| name | entropy-loop |
| description | Iteratively reduce code entropy by fixing smells and improving quality. Use when: cleanup, code smells, entropy, refactor loop, baldrick entropy. Triggers on: entropy, cleanup, code smells, reduce entropy. |
Entropy Reduction Loop
Iteratively scan and fix code smells to improve codebase quality.
Philosophy: Impactful cleanup over nitpicking. Focus on changes that matter.
The Job
- Scan codebase for code smells
- Identify ONE smell to fix
- Fix with minimal changes
- Run tests to verify
- Commit the fix
- Repeat until no more meaningful improvements
Iteration Flow
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Scan for code smells │
│ 2. If no meaningful smells → COMPLETE │
│ 3. Pick ONE smell to fix │
│ 4. Fix with minimal changes │
│ 5. Run tests to verify │
│ 6. Commit the fix │
│ 7. Append to progress.txt │
│ 8. Loop back to step 1 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Code Smells to Look For
High Impact:
- Duplicate code that should be a function
- Unused exports and dead code
- Overly complex functions (break them down)
- Inconsistent patterns (use the established pattern)
Medium Impact:
- Missing type annotations
- Unreachable code branches
- Deeply nested conditionals
- Long parameter lists
Low Impact (skip unless asked):
- Minor formatting
- Comment improvements
- Variable renaming (unless confusing)
Priority Order
- Unused code - Remove dead code first
- Duplicates - Extract shared logic
- Complexity - Break down large functions
- Inconsistency - Align with patterns
- Types - Add missing annotations
Progress Format
Append to progress.txt after each fix:
## Entropy Fix - [Date/Time]
- Smell: Duplicate email validation in 3 files
- Fix: Extracted to `src/utils/validation.ts`
- Files: auth.ts, profile.ts, settings.ts
- Impact: Reduced code by 45 lines
---
Stop Condition
When no more meaningful improvements exist:
- Output:
<promise>COMPLETE</promise>
"Meaningful" means:
- Reduces actual complexity
- Improves maintainability
- Removes real duplication
- NOT just cosmetic changes
Example Usage
User: "Run entropy loop to clean up the codebase"
The skill will:
- Scan for code smells
- Fix one smell per iteration
- Continue until codebase is clean
Checklist Per Iteration
