| name | substitute-eraser |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to "scan for TODOs", "find placeholders", "clean up stubs", "remove temporary code", "audit for incomplete code", or "erase substitutions from codebase". Scans existing files for placeholder tokens and generates remediation plan. |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| metadata | [object Object] |
| created_with | [object Object], [object Object], [object Object] |
Substitute Eraser
Scan existing codebases for placeholder tokens. Generate remediation plan.
Purpose
Audit existing files for substitution tokens (TODO, FIXME, placeholder, mock, etc.) and produce actionable remediation plan. Distinct from accept-no-substitutes which validates agent output.
Scope: Existing Files
This skill scans what already exists:
- Source code files
- Configuration files
- Documentation with stale placeholders
- Test fixtures that leaked into production
Complements accept-no-substitutes (output validation).
Trit Assignment
- Trit: -1 (MINUS/VALIDATOR)
- Hue: 270° (violet - deep scan)
- Role: Codebase auditor, technical debt detector
Scan Workflow
1. Discovery
# Scan current directory
just substitute-scan .
# Scan specific path
just substitute-scan src/
2. Classification
| Severity | Tokens | Action |
|---|---|---|
| CRITICAL | TODO, FIXME, placeholder, xxx | Must fix before merge |
| WARNING | mock-, fake-, stub-* (outside tests) | Review context |
| INFO | example_*, demo_* | Document or remove |
3. Remediation Report
Output format:
SUBSTITUTE ERASER REPORT
========================
Scanned: 142 files
Found: 23 substitutions
CRITICAL (7):
src/auth.py:42 TODO: implement token refresh
src/api.py:118 placeholder value
src/db.py:55 FIXME: race condition
...
WARNING (12):
src/service.py:30 mock_client (not in test file)
...
INFO (4):
README.md:15 example_config
...
REMEDIATION PLAN:
1. [CRITICAL] src/auth.py:42 - Implement token refresh logic
2. [CRITICAL] src/api.py:118 - Replace placeholder with actual value
...
Context-Aware Exceptions
Acceptable Locations
| Pattern | Acceptable In |
|---|---|
mock-*, fake-*, stub-* |
*_test.py, test_*.py, /tests/ |
example_* |
README.md, /docs/, /examples/ |
demo_* |
/demo/, documentation |
TODO |
Issue tracker references with ID |
Exception Syntax
Mark intentional placeholders:
# SUBSTITUTE-OK: mock used for test isolation
mock_client = MockHTTPClient()
Commands
# Full scan with report
just substitute-scan <path>
# Critical only (CI mode)
just substitute-critical <path>
# Generate remediation tasks
just substitute-tasks <path> --output=github # GitHub issues
just substitute-tasks <path> --output=linear # Linear tickets
just substitute-tasks <path> --output=todo # TODO file
# Interactive fix mode
just substitute-fix <path>
Integration with GF(3)
Operates as MINUS (-1) in audit triads:
substitute-eraser(-1) + code-generator(+1) + review-coordinator(0) = 0
Emits rejection signal when scan finds violations above threshold.
Additional Resources
Reference Files
references/patterns.md- Detection regex patterns (shared with accept-no-substitutes)references/remediation.md- Fix strategies per token type
Scripts
scripts/scan.py- Main scanning scriptscripts/report.py- Report generation