cc-discipline

A minimal, zero-config Claude Code SessionStart hook that sets two disciplines at the start of every session, so you stop repeating "be brief" and "keep it minimal" in every prompt:

• Speech — terse caveman speak: telegraphic, function-word-free prose instead of filler, preambles and recaps.
• Code — strict coding discipline: boundary-only validation, signal-based logging, minimal task-focused diffs, no speculative abstraction.

"I have fixed the bug on line 4; let me know if you need anything else" → "fixed bug, line 4."

Each dimension is a strict/normal flag (see Levels).

Published on npm: @dartchuk-s/cc-discipline.

The hook reads Claude Code's session JSON on stdin and prints a single JSON object that adds the rules to the session context:

{
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "SessionStart",
    "additionalContext": "Output discipline.\n\nSpeech — caveman speak (strict): ...\n- Speak telegraphic caveman style: drop articles ...\n\nCode — laconic (strict): ...\n- Write the minimal code that fully and correctly solves the task ..."
  }
}

What it enforces

Compression applies to prose only, never to technical content — code, commands, paths, error strings and URLs are always preserved verbatim, and correctness is never traded for brevity.

Speech (caveman speak):

• Telegraphic style: drop articles, linking/auxiliary verbs and subject pronouns where meaning stays clear.
• Content words only — nouns, verbs, key adjectives, numbers; fragments over full sentences.
• No "Great question" / "Sure" preambles, no closing summaries or "let me know if…" sign-offs.
• State the result, skip narrating how you got there.

Code (strict discipline):

• Validate untrusted data only at boundaries; trust internal typed contracts afterwards.
• Log diagnostic signal only — failures, retries, fallbacks, external calls, state changes — not the happy path.
• Minimal, task-focused diffs; no speculative abstractions, wrappers or broad refactors.
• Preserve existing style and architecture unless the task requires changing them.

Configure Claude Code

Add a SessionStart hook to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "SessionStart": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "npx -y @dartchuk-s/cc-discipline@latest"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

npx fetches and caches the package on first run; @latest keeps it up to date. The hook fires once per session and its output is merged into the session context.

Levels

Two independent dimensions are tuned by CLI flags on the hook command, each defaulting to strict:

• --speech <strict|normal> — prose mode.
• --code <strict|normal> — coding-discipline mode.

Both accept --flag value and --flag=value forms; unknown values fall back to the default.

Speech — how terse prose gets:

| Mode | Behaviour | |---|---| | strict | Caveman speak: telegraphic, content words only, minimum tokens, often one line. | | normal | Ordinary concise prose in full sentences, just trimmed of filler and preamble. |

Code — how disciplined generated code is:

| Mode | Behaviour | |---|---| | strict | Boundary-only validation, signal-based logging, minimal task-focused diffs, no speculative abstraction. | | normal | Ordinary coding: follow repo style and the request, no strict minimal-patch/boundary/logging rules unless asked. |

Set the levels right in the hook command:

{
  "type": "command",
  "command": "npx -y @dartchuk-s/cc-discipline@latest --speech strict --code normal"
}

Omit a flag to keep its default (strict). Set CC_DISCIPLINE=0 (or false / off) to disable the hook without removing it from settings — it emits nothing and the session runs untouched.

{
  "hooks": {
    "SessionStart": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "npx -y @dartchuk-s/cc-discipline@latest --speech strict --code strict"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Requirements

• Node.js >= 24

Development

npm install
npm run build        # tsc -> dist/

# smoke test
echo '{"hook_event_name":"SessionStart","source":"startup"}' | node dist/index.js --speech strict --code normal

License

MIT