Simplify code
Simplify recently changed or user-selected code while preserving observable behavior, public APIs, tests, and required safeguards. Use when asked to simplify, clean up, refactor for clarity, reduce nesting, remove duplication, or review an implementation for unnecessary complexity.From its SKILL.md
npx -y skills add 26zl/universal-agent-skills --skill simplify-codeAssembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.
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SKILL.md
1.2 KB, 166 tokens by cl100k_base, as published. Nobody here has run it
Simplify code
- Read the target code, nearby tests, and repository guidance before editing.
- Preserve observable behavior, public interfaces, error handling, security boundaries, and required compatibility unless the user explicitly requests a change.
- Prefer direct control flow, clear names, existing abstractions, and fewer moving parts.
- Remove dead code, redundant wrappers, needless indirection, duplicate branches, and comments that only restate the code.
- Keep comments only for non-obvious intent, constraints, invariants, workarounds, or tradeoffs. Write them in a short, neutral voice without process narration.
- Avoid broad rewrites, speculative abstractions, dependency changes, and unrelated formatting.
- Run focused tests or checks that demonstrate behavior was preserved. Report any unverified area plainly.
What ships with it: 1 file
204 B alongside SKILL.md
agents/
- openai.yaml204 B
Gives 0 of the 12 instructions most refactoring skills give in 166 tokens
Counted across 545 of the 587 authors here whose files we hold, read 2026-09-06
- Run tests after each changein 61 of 545, across 59 files
- Run tests before refactoringin 42 of 545
- Revert immediately if tests failin 31 of 545, across 28 files
- Perform refactoring in small stepsin 30 of 545, across 29 files
- Write characterization tests for untested codein 21 of 545, across 19 files
- Remove dead code and unused importsin 20 of 545
- Identify code smellsin 20 of 545
- Perform one refactoring at a timein 19 of 545
- Commit after each successful refactoringin 17 of 545, across 15 files
- Verify all tests pass after refactoringin 17 of 545
- Keep refactoring separate from behavior changesin 16 of 545, across 14 files
- Run the full test suitein 16 of 545
Said here and by no other author read
- Prefer direct control flow and clear names
- Remove dead code and redundant wrappers
- Keep comments for non-obvious intent only
- Report any unverified areas plainly
Grouped from the skills themselves: near-identical wordings counted once, and counted by distinct author, so one author publishing three of these counts once. Length counted with cl100k_base; the agent that loads this file may tokenize it differently.