Use Simplified Technical English
People and agents get one meaning from instructions, commits, comments, reviews, errors, and documentation.
Why
Agents hide requirements in long sentences, weak modal verbs, changing terms, or vague references.
Installation
Terminal
npx --yes @principle-driven/[email protected] add simplified-technical-englishThe CLI uses your prefix, assigns the next local number, and updates your agent index. CLI installation guide ↗
The Markdown preview uses the catalog token. Your installed file uses its local token.
# PDD-03 — Use Simplified Technical English
Token: PDD-03
Version: v1
## Rule
Use the structural rules of ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English for technical prose.
Apply these rules to agent instructions, documentation, commits, comments, reviews, errors, and release notes.
If a trained reviewer does not use the official standard, do not claim formal ASD-STE100 compliance.
- Procedural sentences contain no more than 20 words.
- Descriptive sentences contain no more than 25 words.
- Each procedural sentence contains one instruction.
- Active voice names the person or system that does the action.
- A required condition comes before its command.
- One concept keeps one term.
- Requirements use `must`. Possibilities use `can`.
- Technical names, code, commands, paths, and quoted errors stay exact.
- Necessary domain terms stay available as technical nouns and technical verbs.
### Exceptions
If marketing copy carries no technical instruction, it can use its brand voice.
Quoted text, code, identifiers, commands, and external protocol terms keep their exact form.
## Rationale
Long sentences, weak requirements, and changing terms hide the intended decision. Short instructions with stable terms reduce ambiguity.
## History
- v1 (2026-08-24): Published to prevent ambiguous technical instructions and inconsistent terms across repository artifacts.
Credits
Based on ASD-STE100 Issue 9 ↗.
SimpleEnglish skill ↗ can help agents apply this rule. The skill is optional.