Simplify complex code while preserving exact behavior

Code Simplification

Inspired by the Claude Code Simplifier plugin. Adapted here as a model-agnostic, process-driven skill for any AI coding agent.

Overview

Simplify code by reducing complexity while preserving exact behavior. The goal is not fewer lines - it's code that is easier to read, understand, modify, and debug. Every simplification must pass a simple test: "Would a new team member understand this faster than the original?"

When to Use

• After a feature is working and tests pass, but the implementation feels heavier than it needs to be
• During code review when readability or complexity issues are flagged
• When you encounter deeply nested logic, long functions, or unclear names
• When refactoring code written under time pressure
• When consolidating related logic scattered across files
• After merging changes that introduced duplication or inconsistency

When NOT to use:

• Code is already clean and readable - don't simplify for the sake of it
• You don't understand what the code does yet - comprehend before you simplify
• The code is performance-critical and the "simpler" version would be measurably slower
• You're about to rewrite the module entirely - simplifying throwaway code wastes effort

The Five Principles

1. Preserve Behavior Exactly

Don't change what the code does - only how it expresses it. All inputs, outputs, side effects, error behavior, and edge cases must remain identical. If you're not sure a simplification preserves behavior, don't make it.

ASK BEFORE EVERY CHANGE:
→ Does this produce the same output for every input?
→ Does this maintain the same error behavior?
→ Does this preserve the same side effects and ordering?
→ Do all existing tests still pass without modification?

2. Follow Project Conventions

Simplification means making code more consistent with the codebase, not imposing external preferences. Before simplifying:

1. Read CLAUDE.md / project conventions
2. Study how neighboring code handles similar patterns
3. Match the project's style for:
   - Import ordering and module system
   - Function declaration style
   - Naming conventions
   - Error handling patterns
   - Type annotation depth

Simplification that breaks project consistency is not simplification - it's churn.

3. Prefer Clarity Over Cleverness

Explicit code is better than compact code when the compact version requires a mental pause to parse.

// UNCLEAR: Dense ternary chain
const label = isNew ? 'New' : isUpdated ? 'Updated' : isArchived ? 'Archived' : 'Active';

// CLEAR: Readable mapping
function getStatusLabel(item: Item): string {
  if (item.isNew) return 'New';
  if (item.isUpdated) return 'Updated';
  if (item.isArchived) return 'Archived';
  return 'Active';
}

// UNCLEAR: Chained reduces with inline logic
const result = items.reduce((acc, item) => ({
  ...acc,
  [item.id]: { ...acc[item.id], count: (acc[item.id]?.count ?? 0) + 1 }
}), {});

// CLEAR: Named intermediate step
const countById = new Map<string, number>();
for (const item of items) {
  countById.set(item.id, (countById.get(item.id) ?? 0) + 1);
}

4. Maintain Balance

Simplification has a failure mode: over-simplification. Watch for these traps:

• Inlining too aggressively - removing a helper that gave a concept a name makes the call site harder to read
• Combining unrelated logic - two simple functions merged into one complex function is not simpler
• Removing "unnecessary" abstraction - some abstractions exist for extensibility or testability, not complexity
• Optimizing for line count - fewer lines is not the goal; easier comprehension is

5. Scope to What Changed

Default to simplifying recently modified code. Avoid drive-by refactors of unrelated code unless explicitly asked to broaden scope. Unscoped simplification creates noise in diffs and risks unintended regressions.

The Simplification Process

Step 1: Understand Before Touching (Chesterton's Fence)

Before changing or removing anything, understand why it exists. This is Chesterton's Fence: if you see a fence across a road and don't understand why it's there, don't tear it down. First understand the reason, then decide if the reason still applies.

BEFORE SIMPLIFYING, ANSWER:
- What is this code's responsibility?
- What calls it? What does it call?
- What are the edge cases and error paths?
- Are there tests that define the expected behavior?
- Why might it have been written this way? (Performance? Platform constraint? Historical reason?)
- Check git blame: what was the original context for this code?

If you can't answer these, you're not ready to simplify. Read more context first.

Step 2: Identify Simplification Opportunities

Scan for these patterns - each one is a concrete signal, not a vague smell:

Structural complexity:

Naming and readability:

Redundancy:

Step 3: Apply Changes Incrementally

Make one simplification at a time. Run tests after each change. Submit refactoring changes separately from feature or bug fix changes. A PR that refactors and adds a feature is two PRs - split them.

FOR EACH SIMPLIFICATION:
1. Make the change
2. Run the test suite
3. If tests pass → commit (or continue to next simplification)
4. If tests fail → revert and reconsider

Avoid batching multiple simplifications into a single untested change. If something breaks, you need to know which simplification caused it.

The Rule of 500: If a refactoring would touch more than 500 lines, invest in automation (codemods, sed scripts, AST transforms) rather than making the changes by hand. Manual edits at that scale are error-prone and exhausting to review.

Step 4: Verify the Result

After all simplifications, step back and evaluate the whole:

COMPARE BEFORE AND AFTER:
- Is the simplified version genuinely easier to understand?
- Did you introduce any new patterns inconsistent with the codebase?
- Is the diff clean and reviewable?
- Would a teammate approve this change?

If the "simplified" version is harder to understand or review, revert. Not every simplification attempt succeeds.

Language-Specific Guidance

TypeScript / JavaScript

// SIMPLIFY: Unnecessary async wrapper
// Before
async function getUser(id: string): Promise<User> {
  return await userService.findById(id);
}
// After
function getUser(id: string): Promise<User> {
  return userService.findById(id);
}

// SIMPLIFY: Verbose conditional assignment
// Before
let displayName: string;
if (user.nickname) {
  displayName = user.nickname;
} else {
  displayName = user.fullName;
}
// After
const displayName = user.nickname || user.fullName;

// SIMPLIFY: Manual array building
// Before
const activeUsers: User[] = [];
for (const user of users) {
  if (user.isActive) {
    activeUsers.push(user);
  }
}
// After
const activeUsers = users.filter((user) => user.isActive);

// SIMPLIFY: Redundant boolean return
// Before
function isValid(input: string): boolean {
  if (input.length > 0 && input.length < 100) {
    return true;
  }
  return false;
}
// After
function isValid(input: string): boolean {
  return input.length > 0 && input.length < 100;
}

Python

### SIMPLIFY: Verbose dictionary building
### Before
result = {}
for item in items:
    result[item.id] = item.name
### After
result = {item.id: item.name for item in items}

### SIMPLIFY: Nested conditionals with early return
### Before
def process(data):
    if data is not None:
        if data.is_valid():
            if data.has_permission():
                return do_work(data)
            else:
                raise PermissionError("No permission")
        else:
            raise ValueError("Invalid data")
    else:
        raise TypeError("Data is None")
### After
def process(data):
    if data is None:
        raise TypeError("Data is None")
    if not data.is_valid():
        raise ValueError("Invalid data")
    if not data.has_permission():
        raise PermissionError("No permission")
    return do_work(data)

React / JSX

// SIMPLIFY: Verbose conditional rendering
// Before
function UserBadge({ user }: Props) {
  if (user.isAdmin) {
    return <Badge variant="admin">Admin</Badge>;
  } else {
    return <Badge variant="default">User</Badge>;
  }
}
// After
function UserBadge({ user }: Props) {
  const variant = user.isAdmin ? 'admin' : 'default';
  const label = user.isAdmin ? 'Admin' : 'User';
  return <Badge variant={variant}>{label}</Badge>;
}

// SIMPLIFY: Prop drilling through intermediate components
// Before — consider whether context or composition solves this better.
// This is a judgment call — flag it, don't auto-refactor.

Common Rationalizations

Red Flags

• Simplification that requires modifying tests to pass (you likely changed behavior)
• "Simplified" code that is longer and harder to follow than the original
• Renaming things to match your preferences rather than project conventions
• Removing error handling because "it makes the code cleaner"
• Simplifying code you don't fully understand
• Batching many simplifications into one large, hard-to-review commit
• Refactoring code outside the scope of the current task without being asked

Verification

After completing a simplification pass:

• All existing tests pass without modification
• Build succeeds with no new warnings
• Linter/formatter passes (no style regressions)
• Each simplification is a reviewable, incremental change
• The diff is clean - no unrelated changes mixed in
• Simplified code follows project conventions (checked against CLAUDE.md or equivalent)
• No error handling was removed or weakened
• No dead code was left behind (unused imports, unreachable branches)
• A teammate or review agent would approve the change as a net improvement

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches its upstream source and local project context.
• Verify commands, generated code, dependencies, credentials, and external service behavior before applying changes.
• Do not treat examples as a substitute for environment-specific tests, security review, or user approval for destructive or costly actions.