Simplify

Simplify

Post-implementation simplification pass. Review recently changed code and actively simplify it while preserving all behavior.

Planner Entry

Run /simplify only on explicit request or when an actionable PR finding calls for it. It is not a default post-implementation or pre-PR pass.

The best code is code you don't have to write. The second best is code anyone can read.

Steps

1. Identify what to simplify

Run git diff --name-only (or git diff origin/<base>...HEAD --name-only for a branch) to get the changed files. Read each one.

2. Apply simplifications

Work through each changed file. Preserve behavior by inspection; defer broad test suites, lint, typecheck, and full verification until after this pass. Report any verification concerns and the focused task check to run next.

Inline one-off abstractions:

• Helper functions with a single call site — inline them
• Wrapper types that add no behavior — remove the wrapper
• Interfaces with a single implementation and no test mock — remove the interface

Remove speculative code:

• Unused function parameters or return values
• Config options that are parsed but never read
• "Reserved for future" scaffolding, empty extension points
• Feature flags with no toggle mechanism

Reduce nesting:

• Replace nested if/else with early returns (guard clauses)
• Replace nested ternaries with if/else or switch
• Extract deeply nested blocks into named functions

Replace cleverness with clarity:

• Dense one-liners that hide intent — expand to readable multi-line
• Overly generic code where a concrete implementation is simpler
• Abstractions that add indirection without reducing duplication

Remove noise:

• Comments that restate code (// increment counter above counter++)
• Redundant type annotations where inference works
• Empty error handlers, unused catch variables
• Leftover debug logging

3. Validate

After the simplification pass, run the focused task check affected by the change. If anything breaks, the simplification changed behavior and must be corrected before continuing. Broad suites remain deferred unless the task or user explicitly requires them.

4. Summary

Report what was simplified:

• Files modified
• What was removed/inlined/simplified
• Lines removed (net)
• Verification concerns or recommended focused checks