The contents of exponent.txt are included whenever a message is handled by Exponent, helping it understand your project’s structure, conventions, and best practices.

If you are familiar with .cursorrules or .github/copilot-instructions.md files, exponent.txt is similar in spirit for Exponent.

Creating an Effective exponent.txt

Consider having the following sections in your exponent.txt file:

  • Project purpose: Similar content to a README, to give Exponent a high-level overview of the project
  • Project structure: Explain the high-level organization of your codebase
  • Coding standards: Define your team’s coding conventions
  • Common pitfalls: Mention known issues or areas where Exponent should be cautious
  • Dependency versions: Include the versions of any dependencies that are important to know about
  • Testing: Give Exponent instructions on how to write and run tests

Asking Exponent to Create exponent.txt

You can ask Exponent to explore your codebase and help you create an exponent.txt file. Try this prompt:

Explore my codebase and create an exponent.txt file that describes the project structure, coding conventions, and important guidelines.

Sample exponent.txt

Here’s a generic example of an exponent.txt file for a project. Notice that it does not adhere completely to the instructions above, but is catered to the specific project, developers, and types of tasks that Exponent is being used for.