itsual Code Simplification
Overview
Complexity is a cost. Remove it when it is not earning its keep.
When to Use
- After a feature is working but the code feels heavy
- During review when complexity is flagged
- When onboarding or modifying an area that is difficult to understand
Process
- Ensure behavior is protected by tests (add characterization tests if needed)
- Identify complexity that does not pull its weight (extra abstractions, deep nesting, speculative generality)
- Simplify while keeping tests green
- Prefer deletion and flattening over adding more structure
Heuristics
- Can this be done in fewer lines or with fewer concepts?
- Is this abstraction used more than once (or about to be)?
- Would a staff engineer ask “why didn’t you just…?”
Verification
- Behavior is unchanged (tests pass)
- The resulting code is easier to read and modify