Token Optimizer (aim-rtk)

AI agents pay for every token read or written. During development, excessive logs or full-file rewrites waste cost and exhaust context windows. Follow these optimization guidelines.

1. RTK (Rust Token Killer) Command Principles

Whenever running terminal commands, reduce output to the bare minimum needed for debug/analysis:

A. Git Operations (Save 60-80% tokens)

• Status: Use git status -s instead of a raw git status.
• Diff: Use git diff --stat first to see which files changed. Pull specific diffs via git diff <file> instead of dumping all files.
• Log: Always limit history, e.g., git log -n 5 --oneline.
• Commits: Avoid verbose outputs on pushes or pulls.

B. Builds & Compilation (Save 80-90% tokens)

• Pipe command outputs to filter for errors or warnings (e.g. on Unix use cmd | grep -E "Error|Warning", on Windows use cmd | Select-String "Error").
• For TypeScript, run tsc --noEmit but group outputs or check only modified files.
• Avoid printing full successful build metrics.

C. Testing (Save 90-99% tokens)

• Do not run the entire test suite in verbose mode.
• Filter test runs to target only the specific file or test name:
• Jest/Vitest: npm test -- -t "test-name"
• Pytest: pytest -k "test_name"
• Go: go test -run "TestName"
• Instruct the runner to print failures only (e.g., --reporter=line or --summary-only).

D. File Navigation & Search (Save 60-75% tokens)

• Do not read whole files just to locate a function or variable. Use grep search or symbol lookup first.
• Only load line ranges of interest (e.g., lines 40-80) instead of reading 1000 lines.
• Limit directory listing: use glob or git ls-files instead of listing all subdirectories recursively.

2. Token-Efficient Editing

• Use targeted replacements: Never replace an entire file if you only need to modify a 10-line block. Use specific replace tools that replace precise lines by matching target content.
• Commit frequently: Small commits keep the git diff concise, making it easier for subsequent AI steps to understand what changed.