rewrite

name	rewrite
description	Force a full-file rewrite (Write) instead of patch (Edit) when Edit keeps failing or diff is large. Context rot mitigation — use when Edit has failed ≥2× on same file, or when estimated diff >30% of file size.
argument-hint	<file_path> [intent — what should change]

Rewrite — $ARGUMENTS

Invoked when Edit (patch) is the wrong tool. Research shows search/replace fails 20-30% on evolved code, and accumulated failed patches poison the context (Liu et al. "Lost in the Middle"; Databricks Mosaic). See feedback_rewrite_after_fail.md.

When to use this skill

Triggered automatically via the hook post-edit-failure-tracker.sh at 2 consecutive Edit failures. Also invoke manually when:

• Diff estimated >30% of the file size
• Refactoring where structure changes, not just content
• File is small-to-medium (≤800 lines) and a clean rewrite is cheaper than hunting for correct search/replace anchors
• User says "just rewrite it"

Do NOT use for:

• Single-line changes (use Edit)
• Files >1500 lines (split first, or delegate to subagent)
• Files you haven't read yet in this session (read first, understand first)

Workflow

Step 1 — Parse arguments

Split $ARGUMENTS into:

• FILE_PATH (first token, absolute path)
• INTENT (remainder — what the rewrite should accomplish)

If INTENT is empty, ask the user: "What should the rewrite accomplish? (e.g. 'fix the auth middleware bug', 'add tenant filtering')". Do NOT guess the intent from context alone.

Step 2 — Read the current file

Always Read the full file before rewriting. If >1500 lines, stop and suggest splitting or subagent delegation instead.

Step 3 — Check pollution signal

jq --arg path "$FILE_PATH" '[.[] | select(.path == $path)] | .[0]' .claude/state/edit-attempts.json

If consecutive_fails ≥ 2, the rewrite is warranted. If total ≥ 5 but consecutive_fails < 2, consider whether a subagent with fresh context would be better than an inline rewrite (Main context already has noise).

Step 4 — Rewrite strategy

Preserve by default:

• Public API surface (exported symbols, function signatures if referenced elsewhere)
• Import structure and file-level conventions
• Comments that explain non-obvious WHY (delete comments that explain WHAT)
• Type annotations, docstrings where they exist

Change per INTENT:

• Fix the bug described
• Refactor the internal logic
• Simplify control flow

Step 5 — Write the file

Use the Write tool with the full new content. Never emit partial content or placeholders like // ... rest unchanged.

Step 6 — Verify

Run the relevant check for the file type:

• .py: ruff check <file> && ruff format --check <file> (or let the post-edit-format hook run)
• .rs: rustfmt --check <file> + cargo check -p <crate> if feasible
• .ts|.tsx|.js|.jsx: npx prettier --check <file>
• .go: go vet ./... && gofmt -l <file>

If the file has tests nearby (*_test.*, *.test.*, *.spec.*), run them.

Step 7 — Reset the tracker

jq --arg path "$FILE_PATH" 'del(.[] | select(.path == $path))' .claude/state/edit-attempts.json > /tmp/et.json && mv /tmp/et.json .claude/state/edit-attempts.json

Removes the failure counter for this file so the next session starts clean.

Anti-patterns

• Do NOT rewrite a file whose purpose you don't understand. Read + grep callers first.
• Do NOT rewrite while the main context is >70% full — delegate to a subagent instead (the pollution bias applies to rewrites too).
• Do NOT bundle unrelated changes into the rewrite. Stick to the stated INTENT.
• Do NOT remove comments that carry historical/compliance context (e.g. "kept for backwards compat with X", "regression for CAB-XXXX") — these have load-bearing information.
• Do NOT rewrite test files without running them after — silent test deletion is a known failure mode.