v0.21.0

[0.21.0] — 2026-09-25

Less code, and a way to verify it. Four changes put the kit's reuse discipline to work after the code is written, not only while it is being written: a deletion-first review (/wize-subtract) wired as a fourth layer of wize-code-review, a ledger for deliberate shortcuts (/wize-debt + the wize-debt: marker), the code ladder promoted into the generated AGENTS.md (always-on in every harness), and code accounting in the retrospective. Inspired by Ponytail by Dietrich Gebert (credited in all 3 READMEs).

Added

• /wize-subtract (core skill) — over-engineering-only review of a diff: one line per finding (delete:, stdlib:, native:, yagni:, shrink:), ranked by lines saved, closing with net: -<N> lines possible. Names the replacement for every cut, verifies reuse claims against the codebase, and never flags tests, trust-boundary validation, security or accessibility. Lists findings; does not apply them.
• /wize-debt (core skill) — harvests every wize-debt: marker (ceiling + upgrade path) into one ledger, so a deferral can't quietly become permanent. Flags markers that name no trigger as no-trigger rot risk. Read-only.
• wize-code-review runs a fourth layer: the Subtraction Hunter — alongside the Blind Hunter, Edge Case Hunter and Acceptance Auditor on every code PR. Triage classifies its findings (patch for code this diff introduced, defer for pre-existing code, dismiss when a requirement or a safety floor protects it) and the summary reports the cuts and net: -N lines possible.
• Code accounting in wize-retrospective — lines added/removed/net, files touched, dependencies added, new abstractions, wize-debt: markers added vs retired, and the complexity delta, all measured from git over the sprint window and reported as numbers in the retro doc.

Changed

• The generated AGENTS.md now carries the code ladder — YAGNI → already-here → stdlib → native → installed dependency → one-liner → minimum, plus the anti-over-engineering rules (no unrequested abstractions or dependencies, deletion over addition, boring over clever, fewest files, bug fix = root cause) and the safety floor (trust-boundary validation, data-loss handling, security, accessibility, tests on non-trivial logic). The ladder is now always-on in every harness that reads AGENTS.md, instead of living only inside the implementation skills. Existing installs: delete the kit-generated AGENTS.md and re-run npx wize-dev-kit sync to regenerate it.
• Shuri's persona — the blanket "no TODO" rule becomes "no vague TODO": a deliberate shortcut with a known ceiling ships with a wize-debt: marker naming ceiling and upgrade trigger, or it doesn't ship. Shuri also runs /wize-subtract on her own diff before opening the PR.

Fixed

• Validator: descriptions with escaped quotes — the kit's frontmatter parser reads double-quoted scalars with /^"([^"]*)"$/, so a description containing \" was parsed with its wrapping quotes and re-escaped on render (visible in every harness). npm run validate now fails that pattern, with the fix spelled out.