Apply when designing commands, lifecycle steps, or processing loops that run amid crashes, restarts, and retries. Converge to the same end state regardless of partial prior runs.
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What the file says
# Make Operations Idempotent
Design operations so they converge to the correct state regardless of how many times they run or where the previous run stopped. Every state-mutating operation should answer: "What happens if this runs twice? What happens if the previous run crashed halfway?"
**Why:** Commands, lifecycle operations, and processing loops run where crashes, restarts, and retries are normal. If partial state changes the next run's outcome, every restart becomes a debugging session.
**The idea:** derive each step from the state that exists, not from what the previous run meant to do. Read the current state, compare it to the goal, and apply only the difference. A step written this way is safe to repeat, because a repeat finds nothing left to do.
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A 17 of 17 checks passed. Fixed automatic checks with no AI involved, so the same checks give the same answer every run.
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Source
GitHub
arjitj2/open-pstack · 14 stars · license MIT · pushed 2026-10-19 · branch main
API
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_hk32oiobqlt2eqla
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=arjitj2/open-pstack/principle-make-operations-idempotent
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/de925a452e5b74568ef545045c9b221c21f4f8f36e3df0b36c75279a285555c5
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