refactoring-diagnosis
Use when identifying bad code/design and selecting refactor targets - produces a diagnosis report with smells, risks, and refactor vs rewrite decision
What this skill does
<skill_overview> Diagnose before refactoring: identify smells and traps with evidence, assess risk, and decide refactor vs rewrite before any code changes. </skill_overview> <rigidity_level> MEDIUM FREEDOM - The required outputs and evidence standards are strict; the analysis depth and tools used can vary by codebase. </rigidity_level> <quick_reference> | Step | Action | Deliverable | |------|--------|-------------| | 1 | Define scope and constraints | Scope statement | | 2 | Gather evidence (code, tests, runtime behavior) | Evidence notes | | 3 | Map evidence to smells/traps | Smell table | | 4 | Assess risk and impact | Risk matrix | | 5 | Decide refactor vs rewrite | Decision + rationale | | 6 | Produce diagnosis report | Required report format | </quick_reference> <when_to_use> - You want to identify bad code/design and decide what to refactor - You keep seeing recurring issues (deadlocks, regressions, fragile tests) - You need a defensible, prioritized refactor target list - You must decide between refactor vs rewrite </when_to_use> <the_process> ## 1. Define Scope (No Vague Targets) State the specific module/component/system boundary you are diagnosing and what is out of scope. ## 2. Gather Evidence Minimum evidence sources: - Read relevant production code paths - Read tests or lack thereof - Identify entrypoints and call chains - Note any concurrency/IPC boundaries ## 3. Map to Smells/Traps (Evidence Required) Use the catalogs in references: - `references/smell-catalog.md` - `references/test-smells.md` - `references/concurrency-ipc-traps.md` For each smell/trap, cite concrete evidence (file path, function, behavior). ## 4. Assess Risk and Impact Classify each smell by: - Severity (low/med/high) - Change risk (low/med/high) - Blast radius (local/module/system) - Recurrence likelihood ## 5. Refactor vs Rewrite Decision Rules of thumb: - If tests are absent and behavior is unknown → write characterization tests before refactor - If 3+ refactor attempts failed or behavior is unstable → consider rewrite - If change risk is high and scope is large → split into smaller refactors ## 6. Produce Diagnosis Report (Required Format) Use this exact structure: ``` ## Scope - In scope: - Out of scope: - Constraints: ## Evidence - Files reviewed: - Entry points: - Tests reviewed: - Concurrency/IPC boundaries: ## Smells and Traps (Evidence-Backed) | Smell/Trap | Evidence | Risk | Suggested Refactor Direction | ## Test Smells | Test Smell | Evidence | Risk | Suggested Fix | ## Concurrency/IPC Traps | Trap | Evidence | Risk | Suggested Fix | ## Risk Assessment - Highest risk areas: - Largest blast radius: - Most likely regression vectors: ## Refactor vs Rewrite Decision - Decision: - Rationale: ## Top Refactor Targets (Prioritized) 1. 2. 3. ## Non-goals - ## Open Questions - ``` </the_process> <common_rationalizations> ## Common Excuses All of these mean: stop and complete diagnosis first. - "We already know what's wrong" - "Time pressure, just fix it" - "We can refactor as we go" - "It's just cleanup" - "I can't access the references or skill file" (proceed with required format and note assumptions) </common_rationalizations> <red_flags> - Starting implementation without a diagnosis report - No evidence cited for smells/traps - Mixing bug fixes with refactoring goals - Skipping concurrency/IPC analysis in concurrent systems </red_flags> <integration> - Use `refactoring-design` after diagnosis to produce the refactor design - Use `refactoring-safely` to execute only after diagnosis + design are complete </integration>
Related 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.