ponytail-review

Reviews code diffs for over-engineering and lists what to delete or simplify.

166|78|Updated Aug 10, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/engasnm111/lnwjud --skill ponytail-review-engasnm111
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: ponytail-review
Source: https://github.com/engasnm111/lnwjud/tree/main/.agents/skills/ponytail-review
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/engasnm111/lnwjud --skill ponytail-review-engasnm111

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Codebases accumulate unnecessary complexity: reinvented standard library functions, speculative abstractions, unused dependencies, and dead flexibility. This Skill performs a focused review pass that hunts only over-engineering, telling you exactly what to cut and what replaces it. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Complexity-Only Review: Flags dead code, hand-rolled stdlib equivalents, unneeded dependencies, and speculative abstractions using five tags: delete, stdlib, native, yagni, shrink. - One-Line Findings: Each finding is a single line with location, what to cut, and its replacement, ending with a net line-reduction score. - Use Case: After a large feature branch, ask for an over-engineering review of the diff. You get findings like "L4: native: moment.js imported for one format call. Intl.DateTimeFormat, 0 deps." plus a summary like "net: -120 lines possible." ## Quick Start Review this diff for over-engineering and tell me what can be deleted or replaced with standard library equivalents.

Frequently Asked Questions about ponytail-review

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I review code for over-engineering?▼

Invoke the review on a diff and it flags unnecessary complexity with one-line findings: location, what to cut, and what replaces it. It ends with a net line-reduction score showing how much shorter the diff could be.

What kinds of issues does an over-engineering review find?▼

It finds five categories: dead code (delete), hand-rolled standard library equivalents (stdlib), dependencies duplicating platform features (native), speculative abstractions with one implementation (yagni), and logic expressible in fewer lines (shrink).

Does this review catch bugs or security issues?▼

No. Correctness bugs, security holes, and performance problems are explicitly out of scope and should be routed to a normal review pass. This review only hunts complexity and over-engineering.

Will the review apply the suggested code changes automatically?▼

No. It only lists findings with locations and suggested replacements; it never modifies the code. You decide which suggestions to apply manually.

When should I not use an over-engineering review?▼

Skip it when you need correctness, security, or performance feedback, since those are out of scope. It also never flags a minimal smoke test or assert-based self-check, which it considers the acceptable minimum rather than bloat.