ratchet-ledger
Reports what the ratchet actually measured in this repository: the session ledger at .ratchet/ledger.jsonl, the accepted complexity mark, and every `ratchet:` shortcut comment left in the code with its ceiling and its upgrade trigger. Use when the user says "ratchet ledger", "/ratchet-ledger", "what did we defer", "show the complexity trend", "what shortcuts are in here", or asks whether the codebase is getting simpler or more complex over time. Reports real recorded numbers only, never estimates.
Profile →npx skills add 0xwilliamortiz/ratchet --skill ratchet-ledger --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Ratchet ledger Three sections. Real numbers only. ## 1. Trend Read `.ratchet/ledger.jsonl`, one JSON object per finished session. Report the last ten: date, mode, lines added, new dependencies, findings by tag, and the repository line count at the end of that session. Show the direction plainly. If the line count has risen for three sessions in a row, say so. If the file is missing, say the ratchet is not initialised for this repository and that `mkdir .ratchet` turns it on. Do not invent a trend. ## 2. Mark Read `.ratchet/mark.json`, the accepted high water mark. Compare it to the repository now. Below or equal to the mark: `At the mark.` Above it: report the gap and the reason recorded on the mark, then ask whether to bring it down or accept a new mark with a written reason. ## 3. Shortcuts ``` grep -rnE '(#|//|--) ?ratchet:' . --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.git ``` One row per hit, grouped by file: ``` <file>:<line> <what was simplified>. ceiling: <the limit>. upgrade: <the trigger>. ``` The convention is `ratchet: <ceiling>, <upgrade path>`, so both fields come straight out of the comment. Any marker with no upgrade trigger gets tagged `no-trigger`, those are the o
- 1. Trend
- 2. Mark
- 3. Shortcuts
- Honesty
What does the ratchet-ledger skill do?
Reports what the ratchet actually measured in this repository: the session ledger at .ratchet/ledger.jsonl, the accepted complexity mark, and every `ratchet:` shortcut comment left in the code with its ceiling and its upgrade trigger. Use when the user says "ratchet ledger", "/ratchet-ledger", "what did we defer", "show the complexity trend", "what shortcuts are in here", or asks whether the codebase is getting simpler or more complex over time. Reports real recorded numbers only, never estimates.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add 0xwilliamortiz/ratchet --skill ratchet-ledger --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From 0xwilliamortiz/ratchet, a repository with 430 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.