status: active
timestamp: 2026-06-22
tags: [rule, dedup, refactoring, loc-threshold, content-vs-pattern, grill, tightened]
Grill on LOC removal >= 50 lines per sweep (TIGHTENED 2026-06-22 evening)
TIGHTENED 2026-06-22: threshold dropped from 1000 LOC 50 LOC. When a dedup/refactor/cleanup sweep removes ≥50 lines of code in\ a single agent action, the agent MUST surface this as a delta, ask the user MCQs\ about what was removed + why, offer restoration paths, and confirm before deleting.\ Reason: 50-LOC sweeps can hide substantive functional removal (an entire component,\ a route, a feature). Design pattern consolidation safe ONLY after grill; content/feature\ deletion NEVER safe without grill.
Grill on LOC removal >= 50 lines per sweep
Rule
Before deleting =1000 lines of code in a dedup/consolidation sweep, the agent MUST:
- Surface the delta explicitly — which files, which lines, what purpose.
- Ask the user 20+ questions (split across rounds if needed) covering:
- Per-app content (finance sidebar vs PDF sidebar vs tools sidebar — are they different?)
- Design pattern vs content distinction (can this consolidate as a slot, or is it app-specific logic?)
- LOC breakdown per app (user wants to see diffs before deciding)
- Restoration paths (restore all? partial? selective?)
- Get explicit user confirmation BEFORE deletion.
- If user wants to see diffs, show
git show <commit>:<file>for each app’s changes.
Why
Sweeps #3 + #4 consolidated chrome (Header/Footer/Sidebar/BottomBar) into @chirag127/astro-chrome assuming slot-based props would wire per-app content. But:
- Finance app sidebar should show only finance options (Credit Cards, FII/DII, Razorpay, Settings).
- PDF tools app sidebar should show only tools (Slice, Merge, Compress, Convert, Sign).
- Hub app sidebar should show family sites (all 26 apps + 5 books + 17 packages).
These are NOT content that can be passed via isOpen props or slots. They are structural differences in the navigation tree.
Design patterns CAN consolidate (all sidebars have the same CSS, drawer toggle at <768px, etc.). Content CANNOT.
The distinction
- Design pattern: CSS, layout, responsive breakpoints, animation. Consolidate to a package.
- Content: Nav items, categories, app-specific links. Keep per-app.
Threshold
=1000 LOC = enough to hide substantive changes. <1000 LOC = probably safe, but still consider asking.
Cross-refs
- Design divergence is not duplication ? [[rules/design-divergence-vs-dedup]]
- Confirm knowledge deltas ? [[rules/confirm-knowledge-deltas]]
- Grill-to-knowledge ? [[rules/grill-to-knowledge]]