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

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

Verify: Tests pass after every individual change.

Step 3: One Thing at a Time

1. Refactoring types cannot be mixed in one step:

• Extract method → separate commit
• Rename → separate commit
• Move → separate commit

1. "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

1. Run the full test suite.
2. If integration/E2E tests exist: run them too.
3. 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](../test-driven-development/SKILL.md)
• [simplicity-first skill](../simplicity-first/SKILL.md)
• Martin Fowler, "Refactoring"

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: DevelopersGlobal
• Source: DevelopersGlobal/ai-agent-skills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://developersglobal.github.io/ai-agent-skills/

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.