strict-simplify

name

strict-simplify

description

Use when reviewing code to replace redundant or verbose logic with a provably-equivalent simpler form — custom code that duplicates a stdlib/builtin or an existing project function, dead/no-op arguments, collapsible redundant expressions, duplicate inline logic that reimplements something already defined in the codebase. Triggers on "strict simplify", "/strict-simplify", "reduce redundant code". Does not restructure, rename, reformat, optimize, or fix bugs.

Strict Simplify

Overview

Replace code only when the replacement is provably identical in behavior and the equivalence is clear from reading the diff. The output is a git diff a human can approve line-by-line without running the code to trust it.

This skill does less than simplify on purpose. It does not restructure, rename, reformat, optimize, or fix bugs. Narrowness is the feature.

The Equivalence Gate

A change is allowed only if it passes ALL six checks. Otherwise: skip it.

1. Identical behavior for every input, including edge cases and error paths.
2. Clear by reading the diff — equivalence is clear from reading the diff. No execution. Documented language/standard-library semantics count as "reading" (you may rely on what sum, includes, or a default argument is specified to do); assumptions about your own untested code paths do not.
3. No signature / type / API change — nothing observable to callers changes.
4. No change to side effects, evaluation order, or error/exception behavior.
5. Local — not a cross-function move. Inlining a single-use variable into the very next line counts as local.
6. When in doubt, skip. Bias is always toward leaving code alone.

Violating the letter of these is violating the spirit. "Basically the same" that fails any one check is not a candidate. If you cannot write a clear "why equivalent" justification, it is not a candidate.

In-Scope Categories

1. Custom → stdlib/builtin — hand-rolled logic replaced by an exact standard-library equivalent (manual sum loop → sum()).
2. Dead / no-op values & args — remove arguments/values with no effect (from("", "", "Zord") → from("Zord"), when a matching signature exists).
3. Redundant logic collapse — if x { true } else { false } → x; double negation; a variable assigned once and used once on the next line.
4. Verbose → idiomatic equivalent — a verbose construct → a shorter one doing exactly the same thing (manual transform loop → map/comprehension).
5. Duplicate inline logic → existing project function — inline code that reimplements logic already defined elsewhere in the codebase, OR multiple call sites that each reimplement the same operation instead of calling the one function that already does it. Replace the inline copy with a call to the existing function.
   • The existing function must already exist — do not create one.
   • Its behavior must provably match for every input the call site handles.
   • If two project functions do the same thing with slight discrepancies, pick the one whose behavior is correct for the call site and route all call sites to it. Do not merge the functions themselves — that is restructuring.

These name the common shapes; they are not a closed list. Be ambitious about discovery — real codebases hold redundancies these four never named. Ambition applies to what you look for, never to how sure you must be: every self-found candidate faces the same six checks.

Hard Out-of-Scope (forbidden)

• No comment removal or editing.
• No renaming (variables, functions, types, files).
• No reordering or restructuring of functions/blocks.
• No performance/efficiency changes (even if "obviously faster").
• No bug fixes — if you find a bug, report it, do not fix it.
• No new abstractions, helpers, or layers — but replacing inline logic with an existing project function is in scope (category 5).
• No dead-code removal (unused variables, imports, functions) — that is a separate concern.
• No formatting-only or whitespace-only changes.
• No changes that alter logs, errors, or serialized output.

Process

1. Preflight — run git status. If the working tree is not clean, STOP and ask the user to commit or stash first, so the simplification diff stays isolated.
2. Target — whole repo by default; if the user passed a path, restrict to it.
3. Discover — read the code and build a candidate ledger. Each row: file:line · category · current → proposed · why-equivalent. Drop every row that fails the gate.
4. Apply — apply all surviving candidates. Leave edits unstaged.
5. Report — show git diff + the ledger, plus a short "found but skipped — not provably equivalent" list so nothing is silently dropped. If you found a bug, report it here too — do not fix it.

For very large repos you MAY delegate discovery to cavecrew subagents. Optional, not required.

Examples — acceptable only when the inline condition holds

These are illustrative, not exhaustive. The gate applies to any redundancy you find, not just these shapes.

Each example is a candidate, not a guarantee. The // SKIP if … and // only if … notes are gates, not footnotes: if you cannot confirm the condition by reading, the change is not acceptable — skip it.

Custom → stdlib/builtin

total = 0
for n in nums: total += n        # →
total = sum(nums)

biggest = items[0]
for x in items[1:]:
    if x > biggest: biggest = x   # →
biggest = max(items)   # items[0] already raises on empty — max([]) does too; behavior preserved

let found = false;
for (const x of arr) if (x === target) { found = true; break; }   // →
const found = arr.includes(target);   // SKIP if target may be NaN

out = ""
for i, part in enumerate(parts):
    out += part
    if i < len(parts) - 1: out += ", "   # →
out = ", ".join(parts)   # parts must be strings (already required by the +=)

Dead / no-op values & args

directories::from("", "", "Zord")   // →  directories::from("Zord")   // only if a 1-arg signature exists

json.dumps(data, indent=None)   // →  json.dumps(data)   // None is the documented default

const url = "" + base + "/" + path;   // →
const url = base + "/" + path;   // SKIP if base may be non-string (leading "" was coercing)

fn log_it(x: i32) { println!("{x}"); return; }   // →
fn log_it(x: i32) { println!("{x}"); }   // trailing bare return in a unit fn is a no-op

Redundant logic collapse

if x > 0 { return true } else { return false }   // →  return x > 0

result = compute(x)
return result            # →  return compute(x)   // assigned once, used once

if (!(!isReady)) { ... }   // →  if (isReady) { ... }   // SKIP if isReady is non-boolean (!! was coercing)

Verbose → idiomatic equivalent

out = []
for x in xs:
    if x > 0: out.append(x)      # →
out = [x for x in xs if x > 0]

const name = user && user.profile ? user.profile.name : undefined;   // →
const name = user?.profile?.name;   // SKIP if user may be 0/"" — ?. guards nullish, && guards falsiness

Duplicate inline logic → existing project function

# call site A — reimplements logic inline
stem = Path(filename).stem.lower()
for room, keywords in ROOM_KEYWORDS.items():
    if any(k in stem for k in keywords):
        return room
return "general"

# call site B — existing function already does this
return infer_room(filename)   # only if infer_room() is provably identical for all inputs A handled

Counter-Examples — SKIP these (look simpler, fail the gate)

Tempting change	Why skip
Reorder/regroup for cleanliness	Restructuring, not simplification; risks init/side-effect order
"Faster" rewrite (bitwise trick, swap data structure)	Performance is out of scope; equivalence not readable
Drop a guard that looks redundant (if items: before a loop)	May protect a downstream assumption; changes empty-input behavior
Inline a call across a side effect (f() that logs/mutates)	Equivalent only if f is visibly pure
Delete stale comment / collapse blank lines / reflow	Forbidden; not a logic change
cond ? cond : fallback → cond || fallback on a value	Differs on 0, "", NaN — only safe when cond is boolean
flag == True → bool(flag) or if flag: when type unknown	is_ok(2): 2 == True is False but bool(2) is True — differs unless flag is provably bool
user && user.x → user?.x when user may be 0/""	?. guards nullish only, && guards falsiness
Rename tmp → userCount	Renaming is out of scope
Fix a bug you noticed	Report it separately; do not fix in this pass
Two functions differ slightly — merge them into one	Merging/restructuring functions is out of scope; only route call sites
Existing function handles a superset of inputs — assume it's safe	Verify the extra input handling doesn't change behavior at this call site

Red Flags — STOP, you are over-reaching

• You're editing a comment, blank line, or whitespace.
• You're renaming or moving something.
• You're about to write "this is basically the same" instead of a clean equivalence line.
• You're "improving" performance.
• You're fixing a bug.
• You're relying on assumptions rather than what you can read — that means skip, not "probably fine".