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simplify · sneg55 — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install

Runs three parallel review subagents over modified code to spot duplicate utilities and execution bottlenecks, then applies fixes directly.

Install into Claude Code · Skills CLI (Vercel) All methods and platforms ↓
npx skills add sneg55/agent-starter --skill simplify -a claude-code
Open on GitHub

What simplify does

The skill inspects local changes by running git diff or git diff HEAD. If git has no modifications, it checks files edited earlier in the session. It then invokes the Agent tool to start three subagents concurrently with the full diff context.

Each subagent targets a separate concern. The first looks for duplicate functions and highlights existing project utilities. The second inspects code health, flagging redundant state, unnecessary JSX wrappers, and obvious comments. The third reviewer checks runtime efficiency. It catches unbounded data structures, redundant polling updates, and TOCTOU file checks.

Once all subagents report back, the skill modifies source files via Edit and Write. False positives get skipped without friction. Running this workflow requires terminal git access and subagent execution through the Agent tool.

What it helps with

  • replace duplicate logic with existing project utilities
  • strip unnecessary JSX wrapper elements and redundant comments
  • eliminate repeated file reads and N+1 operations
  • prevent unconditional state updates inside polling intervals

Example prompts for the agent

  • Run simplify on my staged git changes
  • Review recent edits with simplify and apply recommended cleanups

How to install simplify

1Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add sneg55/agent-starter --skill simplify -a claude-code

2Manually: put the files in place

~/.claude/skills/simplify/SKILL.md

Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/simplify/

Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways

Questions about simplify

How to install simplify in Claude Code?

Run npx skills add sneg55/agent-starter --skill simplify -a claude-code. The skill file will be placed in ~/.claude/skills/simplify/SKILL.md.

What does the simplify skill do?

It reviews your diff using three concurrent subagents covering reuse, quality, and runtime efficiency. Once reviews finish, it applies the required changes to the files.

What does simplify require to operate?

It needs working git CLI access to read diffs and permission to call the Agent tool. When no git diff is present, it looks at files updated earlier in the current session.

Source text

SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: simplify
description: Review changed code for reuse, quality, and efficiency, then fix any issues found.
user_invocable: true
allowed-tools:
  - Agent
  - Bash
  - Read
  - Write
  - Edit
  - Glob
  - Grep
---

# Simplify: Code Review and Cleanup

Review all changed files for reuse, quality, and efficiency. Fix any issues found.

## Phase 1: Identify Changes

Run `git diff` (or `git diff HEAD` if there are staged changes) to see what changed. If there are no git changes, review the most recently modified files that the user mentioned or that you edited earlier in this conversation.

## Phase 2: Launch Three Review Agents in Parallel

Use the Agent tool to launch all three agents concurrently in a single message. Pass each agent the full diff so it has the complete context.

### Agent 1: Code Reuse Review

For each change:

1. **Search for existing utilities and helpers** that could replace newly written code. Look for similar patterns elsewhere in the codebase - common locations are utility directories, shared modules, and files adjacent to the changed ones.
2. **Flag any new function that duplicates existing functionality.** Suggest the existing function to use instead.
3. **Flag any inline logic that could use an existing utility** - hand-rolled string manipulation, manual path handling, custom environment checks, ad-hoc type guards, and similar patterns are common candidates.

### Agent 2: Code Quality Review

Review the same changes for hacky patterns:

1. **Redundant state**: state that duplicates existing state, cached values that could be derived, observers/effects that could be direct calls
2. **Parameter sprawl**: adding new parameters to a function instead of generalizing or restructuring existing ones
3. **Copy-paste with slight variation**: near-duplicate code blocks that should be unified with a shared abstraction
4. **Leaky abstractions**: exposing internal details that should be encapsulated, or breaking existing abstraction boundaries
5. **Stringly-typed code**: using raw strings where constants, enums (string unions), or branded types already exist in the codebase
6. **Unnecessary JSX nesting**: wrapper Boxes/elements that add no layout value - check if inner component props (flexShrink, alignItems, etc.) already provide the needed behavior
7. **Unnecessary comments**: comments explaining WHAT the code does (well-named identifiers already do that), narrating the change, or referencing the task/caller - delete; keep only non-obvious WHY (hidden constraints, subtle invariants, workarounds)

### Agent 3: Efficiency Review

Review the same changes for efficiency:

1. **Unnecessary work**: redundant computations, repeated file reads, duplicate network/API calls, N+1 patterns
2. **Missed concurrency**: independent operations run sequentially when they could run in parallel
3. **Hot-path bloat**: new blocking work added to startup or per-request/per-render hot paths
4. **Recurring no-op updates**: state/store updates inside polling loops, intervals, or event handlers that fire unconditionally - add a change-detection guard so downstream consumers aren't notified when nothing changed. Also: if a wrapper function takes an updater/reducer callback, verify it honors same-reference returns (or whatever the "no change" signal is) - otherwise callers' early-return no-ops are silently defeated
5. **Unnecessary existence checks**: pre-checking file/resource existence before operating (TOCTOU anti-pattern) - operate directly and handle the error
6. **Memory**: unbounded data structures, missing cleanup, event listener leaks
7. **Overly broad operations**: reading entire files when only a portion is needed, loading all items when filtering for one

## Phase 3: Fix Issues

Wait for all three agents to complete. Aggregate their findings and fix each issue directly. If a finding is a false positive or not worth addressing, note it and move on - do not argue with the finding, just skip it.

When done, briefly summarize what was fixed (or confirm the code was already clean).

© sneg55 · MIT · sneg55/agent-starter

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