token-efficiency

# Token Efficiency ## Name han-core:token-efficiency ## Description Minimize token consumption without sacrificing quality. Every token spent on overhead is a token not available for thinking. ## File Operations - **Use Edit for modifications** — sends only the diff (~50-100 tokens), not the whole file - **Use Write only for new files** — full file content costs ~500-5000 tokens - **Never re-read a file you just wrote** — you already know its contents - **Batch related edits** to the same file in one Edit call ## Search Operations - **Use Glob for file finding** — faster and cheaper than Bash find - **Use Grep for content search** — cheaper than Bash grep - **Set head_limit on Grep** — avoid returning thousands of matches ## Context Management - **Don't repeat what the user said** — they can see their own message - **Lead with the answer** — skip preamble and filler - **Use structured output** — tables and lists over prose for data ## Anti-Patterns | Wasteful | Efficient | |----------|-----------| | Read file → Write entire file with 1 line changed | Edit the specific line | | `cat file.txt` via Bash | Read tool | | `find . -name "*.ts"` via Bash | Glob `**/*.ts` | | "Let me start by reading the file to understand..." | Just read it | ## When to Apply Always. Token efficiency is not premature optimization — it directly extends how much work fits in a session.