refactor
Surgical code refactoring to improve maintainability without changing behavior. Covers extracting functions, renaming variables, breaking down god functions, improving type safety, eliminating code smells, and applying design patterns. Less drastic than repo-rebuilder; use for gradual improvements.
What this skill does
# Refactor
## Overview
Improve code structure and readability without changing external behavior. Refactoring is gradual evolution, not revolution. Use this for improving existing code, not rewriting from scratch.
## When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Code is hard to understand or maintain
- Functions/classes are too large
- Code smells need addressing
- Adding features is difficult due to code structure
- User asks "clean up this code", "refactor this", "improve this"
---
## Refactoring Principles
### The Golden Rules
1. **Behavior is preserved** - Refactoring doesn't change what the code does, only how
2. **Small steps** - Make tiny changes, test after each
3. **Version control is your friend** - Commit before and after each safe state
4. **Tests are essential** - Without tests, you're not refactoring, you're editing
5. **One thing at a time** - Don't mix refactoring with feature changes
### When NOT to Refactor
```
- Code that works and won't change again (if it ain't broke...)
- Critical production code without tests (add tests first)
- When you're under a tight deadline
- "Just because" - need a clear purpose
```
---
## Common Code Smells & Fixes
### 1. Long Method/Function
```diff
# BAD: 200-line function that does everything
- async function processOrder(orderId) {
- // 50 lines: fetch order
- // 30 lines: validate order
- // 40 lines: calculate pricing
- // 30 lines: update inventory
- // 20 lines: create shipment
- // 30 lines: send notifications
- }
# GOOD: Broken into focused functions
+ async function processOrder(orderId) {
+ const order = await fetchOrder(orderId);
+ validateOrder(order);
+ const pricing = calculatePricing(order);
+ await updateInventory(order);
+ const shipment = await createShipment(order);
+ await sendNotifications(order, pricing, shipment);
+ return { order, pricing, shipment };
+ }
```
### 2. Duplicated Code
```diff
# BAD: Same logic in multiple places
- function calculateUserDiscount(user) {
- if (user.membership === 'gold') return user.total * 0.2;
- if (user.membership === 'silver') return user.total * 0.1;
- return 0;
- }
-
- function calculateOrderDiscount(order) {
- if (order.user.membership === 'gold') return order.total * 0.2;
- if (order.user.membership === 'silver') return order.total * 0.1;
- return 0;
- }
# GOOD: Extract common logic
+ function getMembershipDiscountRate(membership) {
+ const rates = { gold: 0.2, silver: 0.1 };
+ return rates[membership] || 0;
+ }
+
+ function calculateUserDiscount(user) {
+ return user.total * getMembershipDiscountRate(user.membership);
+ }
+
+ function calculateOrderDiscount(order) {
+ return order.total * getMembershipDiscountRate(order.user.membership);
+ }
```
### 3. Large Class/Module
```diff
# BAD: God object that knows too much
- class UserManager {
- createUser() { /* ... */ }
- updateUser() { /* ... */ }
- deleteUser() { /* ... */ }
- sendEmail() { /* ... */ }
- generateReport() { /* ... */ }
- handlePayment() { /* ... */ }
- validateAddress() { /* ... */ }
- // 50 more methods...
- }
# GOOD: Single responsibility per class
+ class UserService {
+ create(data) { /* ... */ }
+ update(id, data) { /* ... */ }
+ delete(id) { /* ... */ }
+ }
+
+ class EmailService {
+ send(to, subject, body) { /* ... */ }
+ }
+
+ class ReportService {
+ generate(type, params) { /* ... */ }
+ }
+
+ class PaymentService {
+ process(amount, method) { /* ... */ }
+ }
```
### 4. Long Parameter List
```diff
# BAD: Too many parameters
- function createUser(email, password, name, age, address, city, country, phone) {
- /* ... */
- }
# GOOD: Group related parameters
+ interface UserData {
+ email: string;
+ password: string;
+ name: string;
+ age?: number;
+ address?: Address;
+ phone?: string;
+ }
+
+ function createUser(data: UserData) {
+ /* ... */
+ }
# EVEN BETTER: Use builder pattern for complex construction
+ const user = UserBuilder
+ .email('[email protected]')
+ .password('secure123')
+ .name('Test User')
+ .address(address)
+ .build();
```
### 5. Feature Envy
```diff
# BAD: Method that uses another object's data more than its own
- class Order {
- calculateDiscount(user) {
- if (user.membershipLevel === 'gold') {
+ return this.total * 0.2;
+ }
+ if (user.accountAge > 365) {
+ return this.total * 0.1;
+ }
+ return 0;
+ }
+ }
# GOOD: Move logic to the object that owns the data
+ class User {
+ getDiscountRate(orderTotal) {
+ if (this.membershipLevel === 'gold') return 0.2;
+ if (this.accountAge > 365) return 0.1;
+ return 0;
+ }
+ }
+
+ class Order {
+ calculateDiscount(user) {
+ return this.total * user.getDiscountRate(this.total);
+ }
+ }
```
### 6. Primitive Obsession
```diff
# BAD: Using primitives for domain concepts
- function sendEmail(to, subject, body) { /* ... */ }
- sendEmail('[email protected]', 'Hello', '...');
- function createPhone(country, number) {
- return `${country}-${number}`;
- }
# GOOD: Use domain types
+ class Email {
+ private constructor(public readonly value: string) {
+ if (!Email.isValid(value)) throw new Error('Invalid email');
+ }
+ static create(value: string) { return new Email(value); }
+ static isValid(email: string) { return /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(email); }
+ }
+
+ class PhoneNumber {
+ constructor(
+ public readonly country: string,
+ public readonly number: string
+ ) {
+ if (!PhoneNumber.isValid(country, number)) throw new Error('Invalid phone');
+ }
+ toString() { return `${this.country}-${this.number}`; }
+ static isValid(country: string, number: string) { /* ... */ }
+ }
+
+ // Usage
+ const email = Email.create('[email protected]');
+ const phone = new PhoneNumber('1', '555-1234');
```
### 7. Magic Numbers/Strings
```diff
# BAD: Unexplained values
- if (user.status === 2) { /* ... */ }
- const discount = total * 0.15;
- setTimeout(callback, 86400000);
# GOOD: Named constants
+ const UserStatus = {
+ ACTIVE: 1,
+ INACTIVE: 2,
+ SUSPENDED: 3
+ } as const;
+
+ const DISCOUNT_RATES = {
+ STANDARD: 0.1,
+ PREMIUM: 0.15,
+ VIP: 0.2
+ } as const;
+
+ const ONE_DAY_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+
+ if (user.status === UserStatus.INACTIVE) { /* ... */ }
+ const discount = total * DISCOUNT_RATES.PREMIUM;
+ setTimeout(callback, ONE_DAY_MS);
```
### 8. Nested Conditionals
```diff
# BAD: Arrow code
- function process(order) {
- if (order) {
- if (order.user) {
- if (order.user.isActive) {
- if (order.total > 0) {
- return processOrder(order);
+ } else {
+ return { error: 'Invalid total' };
+ }
+ } else {
+ return { error: 'User inactive' };
+ }
+ } else {
+ return { error: 'No user' };
+ }
+ } else {
+ return { error: 'No order' };
+ }
+ }
# GOOD: Guard clauses / early returns
+ function process(order) {
+ if (!order) return { error: 'No order' };
+ if (!order.user) return { error: 'No user' };
+ if (!order.user.isActive) return { error: 'User inactive' };
+ if (order.total <= 0) return { error: 'Invalid total' };
+ return processOrder(order);
+ }
# EVEN BETTER: Using Result type
+ function process(order): Result<ProcessedOrder, Error> {
+ return Result.combine([
+ validateOrderExists(order),
+ validateUserExists(order),
+ validateUserActive(order.user),
+ validateOrderTotal(order)
+ ]).flatMap(() => processOrder(order));
+ }
```
### 9. Dead Code
```diff
# BAD: Unused code lingers
- function oldImplementation() { /* ... */ }
- const DEPRECATED_VALUE = 5;
- import { unusedThing } from './somewhere';
- // Commented out code
- // function oldCode() { /* ... */ }
# GOOD: Remove it
+ // Delete unused functions, imports, and commented code
+ // If you need it again, git history has it
```
### 10. Inappropriate Intimacy
```diff
# BAD: One class reaches deep into another
- class ORelated in Design
contribute
IncludedLocal-only OSS contribution command center. Auto-refreshes the user's in-flight PR and issue state on invoke so conversations start with full context — no need to brief Claude on what's in flight. Helps the user find issues to contribute to on GitHub, builds per-repo dossiers of what each upstream expects (CLA, DCO, branch convention, AI policy, draft-first, review bots, issue templates), runs deterministic gates before any external action so AI-assisted contributions don't reach maintainers as slop. State is markdown-only: candidate files at ~/.contribute-system/candidates/, repo dossiers at ~/.contribute-system/research/, append-only event log at ~/.contribute-system/log.jsonl. No database, no cloud calls. Use when the user asks about their PRs / issues / contributions, wants to find new work to take on, claim an issue, build/refresh a repo's dossier, or draft a Design Issue or PR. Trigger with "/contribute", "what's my PR status", "find a contribution", "claim issue X", "draft a Design Issue for Y", "refresh dossier for Z".
architectural-analysis
IncludedUser-triggered deep architectural analysis of a codebase or scoped subtree across eight modes — information architecture, data flow, integration points, UI surfaces, interaction patterns, data model, control flow, and failure modes. This skill should be used when the user asks to "diagram this codebase," "map the architecture," "show the data flow," "give me an ERD," "trace control flow," "find the integration points," "verify the layout pattern," "audit the UX architecture," or any similar request whose primary deliverable is mermaid diagrams plus cited reports under docs/architecture/. Dispatches haiku/sonnet sub-agents in parallel for per-mode exploration, then verifies every citation mechanically before any node lands in a diagram. Not for one-off prose explanations of code (use code-explanation) or for high-level system design from scratch (use system-design).
mcp
IncludedModel Context Protocol (MCP) server development and tool management. Languages: Python, TypeScript. Capabilities: build MCP servers, integrate external APIs, discover/execute MCP tools, manage multi-server configs, design agent-centric tools. Actions: create, build, integrate, discover, execute, configure MCP servers/tools. Keywords: MCP, Model Context Protocol, MCP server, MCP tool, stdio transport, SSE transport, tool discovery, resource provider, prompt template, external API integration, Gemini CLI MCP, Claude MCP, agent tools, tool execution, server config. Use when: building MCP servers, integrating external APIs as MCP tools, discovering available MCP tools, executing MCP capabilities, configuring multi-server setups, designing tools for AI agents.
react-native-skia
IncludedDesign, build, debug, and optimise high-polish animated graphics in React Native or Expo using @shopify/react-native-skia, Reanimated, and Gesture Handler. Use when the user wants canvas-driven UI, shaders, paths, rich text, image filters, sprite fields, Skottie, video frames, snapshots, web CanvasKit setup, or performance tuning for custom motion-heavy elements such as loaders, hero art, cards, charts, progress indicators, particle systems, or gesture-driven surfaces. Also use when the user asks for fluid, glow, glass, blob, parallax, 60fps/120fps, or GPU-friendly animated effects in React Native, even if they do not explicitly say "Skia". Do not use for ordinary form/layout work with standard views.
plaid
IncludedProduct Led AI Development — guides founders from idea to launched product. Six capabilities: Idea (discover a product idea), Validate (pressure-test the idea against fatal flaws, problem reality, competition, and 2-week MVP feasibility), Plan (vision intake + document generation), Design (translate image references into a design.md spec), Launch (go-to-market strategy), and Build (roadmap execution). Use when someone says "PLAID", "plaid idea", "help me find an idea", "product idea", "idea from my business", "idea from my expertise", "plaid validate", "validate my idea", "pressure-test", "is this idea good", "find fatal flaws", "validate the problem", "plan a product", "define my vision", "generate a PRD", "product strategy", "plaid design", "design from image", "translate image to design", "create design.md", "extract design tokens", "plaid launch", "go-to-market", "launch plan", "GTM strategy", "launch playbook", "plaid build", "build the app", "start building", or "execute the roadmap".
nextjs-framer-motion-animations
IncludedAdds production-safe Motion for React or Framer Motion animations to Next.js apps, including reveal, hover and tap micro-interactions, whileInView, stagger, AnimatePresence, layout and layoutId transitions, reorder, scroll-linked UI, and lightweight route-content transitions. Use when the user asks to add, refactor, or debug Motion or Framer Motion in App Router or Pages Router codebases, especially around server/client boundaries, reduced motion, LazyMotion, bundle size, hydration, or route transitions. Avoid for GSAP-style timelines, WebGL or 3D scenes, heavy scroll storytelling, or CSS-only effects unless Motion is explicitly requested.