code-refactoring

name	code-refactoring
description	Expert knowledge for performing major version refactoring in the Agent Operating System, including removing backward compatibility code, consolidating duplicate implementations, and updating all references to use the latest patterns.

Code Refactoring for Major Version Bumps

Description

Expert knowledge for performing major version refactoring in the Agent Operating System, including removing backward compatibility code, consolidating duplicate implementations, and updating all references to use the latest patterns.

When to Use This Skill

• Performing major version bumps (v1.x → v2.0.0, v2.x → v3.0.0)
• Removing deprecated code and backward compatibility layers
• Consolidating duplicate class implementations
• Updating imports across the entire codebase
• Cleaning up technical debt from gradual migrations

Core Concepts

Understanding Backward Compatibility Layers

AOS has maintained backward compatibility during refactoring by:

1. Keeping original classes (v1.x) alongside new ones (v2.0.0)
2. Exporting both versions with different names
3. Documenting the migration path

Example from agents/__init__.py:

# Original v1.x classes
from .base import BaseAgent, Agent, StatefulAgent
from .leadership import LeadershipAgent

# New v2.0.0 classes (exported with "New" suffix)
from .base_agent import BaseAgent as BaseAgentNew
from .leadership_agent import LeadershipAgent as LeadershipAgentNew

Major Version Refactoring Strategy

When removing backward compatibility:

1. Identify duplicate implementations (documented in CODE_ORGANIZATION.md)
2. Choose the target version (usually v2.0.0 classes)
3. Update all imports to use target version
4. Remove deprecated classes
5. Update exports to use canonical names
6. Test thoroughly

Refactoring Steps

Step 1: Identify Duplicates

Check docs/CODE_ORGANIZATION.md for documented duplicates:

Agent Classes:

• agents/base.py (v1.x) → Remove
• agents/base_agent.py (v2.0.0) → Keep
• agents/leadership.py (v1.x) → Remove
• agents/leadership_agent.py (v2.0.0) → Keep

Service Interfaces:

• services/interfaces.py (legacy) → Remove
• services/service_interfaces.py (primary) → Keep

Monitoring:

• monitoring/audit_trail.py (original) → Evaluate usage
• monitoring/audit_trail_generic.py (generic) → Evaluate usage

Step 2: Find All Imports

Use grep to find all imports of deprecated classes:

# Find base.py imports
grep -r "from.*agents.base import\|from.*agents\.base import" src/ --include="*.py"

# Find leadership.py imports
grep -r "from.*agents.leadership import\|from.*agents\.leadership import" src/ --include="*.py"

# Find interfaces.py imports
grep -r "from.*services.interfaces import\|from.*services\.interfaces import" src/ --include="*.py"

Step 3: Update Imports

Replace old imports with new ones:

Before:

from AgentOperatingSystem.agents.base import BaseAgent
from AgentOperatingSystem.agents.leadership import LeadershipAgent

After:

from AgentOperatingSystem.agents.base_agent import BaseAgent
from AgentOperatingSystem.agents.leadership_agent import LeadershipAgent

Step 4: Update init.py Exports

Simplify exports to use only v2.0.0 classes:

Before (agents/init.py):

from .base import BaseAgent, Agent, StatefulAgent
from .leadership import LeadershipAgent
from .base_agent import BaseAgent as BaseAgentNew
from .leadership_agent import LeadershipAgent as LeadershipAgentNew

After:

# v2.0.0 - Canonical implementations
from .base_agent import BaseAgent
from .leadership_agent import LeadershipAgent
from .perpetual import PerpetualAgent
from .purpose_driven import PurposeDrivenAgent
# ... other exports

Step 5: Remove Deprecated Files

After all imports are updated:

git rm src/AgentOperatingSystem/agents/base.py
git rm src/AgentOperatingSystem/agents/leadership.py
git rm src/AgentOperatingSystem/services/interfaces.py

Step 6: Update Documentation

Update all documentation references:

• REFACTORING.md
• CODE_ORGANIZATION.md
• MIGRATION.md
• README.md
• Any example code

Step 7: Test

Run comprehensive tests:

# Unit tests
pytest tests/

# Integration tests
pytest tests/ -m integration

# Specific component tests
pytest tests/test_agents.py
pytest tests/test_services.py

File Locations

Duplicate Classes (to be removed):

• src/AgentOperatingSystem/agents/base.py
• src/AgentOperatingSystem/agents/leadership.py
• src/AgentOperatingSystem/services/interfaces.py

Target Classes (to be kept):

• src/AgentOperatingSystem/agents/base_agent.py
• src/AgentOperatingSystem/agents/leadership_agent.py
• src/AgentOperatingSystem/services/service_interfaces.py

Files to Update:

• src/AgentOperatingSystem/agents/__init__.py
• src/AgentOperatingSystem/services/__init__.py
• src/AgentOperatingSystem/__init__.py
• docs/CODE_ORGANIZATION.md
• REFACTORING.md
• MIGRATION.md

Common Issues

Issue 1: Missing Features in v2.0.0

Problem: v1.x class has methods not in v2.0.0 Solution: Port missing methods to v2.0.0 before removing v1.x

Issue 2: Different Method Signatures

Problem: v2.0.0 has different method signatures Solution: Create adapter methods or update callers

Issue 3: Test Failures After Migration

Problem: Tests expect v1.x behavior Solution: Update tests to match v2.0.0 behavior

Issue 4: External Dependencies

Problem: Other repos depend on v1.x classes Solution: Coordinate migration, update external repos first

Issue 5: Import Circular Dependencies

Problem: Refactoring creates circular imports Solution: Restructure imports, use TYPE_CHECKING

Best Practices

1. Create a Migration Branch: Don't do this on main
2. Update Incrementally: One component at a time
3. Test After Each Change: Ensure nothing breaks
4. Document Changes: Update docs/releases/CHANGELOG.md
5. Communicate: Notify external consumers
6. Backup: Tag before major refactoring
7. Review Thoroughly: Code review all changes
8. Monitor Production: Watch for issues after deployment

Validation Checklist

• All v1.x imports updated to v2.0.0
• Deprecated files removed
• init.py exports updated
• Tests pass
• Documentation updated
• Examples updated
• docs/releases/CHANGELOG.md updated
• No grep matches for old imports
• External consumers notified
• Code review completed

Related Skills

• aos-architecture - Understanding system architecture
• async-python-testing - Testing refactored code
• perpetual-agents - Understanding agent implementations

Additional Resources

• docs/CODE_ORGANIZATION.md - Current duplication documentation
• docs/development/REFACTORING.md - Refactoring history
• docs/development/MIGRATION.md - Migration guides
• docs/releases/CHANGELOG.md - Version history