Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Codex, Windsurf & more

PUT YOUR AGENT

ON A DIET.

Diet Code is lazy senior dev mode for AI coding agents. Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, and Codex climb a ladder before writing anything — then ship the minimum that works.

MIT licensed core · install in under a minute · no telemetry on your code

How it works
80–94%less code written
47–77%less token cost
3–6×faster generations
// SECTION: HOW_IT_WORKS
deep_clone.diffLIVE
// without dietcode
npm install lodash
import { cloneDeep } from "lodash"
const copy = cloneDeep(original)
// with dietcode
// dietcode: structuredClone does this
const copy = structuredClone(original)

1 dependency → 1 built-in. structuredClone handles Dates, Maps, Sets, and circular refs — everything JSON.parse/stringify silently drops.

LADDER.mdstop at first rung that holds

Climb the ladder
before you write anything

1
Does this need to exist?Speculative need = skip it and say so in one line. (YAGNI)
2
Stdlib does it?Use it before reaching for anything else.
3
Native platform feature?<input type="date"> over a picker library, CSS over JS.
4
Already-installed dependency?Use it. Never add a new one for what a few lines handle.
5
Can it be one line?One line.
6
Only then, write codeThe least code that works — boring over clever.
Never lazy about: input validation at trust boundaries, error handling that prevents data loss, security, accessibility, hardware calibration, and anything you explicitly request.
// SECTION: INSTALL

Install for your agent

Published on npm as @diet-code/cli. One ruleset, every host.

npm install -g @diet-code/clicd my-projectdietcode init cursor # or agents, windsurf, clinedietcode init claude # prints Claude plugin steps

npm: @diet-code/cli

GitHub: kendrekaran/dietcode

// SECTION: MODES

Pick your intensity

Switch with /dietcode lite|full|off, or just say "stop dietcode" / "normal mode".

LITE
01
/dietcode lite

Build what's asked. The agent names the lazier alternative in one line.

Builds the requested feature
Notes a lazier alternative
Stdlib-first suggestions
Ladder enforced before writing
Blocks speculative abstractions
FULL
DEFAULT02
/dietcode full

The ladder enforced. Stdlib and native first, then minimum code.

Builds the requested feature
Notes a lazier alternative
Stdlib-first suggestions
Ladder enforced before writing
Blocks speculative abstractions
OFF
03
/dietcode off

Disabled. Your agent behaves exactly as it would without Diet Code.

Builds the requested feature
Notes a lazier alternative
Stdlib-first suggestions
Ladder enforced before writing
Blocks speculative abstractions
* Diet Code is never lazy about validation, error handling, security, or accessibility.
// SECTION: THE_NUMBERS
dietcode.sys
_
ladder_scan.dither6 rungs
benchmark.metrics
00–00%Less code, single-shot
00–00%Lower token cost
0–0xFaster to completion
0New deps for stdlib tasks
modes.statusTICK:0000
ModeStatusBehavior
lite
ACTIVE
Name the lazier alt
full
DEFAULT
Ladder enforced
off
STANDBY
Disabled
Switch mode
/dietcode lite|full|off
// SECTION: FAQ

FAQ

// SUPPORTED: AGENT_HOSTS
CLAUDE CODE
CURSOR
COPILOT CLI
CODEX
WINDSURF
CLINE
KIRO
OPENCODE
GEMINI
AGENTS.MD
CLAUDE CODE
CURSOR
COPILOT CLI
CODEX
WINDSURF
CLINE
KIRO
OPENCODE
GEMINI
AGENTS.MD

Stop paying your agent to over-build.

Free in under a minute.

Install now