refactoring

name	refactoring
description	Restructures code that already has a green test suite, without changing behavior.
when_to_use	Use this implementation mechanic to restructure covered code without changing behavior only when explicitly invoked by name or called by an active Gambit workflow owner; do not select it implicitly as a peer workflow.

Safe Refactoring

Freedom: MEDIUM — adapt refactoring patterns to the language and codebase. Fixed: the change→test→commit cycle, and never proceed with failing tests.

Overview

Refactoring changes code structure without changing behavior. Tests must stay green throughout, or you're rewriting, not refactoring.

Core principle: Change → Test → Commit. Repeat until complete. Tests green at every step.

Iron Law: NO changes without passing tests BEFORE and AFTER. Tests fail? STOP. Undo. Make a smaller change. "I'll test at the end" = you're not refactoring. No exceptions.

Quick Reference

Step	Action	STOP If
1	Verify tests pass BEFORE starting	Any test fails
2	Create refactoring Task	-
3	Make ONE small change	Doesn't compile
4	Run tests immediately	Any test fails
5	Commit with descriptive message	-
6	Repeat 3-5 until complete	Tests fail → undo
7	Final verification	-
8	Mandatory review	Review fails
9	Close Task	-

Core cycle: Change → Test → Commit (repeat)

If tests fail: STOP. Undo change. Make smaller change. Try again.

When to Use

• Improving code structure without changing functionality
• Extracting duplicated code into shared utilities
• Renaming for clarity
• Reorganizing file/module structure
• Simplifying complex code while preserving behavior

Don't use for:

• Changing functionality (use gambit:executing-plans)
• Fixing bugs (use gambit:debugging)
• Adding features while restructuring (do separately)
• Code without tests (write tests first using gambit:test-driven-development)

The Process

Test-runner rung selection

Before the first test dispatch, Resolve the test-runner role through contracts/models.md to its rung, and retain that rung for every test-runner call in this refactoring. A model rung uses the general-purpose dispatch examples below with model: set to the rung's alias; an agent rung uses the rung's agent and passes no model: at all. The command, the report requirement, and the no-edits rule are the same on either shape.

Step 1: Verify Tests Pass

BEFORE any refactoring:

Agent
  subagent_type: "general-purpose"          # model rung; an agent rung uses the rung's agent
  model: "<test-runner rung alias — contracts/models.md>"   # omit entirely on an agent rung
  description: "Run test suite"
  prompt: "Run: [test command for this project]. Report pass/fail counts and any failures. Make no edits."

ALL tests must pass.

• All pass → Go to Step 2
• Any fail → STOP. Fix failing tests FIRST, then refactor.

Failing tests mean you can't detect if refactoring breaks things.

---

Step 2: Create Refactoring Task

TaskCreate
  subject: "Refactor: [specific goal]"
  description: |
    ## Goal
    [What structure change you're making]

    ## Why
    - [Reason: duplication, complexity, etc.]

    ## Approach
    1. [Transformation 1]
    2. [Transformation 2]
    3. [Transformation 3]

    ## Success Criteria
    - [ ] All existing tests still pass
    - [ ] No behavior changes
    - [ ] Code is cleaner/simpler
    - [ ] Each commit is small and safe
  activeForm: "Refactoring code"

Then: TaskUpdate taskId: "[id]" status: "in_progress"

---

Step 3: Make ONE Small Change

The smallest transformation that compiles.

Examples of "small":

• Extract one method
• Rename one variable
• Move one function to different file
• Inline one constant
• Extract one interface

NOT small:

• Extracting multiple methods at once
• Renaming + moving + restructuring
• "While I'm here" improvements
• Touching more than 2-3 files

The test: If you can't describe the change in one sentence, it's too big. Split it.

---

Step 4: Run Tests Immediately

After EVERY small change:

Agent
  subagent_type: "general-purpose"          # model rung; an agent rung uses the rung's agent
  model: "<test-runner rung alias — contracts/models.md>"   # omit entirely on an agent rung
  description: "Run test suite"
  prompt: "Run: [test command for this project]. Report pass/fail counts and any failures. Make no edits."

ALL tests must still pass.

• All pass → Go to Step 5
• Any fail → STOP. Undo and try smaller change.

If tests fail: undo only what this step changed, never the whole tree.

This only works from a clean baseline. Step 1 requires green tests and Step 5 commits after every green change, so at the start of each step HEAD matches the worktree and is your floor. If the tree was already dirty when the step began, stop and report — you cannot separate your edits from the pre-existing ones.

• Files you modified (they exist at HEAD): git restore --source=HEAD --worktree -- path/one path/two
• Files you created during the step: they have no HEAD entry, so restore will not remove them and will fail the whole command if you list one. Delete them individually instead.

Name every path explicitly. git checkout -- . and git restore . discard every uncommitted change in the worktree — including a concurrent worker's output when this refactoring runs inside an executing-plans wave — and are unrecoverable.

Then:

1. Understand why it broke
2. Make smaller change
3. Try again

Never proceed with failing tests.

---

Step 5: Commit the Small Change

Commit each safe transformation:

git add [changed files]
git commit -m "refactor: [one-sentence description of transformation]"

Why commit so often:

• Easy to undo if next step breaks
• Clear history of transformations
• Can review each step independently
• Proves tests passed at each point

---

Step 6: Repeat Until Complete

Repeat steps 3-5 for each small transformation. Track progress:

1. Extract validateEmail() → test → commit ✓
2. Extract validateName() → test → commit ✓
3. Move validations to new file → test → commit ✓

Pattern: change → test → commit (repeat)

---

Step 7: Final Verification

After all transformations complete:

Agent
  subagent_type: "general-purpose"          # model rung; an agent rung uses the rung's agent
  model: "<test-runner rung alias — contracts/models.md>"   # omit entirely on an agent rung
  description: "Run full test suite and linter"
  prompt: "Run: [test command] && [lint command]. Report all results. Make no edits."

Checklist:

• All tests pass
• No new warnings
• No behavior changes
• Each commit is small and safe

Review the changes:

git log --oneline | head -10
git diff [start-sha]..HEAD

Step 8: Mandatory Review

After final verification passes, invoke gambit:review:

Skill skill="gambit:review"

Do not skip review for "simple" refactorings. Do not tell the user to run it manually — invoke it and follow its process immediately. Review validates the refactoring didn't introduce regressions, security issues, or quality problems.

Step 9: Close Task

After review passes:

TaskUpdate
  taskId: "[task-id]"
  description: |
    ## Completed
    - [List of transformations made]
    - All tests pass (verified)
    - No behavior changes
    - N small transformations, each tested
    - Review: APPROVED
  status: "completed"

---

Refactor vs Rewrite

When to Refactor

• Tests exist and pass
• Changes are incremental
• Business logic stays same
• Can transform in small, safe steps

When to Rewrite

• No tests exist (write tests first, then refactor)
• Fundamental architecture change needed
• After 3+ failed refactoring attempts

Rule: If you need to change test assertions (not just add tests), you're rewriting, not refactoring.

---

Handling User Override

If the user explicitly asks to batch changes or skip steps:

1. Explain the risk clearly — "Batching N changes means if tests break, we debug all N instead of one"
2. Recommend the incremental approach — offer partial progress if time-constrained
3. Separate structural changes from cosmetic ones — say once why type hints, docstrings, comments, and formatting are separate commits from a structural refactoring, and offer to do them straight after. Say it once; don't re-argue it.
4. Follow the user's decision. If they still want them combined, do it — it's their call, and a restructuring pass mixed with cosmetics is a preference, not a correctness failure.

Examples

See REFERENCE.md for detailed good/bad examples including:

• Big-Bang refactoring vs incremental approach
• Changing behavior while "refactoring"
• Refactoring without tests
• Strangler Fig Pattern for large migrations
• Common refactoring patterns catalog

---

Integration

This skill requires:

• Tests exist (use gambit:test-driven-development to write tests first if none exist)
• gambit:verification (for final verification)
• the contracted test-runner role (run + report, no source edits — rung resolved through contracts/models.md) for running tests

Called by:

• When improving code structure after features complete
• When preparing code for new features
• When reducing duplication

Calls:

• gambit:test-driven-development (if tests need writing first)
• gambit:verification (final check)
• gambit:review (mandatory, after final verification passes)

Workflow:

Want to improve code structure
    ↓
Step 1: Verify tests pass
    ↓
Step 2: Create Task
    ↓
Steps 3-6: Change → Test → Commit (repeat)
    ↓
Step 7: Final verification
    ↓
Step 8: Mandatory review
    ↓
Step 9: Close Task