Refactor It
Improve structure without changing intended behavior.
What it is
Section titled “What it is”Improve structure without changing intended behavior. This practice is a skill-mapped TTP: when, why, and which command—not a full copy of the skill. Open the skill to execute.
Why it works
Section titled “Why it works”Fowler’s refactoring is behavior-preserving micro-steps under test. Valid for paying development / architecture debt (Bugs & debt) — still not a license to smuggle feature work. Characterization tests first when coverage is thin.
When to use it
Section titled “When to use it”When the situation matches the one-liner above and Orientation (or Maintain / your project shape) says this is the fire to touch now.
- Invoke the skill; follow its safety rules
- Keep one write owner; collect evidence before claiming done
- Hand off to the next practice instead of boiling the ocean
- Skip orientation when you’re lost
- Spawn overlapping agents to “go faster”
- Treat the practice as done without evidence
Related concepts
Section titled “Related concepts”04-evidence-over-vibes, 03-smallest-next-step, 12-bugs-and-debt, Maintain
Further reading
Section titled “Further reading”See also the handbook Sources & grounding bibliography.
Agent skill
Section titled “Agent skill”refactor-it