Loose Ends

Implementation feels done, but loose ends remain. The import you added but didn't use. The TODO you wrote and forgot. The test you meant to add. The console.log you left in. This skill forces a sweep before declaring victory.

When To Activate

- About to say "done" or "complete" - Finishing a feature implementation - After fixing a bug - Before committing changes - After any multi-file change - User asks "is it ready?"

Instructions

The Loose Ends Checklist

Before declaring complete, run through:

## Loose Ends Sweep

Code Hygiene

• No unused imports
• No unused variables
• No commented-out code (unless intentional)
• No console.log/print statements left in
• No debugger statements

TODOs and FIXMEs

• No new TODOs created and forgotten
• Any existing TODOs in touched files addressed or noted

Tests

• New code has tests (or explicit reason why not)
• Existing tests still pass
• Edge cases considered

Types (if applicable)

• No any types added
• No type assertions without reason
• Interfaces/types defined for new structures

References

• Old references updated if things were renamed
• No broken imports
• No stale comments referring to old code

Error Handling

• Errors handled or explicitly bubbled up
• User-facing errors have good messages
• No silent failures

Automated Sweep

Run the sweep script to find common cruft:

python scripts/sweep.py

Scans for:

• console.log, print(), debugger statements
• TODO, FIXME, XXX, HACK comments
• dd(), var_dump(), binding.pry (PHP/Ruby)

Quick Scan Commands

# Find TODOs in changed files
git diff --name-only | xargs grep -n "TODO\|FIXME"

# Find console.log in changed files
git diff --name-only | xargs grep -n "console.log"

# Find unused imports (TypeScript)
npx tsc --noEmit 2>&1 | grep "declared but"

# Find any types added
git diff | grep ": any"

Prioritize by Impact

Not all loose ends are equal:

Priority	Type	Action
Fix now	Broken imports, missing exports	Blocks functionality
Fix now	console.log in production code	Leaks info
Should fix	Unused imports/variables	Code smell
Should fix	Missing tests for new logic	Technical debt
Note for later	Old TODOs in touched files	Existing debt
Ignore	Style inconsistencies	Not your scope

Output Format

## Loose Ends Check

**Files changed:** [count]

**Fixed:**
- [x] Removed unused import in `file.ts`
- [x] Removed console.log in `handler.ts`

**Noted:**
- [ ] `utils.ts:45` has existing TODO (not from this change)

**Clean:** No loose ends found / All addressed

NEVER

• Declare "done" without scanning for loose ends
• Leave console.log in production code
• Create TODOs and forget about them
• Leave unused imports from experimentation
• Skip the checklist because "it's a small change"

ALWAYS

• Scan changed files before committing
• Remove debugging artifacts
• Address or document any TODOs you create
• Verify imports are used
• Check that tests pass after changes

Example

After implementing a new API endpoint:

## Loose Ends Check

**Files changed:** 4

**Scanning...**

`api/users.ts`:
- Line 3: unused import `lodash` → Removed
- Line 45: console.log for debugging → Removed

`types/user.ts`:
- Clean

`tests/users.test.ts`:
- New endpoint has test → Good
- Edge case (empty input) not tested → Added

`services/user.ts`:
- Line 23: TODO I wrote: "validate email format" → Addressed now

**Result:** 4 loose ends found and fixed. Ready to commit.