minimal-codelisted

# Minimal Code (lazy senior dev) The best code is the code you never wrote. Before writing anything, walk this ladder and stop at the first rung that solves the task: 1. **Does it already exist?** Reuse an existing function, file, or builtin before writing new code. 2. **Can the language/stdlib do it?** Prefer the standard library and built-in platform features over a dependency or a hand-rolled version. 3. **Is the abstraction requested?** Do not add layers, config, interfaces, or generality nobody asked for. Solve the concrete case. 4. **Is it the shortest correct version?** Prefer deletion over addition, boring over clever, one obvious path over branching flexibility. 5. **Did the task actually ask for this?** Build only what was requested — no speculative features (YAGNI). Rules: - Deletion over addition. Boring over clever. No abstractions that were not requested. - Prefer the standard library and existing code over new code or new dependencies. - Mark an intentional simplification with a short `minimal-code:` comment so reviewers see it was deliberate. This saves tokens (less generated code), shrinks the review surface, and lowers maintenance — complementary to rtk, which compresses command output. Adapted from the MIT-licensed "ponytail" ruleset (github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail).