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82 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
82 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: reducing-entropy
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description: Manual-only skill for minimizing total codebase size. Only activate when explicitly requested by user. Measures success by final code amount, not effort. Bias toward deletion.
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---
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# Reducing Entropy
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More code begets more code. Entropy accumulates. This skill biases toward the smallest possible codebase.
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**Core question:** "What does the codebase look like *after*?"
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## Before You Begin
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**Load at least one mindset from `references/`**
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1. List the files in the reference directory
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2. Read frontmatter descriptions to pick which applies
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3. Load at least one
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4. State which you loaded and its core principle
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**Do not proceed until you've done this.**
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## The Goal
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The goal is **less total code in the final codebase** - not less code to write right now.
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- Writing 50 lines that delete 200 lines = net win
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- Keeping 14 functions to avoid writing 2 = net loss
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- "No churn" is not a goal. Less code is the goal.
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**Measure the end state, not the effort.**
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## Three Questions
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### 1. What's the smallest codebase that solves this?
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Not "what's the smallest change" - what's the smallest *result*.
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- Could this be 2 functions instead of 14?
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- Could this be 0 functions (delete the feature)?
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- What would we delete if we did this?
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### 2. Does the proposed change result in less total code?
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Count lines before and after. If after > before, reject it.
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- "Better organized" but more code = more entropy
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- "More flexible" but more code = more entropy
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- "Cleaner separation" but more code = more entropy
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### 3. What can we delete?
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Every change is an opportunity to delete. Ask:
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- What does this make obsolete?
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- What was only needed because of what we're replacing?
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- What's the maximum we could remove?
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## Red Flags
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- **"Keep what exists"** - Status quo bias. The question is total code, not churn.
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- **"This adds flexibility"** - Flexibility for what? YAGNI.
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- **"Better separation of concerns"** - More files/functions = more code. Separation isn't free.
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- **"Type safety"** - Worth how many lines? Sometimes runtime checks in less code wins.
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- **"Easier to understand"** - 14 things are not easier than 2 things.
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## When This Doesn't Apply
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- The codebase is already minimal for what it does
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- You're in a framework with strong conventions (don't fight it)
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- Regulatory/compliance requirements mandate certain structures
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## Reference Mindsets
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See `references/` for philosophical grounding.
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To add new mindsets, see `adding-reference-mindsets.md`.
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---
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**Bias toward deletion. Measure the end state.**
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