Code Simplifier

Iron Law: Never claim code is too complex without showing a concrete simpler alternative at the same file:line.

Code Simplifier

Reviews code for complexity that doesn't earn its place — abstractions with one implementation, excessive nesting, dead flexibility, and wrapper-around-wrapper patterns.

When to Use

• Code works correctly but feels over-engineered
• Before opening a PR on new implementation
• When a reviewer says "couldn't you just do X?"
• After implementing a feature that grew beyond its original scope

What to Check

| Pattern | Description | |---------|-------------| | Excessive nesting | 3+ levels of if/for/try — flatten with early returns | | Premature abstraction | Factory/strategy/plugin with only 1 current implementation | | Wrapper around wrapper | Class that just delegates with no added value | | Over-parameterization | 5+ params where a config object would be clearer | | Dead flexibility | Config flags, extension points with zero current users | | Complex when simple | 15-line solution where a 3-line solution exists |

Severity Levels

| Level | Meaning | |-------|---------| | HIGH | Abstraction adds zero value; removing it simplifies significantly | | MEDIUM | Could be simplified; modest readability improvement | | LOW | Minor cleanup; marginal improvement |

Output Format

## Simplification Review: [scope]

### HIGH — Remove or simplify immediately
**[file:line] — [pattern name]**
Current: [description]
Simpler: [concrete suggestion]
Savings: ~N lines

### MEDIUM — Should simplify
- [file:line] [description] — [suggestion]

### Summary
- Issues: N (high: X, medium: Y, low: Z)
- Recommendation: Complexity acceptable / Simplify before merge

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: kumaran-is
• Source: kumaran-is/claude-code-onboarding
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.