developersglobal/ai-agent-skills/refactoring
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Safe, behavior-preserving code transformation backed by tests. Refactor with evidence, not instinct.
Install
npx vskill@latest install developersglobal/ai-agent-skills/refactoringSKILL.md
Overview
Refactoring changes the internal structure of code without changing its external behavior. The keyword is "without" — if behavior changes, it's not refactoring, it's modification. This skill enforces safe refactoring with tests as the safety net.
When to Use
- When code is hard to understand or extend
- When duplication makes maintenance risky
- Before adding a feature to a messy area of code
- Never: "while also adding feature X" — refactor separately
Process
Step 1: Establish a Safety Net
- Before touching a single line: ensure there are tests covering the code to be refactored.
- If tests are missing: add characterization tests first. These capture current behavior, not desired behavior.
- Run the tests. They should all pass. This is your baseline.
Verify: Tests pass. They cover the code being refactored.
Step 2: Refactor in Micro-Steps
- Make the smallest meaningful change.
- Run tests after EVERY change — not after 10 changes.
- If tests break: revert immediately and take a smaller step.
- Never batch multiple refactoring changes together.
Verify: Tests pass after every individual change.
Step 3: One Thing at a Time
- Refactoring types cannot be mixed in one step:
- Extract method → separate commit
- Rename → separate commit
- Move → separate commit
- "Refactor and also fix this" is not refactoring — it's two PRs.
Verify: This commit does exactly one type of refactoring.
Step 4: Verify No Behavior Change
- Run the full test suite.
- If integration/E2E tests exist: run them too.
- Compare external API responses before and after (if applicable).
Verify: All tests pass. No observable behavior change.
Common Rationalizations (and Rebuttals)
| Excuse | Rebuttal | |
|---|---|---|
| "I'll add tests after refactoring" | You can't verify a behavior-preserving refactor without tests before the refactor. | |
| "This change is obviously safe" | Obvious safety is how production incidents happen. Run the tests. | |
| "I'll just do a quick cleanup" | "Quick cleanup" that changes behavior is a bug, not a refactor. |
Verification
- [ ] Tests existed before any code was changed
- [ ] Tests run after every individual change
- [ ] Only one type of refactoring per commit
- [ ] Full test suite passes at the end
- [ ] No behavior change observable externally
References
- test-driven-development skill
- simplicity-first skill
- Martin Fowler, "Refactoring"
Security
- Security scanPassed, 100 of 100Pattern checks on the skill's files.
- Model reviewNot runA model review is scheduled for the next rescan.
Quality evaluation
- Task evaluationNot runNo evaluation yet. Run one in Skill Studio.
Source
- SKILL.md in the repositoryCheckingskills/refactoring/SKILL.md
Popularity
- Repository stars
- 64
- Repository forks
- 10
- 7-day trend score
- 21
Stars and forks are for the whole GitHub repository, not this skill alone. Not refreshed yet.
Works with
Any agent vskill installs to: 56 targets in all. These 39 have a page on this site.
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- bolt.new
- v0
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