Start your first response with the 🧾 emoji.
Absolute Debt
Pay down accumulated lint and type-checker debt across the repo — existing warnings,
errors, and suppressions that built up over time — in safe waves, by rule, with tests green
after each. The goal is a genuinely clean lint + typecheck, not a quieter one.
Runs the shared engine in references/health-engine.md — read it for the
DETECT → SCAN → TRIAGE → FIX → VERIFY → REPORT loop and the safety contract. This file
covers only what's specific to lint/type debt.
When to use
- "Fix our lint warnings", "clean up the type errors", "get the codebase to strict mode".
- Tightening config (enable a rule, raise
tsconfig strictness) and clearing the fallout.
- Burning down accumulated
eslint-disable / @ts-ignore / # type: ignore suppressions.
debt vs simplify: simplify improves your working diff's quality. debt clears
pre-existing repo-wide lint/type violations on green main. Use debt for standing
cleanup, not for changes you're actively making.
What it scans
| Ecosystem |
Lint debt |
Type debt |
| JS/TS |
eslint . (full report, by rule) |
tsc --noEmit |
| Python |
ruff check / flake8 |
mypy / pyright |
| Go |
golangci-lint run |
go vet ./..., staticcheck |
Also inventory suppressions as debt in their own right: eslint-disable*,
@ts-ignore/@ts-expect-error, # type: ignore, # noqa, //nolint. Each is a hidden
violation. Count violations grouped by rule (not by file) — that's how you wave them.
Risk ranking (TRIAGE)
| Wave |
Class |
Default |
| 1 |
autofixable lint (eslint --fix, ruff --fix, gofmt) |
fix now — mechanical, safe |
| 2 |
manual lint by rule, low behavioral risk (unused, style, imports) |
fix this pass, one rule at a time |
| 3 |
type errors, and lint rules that can change behavior if "fixed" wrong |
gated — review each, may need real logic |
| 4 |
removing suppressions (@ts-ignore etc.) |
gated — each may surface a real bug |
Fix one rule across the repo per wave, not one file across all rules — keeps diffs
reviewable and regressions bisectable. Config tightening (enable rule / raise strictness) is
itself a finding: propose it, then clear what it surfaces.
Fix & verify
- Run the autofixers first (wave 1), commit-ready, then re-scan to see what's truly manual.
- Manual fixes: address the cause, not the symptom. A type error means the types are
wrong somewhere — fix the type, don't cast to
any/add # type: ignore.
- Never clear a violation by suppressing it. Removing suppressions is the goal, not a tool.
- After each wave: full test + lint + typecheck + build. The violation count must drop and
nothing regress.
Gotchas
- Fixing by suppressing.
@ts-ignore to clear a type error adds debt. Forbidden here.
any / cast to win. Silences the checker, keeps the bug. Fix the real type.- One-file-all-rules waves. Mixes concerns, unreviewable. Go one-rule-all-files.
- Autofix without review.
--fix can change behavior (e.g. prefer-const on a
reassigned var via a bug). Run tests after autofix too.
- Disabling the rule instead of fixing. Loosening config to hit zero is debt laundering,
not paydown.
Companion commands
/absolute simplify — quality of code you're currently changing./absolute prune — many unused-var/import warnings vanish once dead code is pruned./absolute work — if clearing the debt needs real refactoring, hand off.
1---2name: absolute-debt3description: Lint and typecheck debt paydown: clear pre-existing repo-wide lint/type violations and suppressions (@ts-ignore, # type: ignore) one rule per wave, fixing causes not symptoms. Runs on green main. For diff-scoped quality use absolute-simplify. Triggers on "absolute debt", "fix our lint warnings", "clear the type errors", "get to strict mode", "burn down suppressions".4license: MIT5---67> Start your first response with the 🧾 emoji.89## Absolute Debt1011Pay down accumulated lint and type-checker debt across the repo — existing warnings,12errors, and suppressions that built up over time — in safe waves, by rule, with tests green13after each. The goal is a genuinely clean `lint` + `typecheck`, not a quieter one.1415Runs the shared engine in **`references/health-engine.md`** — read it for the16DETECT → SCAN → TRIAGE → FIX → VERIFY → REPORT loop and the safety contract. This file17covers only what's specific to lint/type debt.1819---2021## When to use2223- "Fix our lint warnings", "clean up the type errors", "get the codebase to strict mode".24- Tightening config (enable a rule, raise `tsconfig` strictness) and clearing the fallout.25- Burning down accumulated `eslint-disable` / `@ts-ignore` / `# type: ignore` suppressions.2627**`debt` vs `simplify`:** `simplify` improves *your working diff's* quality. `debt` clears28**pre-existing repo-wide** lint/type violations on green `main`. Use `debt` for standing29cleanup, not for changes you're actively making.3031---3233## What it scans3435| Ecosystem | Lint debt | Type debt |36|---|---|---|37| JS/TS | `eslint .` (full report, by rule) | `tsc --noEmit` |38| Python | `ruff check` / `flake8` | `mypy` / `pyright` |39| Go | `golangci-lint run` | `go vet ./...`, `staticcheck` |4041Also inventory **suppressions** as debt in their own right: `eslint-disable*`,42`@ts-ignore`/`@ts-expect-error`, `# type: ignore`, `# noqa`, `//nolint`. Each is a hidden43violation. Count violations grouped **by rule** (not by file) — that's how you wave them.4445---4647## Risk ranking (TRIAGE)4849| Wave | Class | Default |50|---|---|---|51| 1 | autofixable lint (`eslint --fix`, `ruff --fix`, `gofmt`) | fix now — mechanical, safe |52| 2 | manual lint by rule, low behavioral risk (unused, style, imports) | fix this pass, one rule at a time |53| 3 | type errors, and lint rules that can change behavior if "fixed" wrong | gated — review each, may need real logic |54| 4 | removing suppressions (`@ts-ignore` etc.) | gated — each may surface a real bug |5556Fix **one rule across the repo per wave**, not one file across all rules — keeps diffs57reviewable and regressions bisectable. Config tightening (enable rule / raise strictness) is58itself a finding: propose it, then clear what it surfaces.5960---6162## Fix & verify6364- Run the autofixers first (wave 1), commit-ready, then re-scan to see what's truly manual.65- Manual fixes: address the *cause*, not the symptom. A type error means the types are66 wrong somewhere — fix the type, don't cast to `any`/add `# type: ignore`.67- **Never** clear a violation by suppressing it. Removing suppressions is the *goal*, not a tool.68- After each wave: full test + lint + typecheck + build. The violation count must drop and69 nothing regress.7071---7273## Gotchas74751. **Fixing by suppressing.** `@ts-ignore` to clear a type error *adds* debt. Forbidden here.762. **`any` / `cast` to win.** Silences the checker, keeps the bug. Fix the real type.773. **One-file-all-rules waves.** Mixes concerns, unreviewable. Go one-rule-all-files.784. **Autofix without review.** `--fix` can change behavior (e.g. `prefer-const` on a79 reassigned var via a bug). Run tests after autofix too.805. **Disabling the rule instead of fixing.** Loosening config to hit zero is debt laundering,81 not paydown.8283---8485## Companion commands8687- **`/absolute simplify`** — quality of code you're *currently changing*.88- **`/absolute prune`** — many unused-var/import warnings vanish once dead code is pruned.89- **`/absolute work`** — if clearing the debt needs real refactoring, hand off.
maddhruv