I'm not sure you get the issue that is the problem.

think about it by comparing to another creative process: painting art.

What "methodology" can be put in place to always ensure that your art is exceptional? Sure - you can find techniques that have worked in the past... but if you enforce only one way to paint, then you'll destroy all creativity... which is kinda the point with art.

For programming - creativity in solving problems is the key. Every problem is different - and sure, there are techniques that have been useful in the past - but if you enforce them, rigidly - it stops a new. creative breakthrough of a solution... and creative breakthroughs - innovative ways of solving problems is kinda the point with programming.

I agree that a set of heuristics are useful... ie the equivalent to your general rules.

but AFAICT, there's no way that it can ever settle down into a set of rules in the way that laws can. Fundamentally, programming needs to remain fluid and flexible - it needs to always remain a bit of a frontier... to leave it open to new innovations. Just like art will never settle down to be "just one methodology".