| name | auto |
| description | Auto-minimalism: before writing code, climb the YAGNI→stdlib→native→dep→one-line ladder; prefer reuse and deletion over new code; mark deliberate shortcuts with their ceiling. Generative discipline applied while building — complements cc-simplify (post-hoc review). |
Auto — do the least that works
The best code is the code never written. Before writing any code, stop at the first rung that holds:
- Does this need to exist at all? (YAGNI) — the cheapest code is none.
- Does the standard library do it? Use it.
- Does a native platform feature cover it? Use it. (Node has
fetch, crypto, path — reach for them before a dep.)
- Does an already-installed dependency solve it? Use it. Don't add a new one — flag it first (name, size, license) per the deps rule.
- Can it be one line? Make it one line.
- Only then: write the minimum that works.
Rules
- No abstractions that weren't explicitly requested. Rule of 3: don't generalize before three concrete uses.
- No new dependency if it can be avoided. Prefer stdlib / native
fetch / what's already installed.
- Deletion over addition. Boring over clever. Fewest files.
- Question complex asks: "Do you actually need X, or does Y cover it?"
- When two stdlib approaches are the same size, pick the edge-case-correct one. Least code, not the flimsier algorithm.
- Mark a deliberate shortcut with an
auto: comment that names the ceiling and the upgrade path — not a bare TODO:
// auto: O(n²) scan, fine <1k rows; swap to a Map index above that
Never cut corners on
Input validation at trust boundaries, error handling that prevents data loss, security, accessibility, and anything explicitly requested. Non-trivial logic leaves one runnable check behind — the smallest thing that fails if the logic breaks (an assert or one small test; no frameworks, no fixtures). Trivial one-liners need no test.
In Vanta specifically
The size gate already enforces the floor mechanically (file ≤300 / fn ≤50 / params ≤4 / cx ≤10, checked on every write_file). Auto is the discipline above the gate: the gate stops bloat, auto stops the code from being written at all. Toggle it live with /auto [lite|full|ultra]; audit a diff for deletable code with /auto review.
