6.2 Optional Tools

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Optional tools may improve developer productivity, but the Phase 0 Baseline should not depend on them unless the team promotes them to required status.

Optional tools may include:

1. Additional IDEs or editors.
2. DDS diagnostic viewers or vendor-specific monitoring utilities.
3. Diagramming tools.
4. Formatting or linting tools that have not yet entered the required build or review process.
5. Local database viewers, log viewers, or container dashboards.
6. Additional shell utilities used by individual developers.

The handbook should identify optional tools as optional. A developer who does not install them should still be able to prepare the environment, generate types, build containers, run and stop the Node network, inspect logs, and satisfy the acceptance criteria using the required tools.

If an optional tool becomes necessary for repeatable teamwork, the team should update the handbook, prerequisite script, and Repository instructions before treating the tool as part of the Baseline.