Instructions

The Loose Ends Checklist

Before declaring complete, run through:

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.

loose-ends

Loose Ends

When To Activate