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Deslop

Remove AI-generated code slop from a branch diff — unnecessary comments, defensive checks, any-casts, and nested code inconsistent with the surrounding codebase.

created · 2026-05-10
deslop.md

Deslop

Check the diff against main and strip out the tells of AI-generated code: comments that narrate the obvious, try/catch blocks on trusted paths, any casts used to dodge type errors, and nesting that should be early returns.

The failure mode this exists for: AI-assisted code that passes review because it works, but reads like it was written by someone who doesn't know the codebase.

When to use

  • After an AI-assisted coding session before opening a PR.
  • During review when something in the diff feels foreign to the surrounding style.
  • Any time you see comments explaining what the code does rather than why.

What to look for

  • Redundant comments — anything that restates what the code already says clearly.
  • Defensive over-checking — null guards, try/catch, or fallback values on code paths where the caller guarantees safety.
  • any casts — used to silence type errors rather than fix them.
  • Deep nesting — logic that could be flattened with early returns or guard clauses.
  • Style drift — patterns inconsistent with the file and the files around it.

Guardrails

  • Keep behavior unchanged unless fixing a clear bug.
  • Prefer minimal, focused edits over broad rewrites.
  • Match the local style — don't impose a different convention, remove the deviation from the existing one.

Output should feel like

  • The diff shrinks. Lines removed, not added.
  • The remaining code is indistinguishable from code written by whoever owns the file.
  • Summary: 1–3 sentences, no bullet list of every change made.