Phase 3: scope formatting to changed files; don't let a tree-wide formatter pollute a focused PR #48

Template gap

Phase 3 says "run ./format.sh, then git add the result." But a tree-wide formatter (Black/autoflake over the whole repo) reformats files unrelated to the change, and because CI does not enforce formatting, drift accumulates on main. The literal "git add the result" then stages all of it — violating the Phase 3/4 Scope rule ("every file modified is necessary for one of the Closes #N issues"). One observed cycle pulled 8 unrelated files + 3 unrelated reformats into a one-line change.

Rule to add to the template (Phase 3 / Edge cases)

Run formatting scoped to the files you changed (black <changed files> / autoflake --in-place <changed files>), not the tree-wide script. If you do run the tree-wide formatter, only git add files in your PR's scope and git checkout -- any unrelated files it reformatted. Pre-existing drift should land as its own formatting-only sweep, not be smuggled into a feature/fix PR. (Also: such scripts may not be executable in the checkout — invoke as bash format.sh.)

Consolidates (close on merge)

• example-|-dev-loop#3 — tree-wide format.sh pulls unrelated reformats into a focused PR

Consolidated upstream from per-loop self-audit findings. drafted by Claude on behalf of Daniel Stephenson