[FEATURE] Safety-Critical Process Mode — opt-in, standards-anchored rigor (IEC 62304 / DO-178C / ISO 26262)

How this differs from #58271, #56444, #54385 — please don't close as duplicate. Those requests ask for better default coding habits (sensible defaults, TDD-by-default). This is orthogonal: an opt-in process mode mapped to named regulated-industry standards, with configurable rigor levels, that enforces process — not just code style: - Rigor tied to real standards (IEC 62304 medical, DO-178C aerospace, ISO 26262 automotive), selectable per task - Traceability as a gate: requirement → test → code - Hard quality gates: coverage / complexity / lint thresholds that block, not advise - Verification discipline: red-green-red-green cycles, mandatory review checkpoints A defaults change (#58271) and a formal verification mode (this) can coexist — one is the floor everyone gets, the other is a ceiling you deliberately opt into. They are not the same feature.

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Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

Feature Request: Safety-Critical Mode (not to be confused with security) as used in automotive, medical, aerospace, etc. so Claude prompts for top-notch SW Dev process, possibly including TDD, insisting on Best Practices, unit tests, stress tests, rigorous reviews, code metrics, ala safety critical dev. This is NOT a request for better code generation, but for better guidance by Claude. I have 40+ years experience, much of it in safety critical, but also audio/video and more. I've been using Claude to develop a complex application to sort through terabytes of home videos, identify family, repair broken/orphaned AV files. The app is entirely written by Claude using many frameworks and heavily multi-threaded - it can quickly get out of control if vibe-coding, so I am training Claude with directives for Best Practices, code quality, metrics, CI, etc. This FEATURE request is for Claude to provide a safety-critical guidance mode where Claude uses the latest and greatest best practices, as if developing for medical. Guidance, not code generation. I'd even go further and say it should be ON and users can switch it off, but that might not be practical. If users get prompted occasionally with "Do you want to use safety critical/best practices?" that would be great. I love using Claude but it can learn a lot from a veteran safety critical developer. I've written md files to direct safety-critical mode but Claude is VERY geared to generate code as fast as possible to please its user, but things can get out of control fast. Any vibe coder or budding developer would learn much from this guidance mode and maybe better code would result, we can hope. Please read this to make Claude better, I know you all have the best intentions.

Thank you and good luck,
Rick B.
Retired safety-critical/audio-video developer, astronomer, musician.

Proposed Solution

Safety-critical Development Process mode switch so Claude prompts user to write a test, use a code analyzer, and otherwise follow best practices as if developing say, a medical device. Many may not use it, but many may learn so much. Better code, a better world.

Alternative Solutions

MD files with strong safety-critical process can go a long way, but I found myself fighting Claude to do the right thing, not Claude's fault it wanted to generate code quickly and bypass all my directives. Maybe a safety critical md file written better would have the same effect. I kinda think Claude gets so focused on producing code it kinda forgets some of the safety critical directives, but the feature request

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

Configuration and settings

Use Case Example

User gets prompted "Use safety critical dev process" for this coding task.
User can opt out.
Possibly different levels or modes, 1,2,3 or FDA 62304, NASA-STD-XYZ, DOT, etc.
Users who are brave enough and patient enough to use such a mode would be guided through the best practices for their purpose and/or target.

Additional Context

Feel free to look at all my transcripts to see how the app was developed and I had to teach Claude all about best practices. In some ways it went well, in others, fast coding and bypassing process, seemed to be Claude's trend which I completely understand.