refactoring

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

1. Before touching a single line: ensure there are tests covering the code to be refactored.
2. If tests are missing: add characterization tests first. These capture current behavior, not desired behavior.
3. 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

4. Make the smallest meaningful change.
5. Run tests after EVERY change — not after 10 changes.
6. If tests break: revert immediately and take a smaller step.
7. Never batch multiple refactoring changes together.

Verify: Tests pass after every individual change.

Step 3: One Thing at a Time

8. Refactoring types cannot be mixed in one step:
   • Extract method → separate commit
   • Rename → separate commit
   • Move → separate commit
9. "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

10. Run the full test suite.
11. If integration/E2E tests exist: run them too.
12. 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"