# Codex Project Rules

These rules are mandatory for all AI/Codex work in this repository.

## Text Editing Safety

- No authored text changes through regex, scripted bulk rewrites, or search-and-replace. No exceptions.
- Use `apply_patch` for prose, Ink text, localization, documentation, and generated character text.
- Before large text work, create a git check-in.
- Edit text entry by entry. Inspect each edited entry before moving to the next. No generated shortcuts.
- In PowerShell, always force UTF-8 before reading or displaying text:
  `$OutputEncoding = [System.Text.UTF8Encoding]::new(); [Console]::OutputEncoding = [System.Text.UTF8Encoding]::new();`
- Ink and localization files must remain UTF-8 with real umlauts, `ß`, and typographic German quotation marks.