complexity-loc-balancer

name	complexity-loc-balancer
description	Reduce radon/xenon complexity while keeping non-test runtime LOC growth at or below zero.

Complexity LOC Balancer

Overview

Run a strict balancing loop that improves complexity metrics and prevents net non-test code growth. Delegate structural reduction execution to non-test-bloat-reduction and metric evidence collection to code-health.

Ownership

• Own decision gating between complexity gain and LOC growth risk.
• Own stop/continue decisions when tradeoffs conflict.
• Own cycle-level acceptance contract for balanced progress.

Delegation

• Delegate executable reduction edits to non-test-bloat-reduction.
• Delegate health evidence (radon, xenon, diff summary) to code-health.
• Do not duplicate specialist internals from delegated skills.

Workflow

1. Capture baseline snapshot.

• Collect:
  • non-test net delta (working and staged)
  • offending block count (CC > 10)
  • minimum required CC reduction estimate
  • xenon pass/fail
• Run the standard gate bundle from references/complexity_gate_bundle.md.

2. Build reduction candidates.

• Request intent clusters from non-test-bloat-reduction.
• Keep only candidates that can preserve behavior and plausibly avoid net LOC growth.

3. Apply bounded edit cycle.

• Run one cycle only:
  • minimal correct change
  • immediate simplification/deletion pass

4. Run balance gate.

• Accept cycle only when all checks pass:
  • offending blocks do not increase
  • minimum required CC reduction does not increase
  • non-test working net delta <= 0
  • xenon state does not regress
• If complexity improves but non-test net delta becomes positive, reject cycle and force deletion-only follow-up.

5. Publish cycle verdict.

• Return:
  • accepted or rejected
  • reason codes from references/decision_matrix.md
  • next highest-yield deletion targets

Hard Rules

• Never classify a cycle as success when non-test working net delta is positive.
• Never claim xenon success unless command output confirms pass.
• Never compensate LOC growth with comment/docstring churn.
• Stop and report balance_blocked when two consecutive cycles fail balance gate.

Resources

• Decision policy: references/decision_matrix.md
• Gate commands: references/complexity_gate_bundle.md
• Cycle checker: scripts/quick_validate.py