Documentation Cleaner

Consolidate redundant documentation while preserving 100% of valuable content.

Core Principle

Critical evaluation before deletion. Never blindly delete. Analyze each section's unique value before proposing removal. The goal is reduction without information loss.

Workflow

Phase 1: Discovery

Identify all documentation files covering the topic
Count total lines across files
Map content overlap between documents

Phase 2: Value Analysis

For each document, create a section-by-section analysis table:

| Section | Lines | Value | Reason | |---------|-------|-------|--------| | API Reference | 25 | Keep | Unique endpoint documentation | | Setup Steps | 40 | Condense | Verbose but essential | | Test Results | 30 | Delete | One-time record, not reference |

Value categories:

Keep: Unique, essential, frequently referenced
Condense: Valuable but verbose
Delete: Duplicate, one-time, self-evident, outdated

See references/value_analysis_template.md for detailed criteria.

Phase 3: Consolidation Plan

Propose target structure:

Before: 726 lines (3 files, high redundancy)
After:  ~100 lines (1 file + reference in CLAUDE.md)
Reduction: 86%
Value preserved: 100%

Phase 4: Execution

Create consolidated document with all valuable content
Delete redundant source files
Update references (CLAUDE.md, README, imports)
Verify no broken links

Value Preservation Checklist

Before finalizing, confirm preservation of:

[ ] Essential procedures (setup, configuration)
[ ] Key constraints and gotchas
[ ] Troubleshooting guides
[ ] Technical debt / roadmap items
[ ] External links and references
[ ] Debug tips and code snippets

Anti-Patterns

| Pattern | Problem | Solution | |---------|---------|----------| | Blind deletion | Loses valuable information | Section-by-section analysis first | | Keeping everything | No reduction achieved | Apply value criteria strictly | | Multiple sources of truth | Future divergence | Single authoritative location | | Orphaned references | Broken links | Update all references after consolidation |

Output Artifacts

A successful cleanup produces:

Consolidated document - Single source of truth
Value analysis - Section-by-section justification
Before/after metrics - Lines reduced, value preserved
Updated references - CLAUDE.md or README with pointer to new location