Code Simplifier
Analyze recently modified code and suggest refinements that improve clarity, consistency, and maintainability - without changing what the code does. The review covers three complementary aspects:
- Code Reuse - Eliminate duplication, consolidate shared logic, leverage existing utilities.
- Code Quality - Improve naming, reduce complexity, enforce project standards from
AGENTS.md.
- Efficiency - Fix algorithmic issues, remove unnecessary work, optimize resource usage.
Review Process
Identify the Scope
By default, focus on recently modified code. Use git diff or the file list from the current PR/MR to determine the changed files. When the user specifies a different scope, follow their instruction:
- Specific files: "simplify
src/auth.py" - review only the named files
- Directory: "simplify the
utils/ folder" - review all files in that directory
- Full repo: "simplify the whole project" - review the entire codebase
- PR/MR: "simplify this PR" - review only files changed in the current PR/MR
Sub-Agent Delegation (Preferred)
When sub-agent capability is available, delegate each review aspect to a separate sub-agent for parallel, focused analysis:
- Code Reuse Review Agent - Read
references/code-reuse-review.md and analyze the changed files for duplication and consolidation opportunities.
- Code Quality Review Agent - Read
references/code-quality-review.md and analyze the changed files for clarity, naming, complexity, and standards compliance.
- Efficiency Review Agent - Read
references/efficiency-review.md and analyze the changed files for performance and resource usage issues.
Each sub-agent should:
- Read the corresponding reference document for detailed criteria and output format
- Read
AGENTS.md at the repository root for project-specific coding conventions
- Analyze only the recently changed code (unless instructed otherwise)
- Return findings in the format specified by its reference document
After all sub-agents complete, synthesize their findings into a single consolidated report.
Sequential Review (Fallback)
When sub-agents are not available, perform all three reviews sequentially:
- Read
references/code-reuse-review.md - review for duplication and reuse
- Read
references/code-quality-review.md - review for clarity and standards
- Read
references/efficiency-review.md - review for performance and resources
Apply the criteria and output format from each reference document.
Guiding Philosophy
- Preserve Functionality: Never change what the code does - only how it does it. All original features, outputs, and behaviors remain intact.
- Follow Project Standards: Apply the coding conventions from
AGENTS.md at the repository root (import ordering, naming, module structure, error handling, component patterns).
- Clarity Over Brevity: Prefer explicit, readable code over compact one-liners. Avoid nested ternaries - use
if/else or switch for multiple conditions.
- Maintain Balance: Avoid over-simplification that reduces clarity, creates overly clever solutions, or combines too many concerns into a single function.
- Pragmatism: Solve real problems, not imaginary ones. Do not optimize for theoretical edge cases or micro-benchmarks that do not matter at the project's scale.
Consolidated Output Format
Present the combined results from all three review aspects:
## Code Simplification Review
### Scope
[List of files reviewed and how scope was determined]
### Code Reuse
[Findings from the reuse review, using **[REUSE]** tags]
### Code Quality
[Findings from the quality review, using **[QUALITY]** tags]
### Efficiency
[Findings from the efficiency review, using **[EFFICIENCY]** tags]
### Summary
[Overall assessment: is the code in good shape, or does it need significant refinement?]
[Prioritized list of the most impactful changes to make first]
When a review aspect has no findings, include it with an explicit "no issues found" statement rather than omitting the section.
Reference Files
references/code-reuse-review.md - Detailed criteria for detecting duplication, consolidation opportunities, and over-abstractionreferences/code-quality-review.md - Detailed criteria for naming, complexity, error handling, and project standards compliancereferences/efficiency-review.md - Detailed criteria for algorithmic complexity, unnecessary work, resource usage, and I/O patterns
1---2name: code-simplifier3description: Simplifies and refines code for clarity, consistency, and maintainability while preserving all functionality. Analyzes recently modified code across three dimensions - code reuse, code quality, and efficiency - and provides actionable improvement suggestions. This skill should be used when the user asks to "simplify code", "refine code", "clean up code", "improve code quality", or requests a simplification review of recent changes.4---5
6# Code Simplifier
7
8Analyze recently modified code and suggest refinements that improve clarity, consistency, and maintainability - without changing what the code does. The review covers three complementary aspects:
9
101. **Code Reuse** - Eliminate duplication, consolidate shared logic, leverage existing utilities.
112. **Code Quality** - Improve naming, reduce complexity, enforce project standards from `AGENTS.md`.
123. **Efficiency** - Fix algorithmic issues, remove unnecessary work, optimize resource usage.
13
14## Review Process
15
16### Identify the Scope
17
18By default, focus on recently modified code. Use `git diff` or the file list from the current PR/MR to determine the changed files. When the user specifies a different scope, follow their instruction:
19
20- **Specific files**: "simplify `src/auth.py`" - review only the named files
21- **Directory**: "simplify the `utils/` folder" - review all files in that directory
22- **Full repo**: "simplify the whole project" - review the entire codebase
23- **PR/MR**: "simplify this PR" - review only files changed in the current PR/MR
24
25### Sub-Agent Delegation (Preferred)
26
27When sub-agent capability is available, delegate each review aspect to a separate sub-agent for parallel, focused analysis:
28
291. **Code Reuse Review Agent** - Read `references/code-reuse-review.md` and analyze the changed files for duplication and consolidation opportunities.
302. **Code Quality Review Agent** - Read `references/code-quality-review.md` and analyze the changed files for clarity, naming, complexity, and standards compliance.
313. **Efficiency Review Agent** - Read `references/efficiency-review.md` and analyze the changed files for performance and resource usage issues.
32
33Each sub-agent should:
34- Read the corresponding reference document for detailed criteria and output format
35- Read `AGENTS.md` at the repository root for project-specific coding conventions
36- Analyze only the recently changed code (unless instructed otherwise)
37- Return findings in the format specified by its reference document
38
39After all sub-agents complete, synthesize their findings into a single consolidated report.
40
41### Sequential Review (Fallback)
42
43When sub-agents are not available, perform all three reviews sequentially:
44
451. Read `references/code-reuse-review.md` - review for duplication and reuse
462. Read `references/code-quality-review.md` - review for clarity and standards
473. Read `references/efficiency-review.md` - review for performance and resources
48
49Apply the criteria and output format from each reference document.
50
51## Guiding Philosophy
52
53- **Preserve Functionality**: Never change what the code does - only how it does it. All original features, outputs, and behaviors remain intact.
54- **Follow Project Standards**: Apply the coding conventions from `AGENTS.md` at the repository root (import ordering, naming, module structure, error handling, component patterns).
55- **Clarity Over Brevity**: Prefer explicit, readable code over compact one-liners. Avoid nested ternaries - use `if/else` or `switch` for multiple conditions.
56- **Maintain Balance**: Avoid over-simplification that reduces clarity, creates overly clever solutions, or combines too many concerns into a single function.
57- **Pragmatism**: Solve real problems, not imaginary ones. Do not optimize for theoretical edge cases or micro-benchmarks that do not matter at the project's scale.
58
59## Consolidated Output Format
60
61Present the combined results from all three review aspects:
62
63```
64## Code Simplification Review
65
66### Scope
67[List of files reviewed and how scope was determined]
68
69### Code Reuse
70[Findings from the reuse review, using **[REUSE]** tags]
71
72### Code Quality
73[Findings from the quality review, using **[QUALITY]** tags]
74
75### Efficiency
76[Findings from the efficiency review, using **[EFFICIENCY]** tags]
77
78### Summary
79[Overall assessment: is the code in good shape, or does it need significant refinement?]
80[Prioritized list of the most impactful changes to make first]
81```
82
83When a review aspect has no findings, include it with an explicit "no issues found" statement rather than omitting the section.
84
85## Reference Files
86
87- **`references/code-reuse-review.md`** - Detailed criteria for detecting duplication, consolidation opportunities, and over-abstraction
88- **`references/code-quality-review.md`** - Detailed criteria for naming, complexity, error handling, and project standards compliance
89- **`references/efficiency-review.md`** - Detailed criteria for algorithmic complexity, unnecessary work, resource usage, and I/O patterns
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