simplify

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name: simplify description: Scan changed files for complexity patterns: deep nesting, local duplication, dead code, magic values, conditional simplification. Apply minimal safe refactors to improve readability. user-invocable: true model: haiku context: fork allowed-tools: Read Glob Grep Bash(git:*) Edit

Applicability

Run on files changed in the current block after writing (Phase 2). Skip for trivial 1-file changes with <20 lines modified.

Input: the user invokes /simplify optionally followed by file paths. If no paths given, use git diff --name-only HEAD to find changed files. Filter to source files only (skip config, docs, generated files).

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Step 1 - Scan each file for simplification opportunities

For every source file in scope, check these 6 patterns:

S1 - Early returns

Nested if/else where the else (or if) branch is a short return, throw, or continue. Invert the condition and return early to flatten the block.

S2 - Nesting depth

Any block nested >3 levels deep. Extract the inner logic into a named function, or apply guard clauses (S1) to reduce depth.

S3 - Local duplication

Two or more blocks within the same file that repeat the same logic (>3 lines identical or near-identical). Extract into a local helper.

S4 - Conditional simplification

• Ternaries nested inside ternaries
• Boolean expressions that can collapse (if (x) return true; return false; → return x;)
• Switch/match with identical arms that can be merged

S5 - Dead code

• Unreachable code after return/throw/break
• Commented-out code blocks (>3 lines)
• Unused local variables, parameters, or imports (only flag if confidence is high)

S6 - Magic values

Repeated literal values (strings, numbers) used >2 times in the same file. Extract to a named constant at file/module scope.

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Step 2 - Apply fixes

For each finding:

1. Apply the simplification directly using the Edit tool.
2. Keep changes minimal - do not restructure surrounding code.
3. Preserve existing tests - if a rename would break imports, skip it.

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Step 3 - Summary

Output a compact summary:

/simplify - [N] files scanned, [M] changes applied

| File | Change | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| path/to/file.ext | description of change | S1/S2/S3/S4/S5/S6 |

If no changes needed: /simplify - [N] files scanned, all clean ✓