simplify

Applies behavior-preserving cleanup edits to changed code for reuse, simplification, and efficiency.

Updated Jun 15, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/nsollazzo/ship-kit --skill simplify-nsollazzo
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: simplify
Source: https://github.com/nsollazzo/ship-kit/tree/main/.agents/skills/simplify
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/nsollazzo/ship-kit --skill simplify-nsollazzo

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Code changes often accumulate clutter: duplicated logic, dead code, needless indirection, and redundant work. This Skill performs a quality-only cleanup pass over a diff, improving clarity and economy without altering behavior, so reviews and merges stay focused on substance. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Behavior-preserving cleanup: Applies surgical edits across five lenses — reuse, simplification, efficiency, altitude (right level of abstraction), and naming — while guaranteeing no change to output, timing, or errors. - Scoped to the change: Works from git diff of uncommitted work or a branch diff, touching only code in the change unless told otherwise. - Parallel fan-out for large diffs: Splits multi-file changes across sub-agents with disjoint file sets, then reconciles so shared helpers are not extracted twice. - Use Case: As the cleanup stage of a ship pipeline, run it after implementing a fix to tidy the diff before code review and PR creation. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to simplify the current uncommitted changes or the diff on this branch without changing any behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions about simplify

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I clean up a code diff without changing behavior?▼

Run a simplification pass scoped to the git diff of your uncommitted work or branch. It removes dead code, collapses needless indirection, reuses existing helpers, and eliminates redundant work while preserving output, timing, and errors exactly.

What is the difference between simplify and code review?▼

Simplify is a quality-only pass that improves clarity and economy without changing behavior. Correctness bugs are explicitly out of scope and belong to the code-review skill; simplify only notes them and moves on.

Can simplification run in parallel on large multi-file changes?▼

Yes. For large changes, the cleanup fans out to parallel sub-agents, each given a disjoint set of files so no two agents edit the same file. Results are reconciled afterward so a shared helper is not extracted twice.

When should I not use a simplification pass?▼

Skip it when the change is already clean — reporting nothing to simplify is a valid result. Also avoid it for behavior changes, new features, or bug fixes, since those belong to implementation or code-review steps, not a quality pass.

Does the simplify skill work with any AI coding agent?▼

Yes. It needs only a shell with git, file reading, and editing, with no harness-specific tools assumed. If the host harness ships its own native simplify skill, that native one should be preferred and this used as the fallback.