refactor

name	refactor
description	Scoped parallel refactor for files Codex changed in the current task. Use when the user says "$refactor" after asking for implementation. Build an explicit allowed file list from your own edits only, then improve code quality and low-risk efficiency in that list while enforcing AGENTS.md rules.

Refactor

Refactor only files you changed in this task.

Defaults

• Scope: files edited by Codex in current task/session.
• Parallelism: up to 4 workers (cap by file count).
• Strategy: single mode; choose depth by risk.

Workflow

1. Read constraints first.

• Read nearest AGENTS.md in repo.
• If in submodule, read submodule AGENTS.md too.
• Apply stricter rule on conflicts.

2. Define allowed scope.

• Build explicit allowed file list from files you edited in this task.
• Never include files only because they are dirty.
• If ownership is uncertain for a file/hunk, exclude it.
• If allowed list is empty or unavailable, stop and ask for explicit files or suggest $refactor-all.

3. Validate scope against tree.

• Inspect current tree:

git status --short
git diff --name-status
git diff --cached --name-status

• Keep refactor scope as intersection of allowed list and currently modified tracked files.

4. Partition for parallel workers.

• Sort allowed files by path.
• Pick workers = min(4, file_count).
• Split into non-overlapping chunks.
• Each file belongs to exactly one worker.

5. Spawn workers in parallel.

• Use spawn_agent with agent_type: worker.
• Each worker prompt must include:
  • owned file list
  • "You are not alone in the codebase; ignore edits from others unless in owned files."
  • goals: readability, maintainability, low-risk efficiency, AGENTS compliance
  • constraints: no destructive git commands, no out-of-scope edits, no risky semantic changes

Worker prompt template:

Refactor owned files only:
<owned_files>

You are not alone in the codebase. Ignore edits from others unless they are in owned files.

Goals:
1) Improve readability/maintainability.
2) Improve efficiency where low-risk and justified.
3) Enforce AGENTS.md rules.
4) Preserve behavior; if unsure, stop and report risk.

Constraints:
- No destructive git commands.
- Do not edit files outside ownership.
- Do not revert unrelated user changes.

Deliver:
- files touched
- refactors applied
- efficiency notes
- risk flags

6. Collect and enforce boundaries.

• Wait for all workers.
• Reject/undo any out-of-scope file edits before finalizing.
• If conflicts appear, keep safer/smaller change.

7. Verify and report.

• Run smallest relevant checks.
• Prefer: typecheck, test, lint when available.
• Report:
  • allowed scope
  • touched files (must be subset of allowed scope)
  • refactor summary
  • efficiency improvements
  • AGENTS compliance notes
  • risks/follow-ups

Guardrails

• Do not touch pre-existing local edits you did not make.
• Do not expand scope without explicit user approval.
• Keep behavior unchanged unless user explicitly asks for behavior change.
• Prefer explicit branching over dense ternaries in complex invocations.