code-simplification

Code Simplification

Overview

Simplify code by reducing complexity while preserving exact behavior. The goal is not fewer lines — it's code that is easier to read, understand, modify, and debug. Every simplification must pass one test: "Would a new team member understand this faster than the original?"

This skill is language-agnostic: it works on patterns (nesting, naming, duplication, dead code), not on any one language's idioms. Apply it using the idioms of whatever language and codebase you're in.

Read the Companion Files First

This skill ships in two layers. SKILL.md carries the rules and a short summary of each step; four files beside it carry the full procedures:

• evidence-gathering.md — model-tier routing, handoff packets, verifying findings
• cyclomatic-complexity.md — counting, tools, the split procedure
• equivalent-functions.md — diff → callers → propose → merge
• comments.md — the comment digest

The first time you use this skill in a session, read all four before doing anything else — before scoping, before reading the target code, before answering a question about it. The summaries in this file are reminders for a reader who has already seen the full text; they are not a substitute for it. Re-read the relevant file again at the step that names it. If the files are missing, say so — do not proceed as if the summaries were the whole skill.

When to Use

• After a feature is working and tests pass, but the implementation feels heavier than it needs to be
• During code review when readability or complexity issues are flagged
• When you encounter deeply nested logic, long functions, or unclear names
• When refactoring code written under time pressure
• After merging changes that introduced duplication or inconsistency

When NOT to use:

• Code is already clean and readable — don't simplify for the sake of it
• You don't understand what the code does yet — comprehend before you simplify
• The code is performance-critical and the "simpler" version would be measurably slower
• The module is about to be rewritten — simplifying throwaway code wastes effort