# Windsurf-Hooker: Enforcement Gaps Analysis
## Current Status
Windsurf-hooker has 3 primary pre-write enforcement hooks:
1. ✅ `pre_write_code_escape_detection.py` - Blocks subprocess, socket, etc.
2. ✅ `pre_write_code_policy.py` - Enforces prohibited patterns, logic preservation
3. ⚠️ `pre_write_diff_quality.py` - Warns but doesn't enforce (except in SHIP mode)
## Intended Purpose vs Reality
### Intent (from AGENTS.md)
Windsurf-hooker should enforce:
- ✅ Comprehensive commentary throughout code
- ✅ Everything debuggable by default
- ❌ **No TODOs, FIXMEs**
- ❌ **No simplified/placeholder code**
- ❌ **No mock data**
- ❌ **No stub code**
- ✅ Real, working, 100% correct code
### What's Actually Enforced
| Rule | Enforcement | Gap |
|------|-------------|-----|
| No TODOs/FIXMEs | ✅ Checked in policy | ⚠️ Only if in `prohibited_patterns` |
| No mock data | ✅ Checked in escape detection | ✅ OK |
| No stub code | ✅ Checked in policy | ⚠️ Only if patterns match |
| No simplified code | ⚠️ Partial (logic preservation) | ❌ Doesn't check code quality/depth |
| Comprehensive comments | ❌ **NOT ENFORCED** | 🔴 CRITICAL GAP |
| Debuggability | ❌ **NOT ENFORCED** | 🔴 CRITICAL GAP |
| 100% complete code | ❌ **NOT ENFORCED** | 🔴 CRITICAL GAP |
---
## Critical Gaps
### Gap 1: No Comment/Documentation Enforcement
**Missing:** Validation that code has sufficient, high-quality comments.
Current state: `pre_write_diff_quality.py` only warns about generated code lacking comments in SHIP mode.
**Should enforce:**
- Functions must have docstrings
- Complex logic must have inline comments explaining WHY (not WHAT)
- Public APIs must document parameters, return values, exceptions
- No code without accompanying explanation
### Gap 2: No Completeness Check
**Missing:** Validation that code is 100% implemented (no TODOs masked as comments).
Current state: Regex checks `prohibited_patterns` but:
- May not catch all variants (e.g., `# TODO: `, `// FIXME:`, `/* todo */`)
- Doesn't catch semantic TODOs like `pass`, `return None`, `raise NotImplementedError`
**Should enforce:**
- No TODO, FIXME, XXX comments (any case variant)
- No `pass` statements (except empty except blocks)
- No `raise NotImplementedError` or `raise TODO`
- No placeholder returns like `return None` or `return {}`
- All control paths must lead to real code
### Gap 3: No Code Quality/Depth Enforcement
**Missing:** Validation that written code is actually good/thoughtful.
Current state: No checks for:
- Overly simplified implementations
- Missing error handling
- Hardcoded values instead of parameterization
- Lack of type annotations (Python/TypeScript)
- No validation of business logic correctness
### Gap 4: No Debuggability Enforcement
**Missing:** Validation that code is debuggable and traceable.
**Should enforce:**
- Meaningful variable names (not `x`, `temp`, `data`)
- Functions are reasonably sized (< 100 lines typical)
- Error messages are informative (not generic)
- State changes are trackable
- No silent failures or swallowed exceptions
---
## Comparison: ATLAS-GATE vs Windsurf-Hooker
### ATLAS-GATE (server-side, post-write)
From `write_file.js` GATE 4:
```javascript
// GATE 4: ENTERPRISE CODE ENFORCEMENT (OBJECTIVE 3)
// HARD BLOCK: No stubs, mocks, placeholders, TODOs, or non-enterprise code
detectStubs(contentToWrite, normalizedPath);
```
Also in GATE 2.5 (write-time policy):
```javascript
// GATE 2.5: WRITE-TIME POLICY ENGINE (FAIL-CLOSED)
// - Universal denylist (TODOs, empty catches, debug bypasses)
// - Language-specific rules (Rust unwrap, TS any, Python randomness)
```
### Windsurf-Hooker (client-side, pre-write)
Supposed to catch the same issues **before** reaching ATLAS-GATE, but:
- Less comprehensive
- More warnings than blocks
- Doesn't enforce code quality depth
---
## Proposed New Hooks
### 1. `pre_write_comprehensive_comments.py` (NEW)
**Purpose:** Enforce detailed, meaningful commentary.
```python
# Checks:
# - Every function/class has a docstring
# - Complex logic has inline comments (min ratio)
# - Comments explain WHY not WHAT
# - No empty docstrings or one-liners for complex code
# - Comments are accurate to code
```
### 2. `pre_write_completeness.py` (NEW)
**Purpose:** Enforce 100% implementation (no TODOs, no stubs).
```python
# Checks:
# - No TODO, FIXME, XXX, HACK (any case)
# - No pass statements (except catch-all except blocks)
# - No raise NotImplementedError
# - No placeholder returns (None, {}, [], etc. as full function)
# - All control paths have real code
# - No unimplemented features
```
**Patterns to block:**
```python
r"\b(TODO|FIXME|XXX|HACK|BUG|NOTE|TEMP)\b" # Comments
r"^\s*pass\s*$" # pass keyword
r"raise\s+(NotImplementedError|TODO)" # Stub raises
r"^\s*return\s*$" # Empty return
r"^\s*return\s+(None|{}|\[\])\s*$" # Placeholder return
r"^\s*\.\.\.\s*$" # Ellipsis placeholder
r"^\s*unimplemented" # Rust unimplemented
```
### 3. `pre_write_code_quality.py` (NEW - Enhanced)
**Purpose:** Enforce thoughtful, production-grade code.
```python
# Checks:
# - Function length (flag >100 lines)
# - Variable naming (no x, temp, data, val, etc.)
# - Error handling completeness
# - Type annotations present (Python/TS)
# - Hard-coded values are parameterized
# - No debug/test code in production
# - No commented-out code (use git history)
```
### 4. `pre_write_debuggability.py` (NEW)
**Purpose:** Ensure code is debuggable and traceable.
```python
# Checks:
# - Meaningful error messages (not "Error" or "Failed")
# - No silent failures (unhandled exceptions logged)
# - Exception context preserved
# - Variable names convey intent
# - No magic numbers without explanation
# - State changes have audit trails
```
---
## Implementation Priority
### Phase 1 (CRITICAL)
1. `pre_write_completeness.py` - Block TODOs, stubs, incomplete code
2. Enhance `pre_write_code_policy.py` - Tighter prohibited pattern matching
### Phase 2 (HIGH)
3. `pre_write_comprehensive_comments.py` - Enforce documentation standards
4. `pre_write_code_quality.py` - Enforce thoughtful implementations
### Phase 3 (MEDIUM)
5. `pre_write_debuggability.py` - Enforce debuggability standards
---
## Current Policy File Status
From `/windsurf-hooker/windsurf/policy/policy.json`:
```json
"prohibited_patterns": {
"placeholders": ["TODO", "FIXME", "XXX", "pass", "unimplemented", "stub"],
"mock_artifacts": ["mock data", "fake data", "demo data", "hardcoded test"],
"assumptions_and_hacks": ["assume", "temporary", "for now", "hack", "workaround"],
"escape_attempts": [
"os\\.system",
"subprocess",
"exec\\(",
"eval\\(",
"\\bopen\\("
]
}
```
### Problems:
1. Pattern matching is loose (e.g., `"TODO"` matches `# This is about todos in general`)
2. No enforcement of comment quality
3. No check for function/class documentation
4. Doesn't catch masked TODOs (different case, different wording)
5. No semantic checking (e.g., empty `return` statements)
---
## Enforcement Architecture
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Windsurf IDE │
│ (User writes code) │
└──────────────────┬──────────────────────┘
│
┌──────────▼──────────┐
│ PRE-WRITE HOOKS │ (Enforced by windsurf-hooker)
│ │
│ 1. pre_user_prompt_gate
│ 2. pre_intent_classification
│ 3. pre_plan_resolution
│ ↓↓↓ CODE QUALITY GATES ↓↓↓
│ 4. pre_mcp_tool_use_atlas_gate
│ 5. pre_write_code_escape_detection ✅
│ 6. pre_write_code_policy ✅
│ 7. pre_write_comprehensive_comments ❌ MISSING
│ 8. pre_write_completeness ❌ MISSING
│ 9. pre_write_code_quality ❌ MISSING
│ 10. pre_write_debuggability ❌ MISSING
│ 11. pre_write_diff_quality ⚠️ (warnings only)
│ ↓↓↓ EXECUTION GATES ↓↓↓
│ 12. pre_filesystem_write
│ 13. pre_filesystem_write_atlas_enforcement
│ 14. pre_run_command_*
└──────────────────┬─────────────────────┘
│
┌──────────────────▼──────────────┐
│ ATLAS-GATE MCP SERVER │ (Server-side enforcement)
│ │
│ GATE 2: Plan enforcement │
│ GATE 2.5: Write-time policy │
│ GATE 4: Enterprise enforcement │
│ GATE 4.5: Preflight validation │
│ GATE 5: Audit logging │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
```
---
## Example: How Completeness Gap Affects System
### Scenario: Developer writes incomplete code
```javascript
// User writes:
function processUser(user) {
// TODO: validate user object
// TODO: sanitize inputs
console.log("Processing", user.name);
// TODO: implement actual processing
return;
}
```
### What Happens Now:
1. **Windsurf hook `pre_write_code_policy`** - Looks for "TODO" in `prohibited_patterns`
- If configured, might catch it ✅
- But could miss variants like "FIXME:", "TO-DO", etc.
- Pattern matching is fragile ⚠️
2. **ATLAS-GATE server `detectStubs()`** - Catches it after transmission ✅
- But it's wasted bandwidth
- Windsurf IDE should have caught it first
### What Should Happen:
1. **Windsurf hook `pre_write_completeness`** - Comprehensive check
- Catches "TODO" and all variants
- Rejects immediately ✅
- Never reaches server
---
## Recommendation
**Implement Phase 1 + Phase 2 immediately:**
1. Create `pre_write_completeness.py` - Mandatory completeness validation
2. Create `pre_write_comprehensive_comments.py` - Mandatory documentation validation
3. Update policy patterns to be more precise
4. Integrate into windsurf-hooker hook chain
This would **enforce the entire intended standard BEFORE ATLAS-GATE**, reducing:
- Network round-trips
- Rejection rate
- Wasted computation
- IDE friction
---
## Supporting Evidence
From `write_file.js`:
```javascript
// GATE 4: ENTERPRISE CODE ENFORCEMENT (OBJECTIVE 3)
// HARD BLOCK: No stubs, mocks, placeholders, TODOs, or non-enterprise code
detectStubs(contentToWrite, normalizedPath);
```
This gate exists at the server. Windsurf-hooker should implement the same gate (or tighter) at the client.
---
## Status
- **Current:** Windsurf-hooker covers ~60% of enforcement
- **Needed:** 4 additional hooks to reach 95%+ coverage
- **Timeline:** Can be implemented in phases
- **Impact:** Shift enforcement left (IDE-side) vs late (server-side)