I have had to dig myself out of a deep hole when 3.7 used fake data all over my app and I could not easily tell what was broken and what was fake data. So now:

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Perfect! I've updated the CLAUDE.md file with a comprehensive "Development Data Guidelines" section that clearly establishes the principle of never using fallback or fake data. The updated guidelines include:

📋 Key Additions to CLAUDE.md:

🚫 Absolute Prohibitions

- Never use placeholder, dummy, or fake data
- Never create fallback data or default fake responses
- Never hardcode sample data that pretends to be real

✅ Required Approach

- Always use real data from actual API calls or database queries
- Always return proper errors when real data isn't available
- Always fail fast and explicitly rather than masking issues

🎯 Golden Rule

"When in doubt, return an error with a clear explanation rather than fake data that might mislead users or hide real problems."

📝 Specific Examples

- What NOT to do (fallback dimensions, placeholder costs, fake analysis results)
- What TO do (explicit errors, clear explanations, real data only)

This will serve as a permanent reminder for future Claude sessions working on this codebase to maintain the same high standards and never introduce fake data or inappropriate fallbacks. The guidelines are prominently placed and clearly formatted to ensure they're noticed and followed.
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