simplify

SKILL.md

Simplify Code

Simplify and refactor $ARGUMENTS.

Simplification Principles

  1. Single Responsibility - 1 function = 1 thing
  2. Short Functions - Target under 20 lines
  3. Shallow Nesting - Early return, depth ≤ 2
  4. Clear Naming - Clear enough to not need comments
  5. Type Hints Required - On all functions

Steps

1. Analyze Target Code

  • Read the file(s) to understand current structure
  • Identify complexity hotspots (deep nesting, long functions)
  • List functions/classes to simplify

2. Check Library Constraints

  • Identify libraries used in target code
  • Check constraints in .claude/docs/libraries/
  • Web search for unclear library behaviors

3. Plan Refactoring

For each complexity issue:

  • What change to make
  • Why it improves readability
  • Verify it doesn't break library usage

4. Execute Refactoring

Apply changes following these patterns:

Early Return:

# Before
def process(value):
    if value is not None:
        if value > 0:
            return do_something(value)
    return None

# After
def process(value):
    if value is None:
        return None
    if value <= 0:
        return None
    return do_something(value)

Extract Function:

# Before
def main():
    # 50 lines of mixed concerns
    ...

# After
def main():
    data = load_data()
    result = process_data(data)
    save_result(result)

5. Verify with Tests

uv run pytest -v

Notes

  • Always preserve library features/constraints
  • Web search for unclear points
  • Don't change behavior (refactoring only)
  • Run tests after each significant change
Weekly Installs
12
GitHub Stars
129
First Seen
Feb 4, 2026
Installed on
gemini-cli11
opencode11
codebuddy11
github-copilot11
codex11
kimi-cli11