dragonked2 / refactor

Refactoring Skill

Systematic code improvement while preserving behavior.

Process

1. Identify — find code smells (long functions, deep nesting, duplication, god classes)
2. Verify — ensure existing tests pass before changing anything
3. Refactor — apply one refactoring pattern at a time
4. Test — run tests after each change
5. Commit — one commit per refactoring step

Code Smell Detection

• Functions > 50 lines → extract sub-functions
• Duplicate code (3+ copies) → extract to shared function
• Nested conditionals > 3 levels → early returns or extract condition
• Long parameter lists → use options struct
• God classes → split by responsibility
• Magic numbers/strings → named constants
• Dead code → remove
• Complex expressions → extract to named variables

Refactoring Patterns

• Extract Function / Method
• Extract Variable
• Inline Function
• Replace Temp with Query
• Introduce Parameter Object
• Replace Conditional with Polymorphism
• Move Method / Field
• Extract Class
• Replace Inheritance with Delegation

Rules

• Never change behavior during refactoring
• One pattern at a time
• Run tests after every change
• If no tests exist, write characterization tests first