brewtools:text-optimize

Text & File Optimizer

Step 0: Load Rules

REQUIRED: Read references/rules-review.md before ANY optimization. If file not found -> ERROR + STOP. Do not proceed without rules reference.

Modes

Parse $ARGUMENTS: -l/--light | -d/--deep | no flag -> medium (default).

Mode	Flag	Scope
Light	-l, --light	Text cleanup only — structure, lists, flow untouched
Medium	(default)	Balanced restructuring — all standard transformations
Deep	-d, --deep	Max density — rephrase, merge, compress aggressively

Rule ID Quick Reference

Category	Rule IDs	Scope
Claude behavior	C.1-C.6	Literal following, avoid "think", positive framing, match style, descriptive instructions, overengineering
Token efficiency	T.1-T.8	Tables, bullets, one-liners, inline code, abbreviations, filler, comma lists, arrows
Structure	S.1-S.8	XML tags, imperative, single source, context/motivation, blockquotes, progressive disclosure, consistent terminology, ref depth
Reference integrity	R.1-R.3	Verify file paths, check URLs, linearize circular refs
Perception	P.1-P.6	Examples near rules, hierarchy, bold keywords, standard symbols, instruction order, default over options

ID-to-Rule Mapping

ID	Rule	ID	Rule
C.1	Literal instruction following	C.2	Avoid "think" word
C.3	Positive framing (do Y not don't X)	C.4	Match prompt style to output
C.5	Descriptive over emphatic instructions	C.6	Overengineering prevention
T.1	Tables over prose (multi-column)	T.2	Bullets over numbered (~5-10%)
T.3	One-liners for rules	T.4	Inline code over blocks
T.5	Standard abbreviations (tables only)	T.6	Remove filler words
T.7	Comma-separated inline lists	T.8	Arrows for flow notation
S.1	XML tags for sections	S.2	Imperative form
S.3	Single source of truth	S.4	Add context/motivation
S.5	Blockquotes for critical	S.6	Progressive disclosure
R.1	Verify file paths	R.2	Check URLs
R.3	Linearize circular refs	P.1	Examples near rules
P.2	Hierarchy via headers (max 3-4)	P.3	Bold for keywords (max 2-3/100 lines)
P.4	Standard symbols (→ + / ✅❌⚠️)
S.7	Consistent terminology	S.8	One-level reference depth
P.5	Instruction order (anchoring)	P.6	Default over options

Mode-to-Rules Mapping

Mode	Applies	Notes
Light	C.1-C.6, T.6, R.1-R.3, P.1-P.4	Text cleanup only — no restructuring
Medium	All rules (C + T + S + R + P)	Balanced transformations
Deep	All rules + aggressive rephrasing	Merge sections, max compression

Usage Examples

Command	Description
/brewtools:text-optimize	Optimize ALL: CLAUDE.md, .claude/agents/*.md, .claude/skills/**/SKILL.md
/brewtools:text-optimize file.md	Single file (medium mode)
/brewtools:text-optimize -l file.md	Light mode — text cleanup only, structure untouched
/brewtools:text-optimize -d file.md	Deep mode — max compression, review diff after
/brewtools:text-optimize path1.md, path2.md	Multiple files — parallel processing
/brewtools:text-optimize -d agents/	Directory — all .md files with specified mode

File Processing

Input Parsing

Input	Action
No args	Optimize ALL: .claude/agents/*.md, .claude/skills/**/SKILL.md, CLAUDE.md
Single path	Process directly
path1, path2	Parallel processing

2-Phase Execution

Phase 1: Analysis — Parallel Explore agents

Task(subagent_type: "Explore", prompt: "Analyze {file}: structure, dependencies, cross-refs, redundancies")

Phase 2: Optimization — Parallel text-optimizer agents

Context: BT_PLUGIN_ROOT is available in your context (injected by pre-task.mjs hook). Use it to access plugin resources.

Task(subagent_type: "text-optimizer", prompt: "FIRST: Read $BT_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/text-optimize/references/rules-review.md for validation rules. THEN optimize {file} using {mode} mode. Apply transformations, verify refs, output report with metrics.")

Spawn parallel: For multiple files, spawn ALL agents in ONE message for speed.

Quality Checklist

Before

• Read entire text
• Identify type (prompt, docs, agent, skill)
• Note critical info and cross-references

During — Apply by Mode

Check	Light	Med	Deep
C.1-C.6 (Claude behavior)	Yes	Yes	Yes
T.6 (filler removal)	Yes	Yes	Yes
T.1-T.5, T.7-T.8 (token compression)	-	Yes	Yes
S.1-S.8 (structure/clarity)	-	Yes	Yes
R.1-R.3 (reference integrity)	Yes	Yes	Yes
P.1-P.4 (LLM perception)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Aggressive rephrasing	-	-	Yes
No information loss	Yes	Yes	Yes

After

• All facts preserved
• Logic consistent
• References valid (R.1-R.3)
• Tokens reduced

Output Format

## Optimization Report: [filename]

| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|--------|--------|-------|--------|
| Lines  | X      | Y     | -Z%    |
| Tokens | ~X     | ~Y    | -Z%    |

### Rules Applied
- [Rule IDs]: [Description of changes]

### Issues Found & Fixed
- [Issue]: [Resolution]

### Cross-Reference Verification
- [x] All file refs valid (R.1)
- [x] All URLs checked (R.2)
- [x] No circular refs (R.3)

Anti-Patterns

Avoid	Why
Remove all examples	Hurts generalization (P.1)
Over-abbreviate	Reduces readability (T.5 caveat)
Generic compression	Domain terms matter
Over-aggressive language	Opus 4.5 overtriggers (C.5)
Flatten hierarchy	Loses structure (P.2)
"Don't do X" framing	Less effective than "Do Y" (C.3)
Overengineer prompts	Opus 4.5 follows literally (C.6)
Overload single prompts	Divided attention, hallucinations (S.3)
Over-focus on wording	Structure > word choice (T.1)