/ase-task-condense

name: ase-task-condense
argument-hint: "[--help|-h] [--next|-n <option>[,...]] [<id>]"
description: >
    Condense the current or given task plan by compressing its wording.
    Use when the user calls to "condense", "compress", "shrink" or
    "shorten" the "task", "plan", "spec", or "specification".
user-invocable: true
disable-model-invocation: false
effort: high

@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-control.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-skill.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-dialog.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-getopt.md

<purpose name="ase-task-condense"> Condense a Task Plan </purpose>

<expand name="getopt" arg1="ase-task-condense" arg2="--next|-n=(none|DONE|EDIT|IMPLEMENT|DRAFT)... --int-reuse-task"> $ARGUMENTS </expand>

<objective> *Condense* the task plan by removing fluff while preserving all semantics exactly. </objective>

@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-format-task.md @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-common-task.md

Procedure ---------

<define name="handoff-args"> Set <args></args> (set args to empty). <if condition="the condensed plan was saved via `ase_task_save` in step 3"> Set <args>--int-reuse-task</args>. </if> <if condition="<getopt-option-next/> is not equal `none`"> Set <args><args/> --next <getopt-option-next/></args> </if> </define>

1. **Determine Task:**

1. Set <instruction><getopt-arguments/></instruction> initially, with any leading and trailing whitespace stripped. Inherit the always existing <ase-task-id/> from the current context. Inherit the always existing <ase-session-id/> from the current context. Do not output anything.

2. React on task id:

<expand name="task-react-id" arg1="ase-task-condense"></expand>

2. **Determine Operation:**

1. Determine the current task plan content:

<expand name="task-load-content"></expand>

Set <content-before><task-content/></content-before> (remember the loaded plan content for the strictly-shorter check in step 3).

<if condition="the frontmatter of <task-content/> carries a `Created: <text/>` key"> Set <timestamp-created><text/></timestamp-created> (extract the original creation timestamp so it can be re-inserted unchanged into the condensed <task-content/> in step 3). </if>

2. <if condition="<task-content/> is empty"> Complain and tell the user to use the `ase-task-edit` skill first to create a task plan. Then immediately stop processing this skill. </if>

3. **Condense Task Plan:**

1. *Apply the condense ruleset* to <task-content/>, producing a shorter <task-content/>. The goal is to make the plan require as *little reading* as possible while all semantics remain *fully preserved and unchanged*. Honor the following ruleset *strictly*:

1. *Preserve-exactly (never alter)*: the plan <format/> structure (the entire frontmatter block with all of its keys, the headings `#`/`##`, all three `## SPECIFICATION (WHAT)`, `## DESIGN (HOW)`, and `## VERIFICATION (WHEN)` sections, the `- <box/> <type/>:` bullet-point prefixes with their checkbox states, and the entire "backmatter" with all of its attachment blocks), all *code spans* and code blocks, technical terms, file paths, identifiers, numbers, severities (`LOW`/`MEDIUM`/`HIGH`/`ACCEPTED`), and the `*<aspect/>*` emphasis highlighting convention.

2. *Compress free-text only* (each bullet-point's <text/>):

• *Drop* filler ("just", "really", "basically", "simply"),

pleasantries, and hedging ("I think", "maybe", "perhaps").

• *Use* shorter synonyms and common abbreviations.
• *Use* `→` for causality and `-` for short subsequent facts.
• *Drop* articles ("a", "an", "the") and *replace*

conjunctions with short separate clauses where this shortens the text without introducing ambiguity.

• *Re-wrap* the shortened free-text to the ~100-character-

per-line convention of the plan <format/>, but *never* break a line *inside* an inline code span.

• *Merge* genuinely-redundant bullets (the same aspect

restated) and *drop* pure duplication -- but *only* when truly redundant; *never* lose a distinct aspect.

3. *Persona override*: this condense ruleset *always wins* for the plan content. This ruleset-based compression is applied *regardless* of the currently active session persona style.

4. *Hard guardrail -- semantics preserved EXACTLY*: condensing *only* shortens wording. It *MUST NOT* drop, merge (except truly-redundant bullets per sub-item 2), reorder, or alter *any* factual claim, requirement, file path, rule, or example. If a shortening would change meaning, *keep the longer wording*.

2. *Persist only if smaller*: call the `ase_text_metric(text: "<text/>")` tool of the `ase` MCP server once for the condensed <task-content/> and once for <content-before/>, and take the `chars` field of each result, so the comparison rests on a *measured* length instead of an estimate.

• <if condition="the condensed <task-content/> has strictly fewer `chars` than <content-before/>">

<expand name="task-save-content" arg1="plan condensed"></expand> </if>

• <if condition="the condensed <task-content/> has NOT strictly fewer `chars` than <content-before/>">

Do *not* save and do *not* bump the timestamp. Set <task-content><content-before/></task-content> (keep the *unchanged* stored plan, discard the condensed one).