refactor-test-safety-net

name	refactor-test-safety-net
description	[Code Quality] Establishes test coverage requirements before refactoring. Use to identify missing tests, create minimal safety net tests, and define verification strategy for behavior preservation.

Refactor: Test Safety Net

Ensure adequate test coverage before making changes.

Pre-Refactoring Test Checklist

1. Coverage Assessment

• What's the current test coverage?
• Which paths are untested?

2. Test Types Needed

Type	Purpose	When Required
Unit	Function behavior	Always
Integration	Component interaction	Cross-module changes
Snapshot	UI/Output structure	View refactoring
Regression	Known bug prevention	Bug-prone areas

3. Minimal Safety Net

Priority 1: Happy path test Priority 2: Error handling test Priority 3: Edge case test

Rules

1. Never refactor without tests on the target code
2. Add tests BEFORE changes, not after
3. Characterization tests capture behavior, not correctness
4. Run tests after each small step