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ln-35-surgical-change-implementer

Implements bounded product-code changes through the smallest complete root-cause solution.

556|83|Updated Oct 24, 2025
Search Tags:#root cause#verification#scope control#surgical change#Code Implementation#test portfolio#minimal solution
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/levnikolaevich/claude-code-skills --skill ln-35-surgical-change-implementer
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: ln-35-surgical-change-implementer
Source: https://github.com/levnikolaevich/claude-code-skills/tree/main/plugins/optimization-suite/skills/ln-35-surgical-change-implementer
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/levnikolaevich/claude-code-skills --skill ln-35-surgical-change-implementer

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Code changes often grow into sprawling refactors, duplicate mechanisms, or speculative abstractions that add risk without delivering the requested outcome. This Skill enforces a disciplined, evidence-backed workflow that delivers one approved change with the fewest concepts, files, and lines while removing superseded code.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Solution Rung Ladder: Systematically tests NO_CHANGE, DELETE_OR_CONFIGURE, REUSE_LOCAL, USE_PLATFORM_OR_STDLIB, REUSE_INSTALLED, ADOPT_DEPENDENCY, and MINIMAL_CUSTOM before writing new code.
  • Evidence-Based Checklist: Tracks every workflow item as PENDING, PROVEN, CLEARED, or UNPROVEN, requiring concrete verification through repository build, lint, type, and test gates.
  • Test Portfolio Decisions: Maps each acceptance requirement to KEEP, ADD, UPDATE, MERGE, DELETE, or NO_TEST actions so testware stays proportionate to real risk.
  • Use Case: A product manager approves a bug fix for a checkout flow. The Skill traces the runtime path, finds the owning cause, fixes it once using an existing repository helper, removes the obsolete workaround, and reports a DELIVERED verdict with acceptance traceability.

Quick Start

Ask the agent to implement a specific approved change, for example: implement the approved fix for the duplicate order confirmation email using the smallest complete solution and report the verdict.

Frequently Asked Questions about ln-35-surgical-change-implementer

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I implement a code change without scope creep?▼

Define a change contract first: business outcome, protected behavior, explicit non-goals, and approved mutation scope. Then test progressively larger solution rungs, starting with no change and configuration fixes, before writing any custom code.

What is the smallest complete solution approach for bug fixes?▼

It fixes the owning root cause once at the canonical boundary rather than patching symptoms with adapters or parallel paths. The approach prefers deletion, configuration, or reuse of existing repository helpers over adding new code.

When should I not use a surgical implementation workflow?▼

Avoid it for planning, code review, audits, dependency upgrades, modernization, or performance tuning, which need dedicated skills. It also returns BLOCKED when the business outcome, ownership boundary, or safe edit scope cannot be established.

How does the skill decide whether to add a new dependency?▼

A new dependency is considered only after exhausting no-change, deletion, local reuse, platform, and installed-dependency options. It must pass checks on maintenance, security, license, compatibility, transitive cost, and removal path.

What happens to existing tests when making a surgical change?▼

Each affected test gets exactly one portfolio action: KEEP, ADD, UPDATE, MERGE, DELETE, or justified NO_TEST. Superseded and low-value testware in the approved scope is removed, and skipped or flaky evidence never counts as passing.

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