84))
* **deps-dev:** bump the npm-dependencies group with 2 updates
([#30](#30))
([cf99cbf](cf99cbf))
* **deps:** bump actions/upload-artifact from 5.0.0 to 6.0.0 in the
github-actions group
([#142](#142))
([91eac8a](91eac8a))
* **deps:** bump js-yaml, markdown-link-check and markdownlint-cli2
([#75](#75))
([af03d0e](af03d0e))
* **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 2 updates
([#108](#108))
([3e56313](3e56313))
* **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 2 updates
([#135](#135))
([4538a03](4538a03))
* **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 2 updates
([#62](#62))
([d1e0c09](d1e0c09))
* **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 3 updates
([#87](#87))
([ed550f4](ed550f4))
* **deps:** bump the github-actions group with 6 updates
([#162](#162))
([ec5bb12](ec5bb12))
* **devcontainer:** enhance gitleaks installation with checksum
verification ([#100](#100))
([5a8507d](5a8507d))
* **devcontainer:** refactor setup scripts for improved dependency
management ([#94](#94))
([f5f50d1](f5f50d1)),
closes [#98](#98)
* **security:** configure GitHub branch protection for OpenSSF
compliance ([#191](#191))
([90aab1a](90aab1a))

---
This PR was generated with [Release
Please](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please). See
[documentation](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please#release-please).

Co-authored-by: hve-core-release-please[bot] <254602402+hve-core-release-please[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
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[Instruction File]: writing-style.instructions.md

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