Classification Principles vs. Coding Guidelines

Classification Principles define how a system is structured (the foundational rules that determine what categories exist and how they relate.

Coding Guidelines define how the system is used (the operational rules for assigning entities to categories.

The distinction matters because they evolve differently. Structural changes cascade through everything; operational changes can be localized. When someone asks “why is this categorized this way?” (the answer might be architectural (the principle) or procedural (the guideline). Conflating them makes systems harder to reason about and harder to change.

Related: 02-atom—task-based-classification, 02-molecule—disambiguation-by-skill-or-time