zfinix/aster/refactor-safely

Refactor safely

1. Map the blast radius first. Search every reference before changing

one: the definition, call sites, tests, docs, config strings, serialization. A rename that misses a string reference compiles and then breaks at runtime.

1. Green between every step. Refactor in compilable increments: move,

check, rename, check. A ten-step refactor with one check at the end turns one mistake into an hour of archaeology.

1. Never mix behavior change into a refactor. If you spot a bug mid

refactor, note it, finish the neutral change, then fix the bug as its own change. Mixed diffs are unreviewable and unbisectable.

1. Let the compiler drive mechanical renames. Change the definition

first, then fix every error it reports; the error list is your checklist.

1. Match the destination's conventions. Moved code adopts the naming,

error handling, and comment density of the file it lands in.

1. Prove neutrality at the end. The same tests that passed before must

pass after, with no test edits beyond imports and paths. Any test that had to change semantically means it was not a refactor.