code-maintenance

name	code-maintenance
description	Refactoring and cleanup - improving code structure, removing dead code, eliminating duplication, or pre-merge cleanup. Use when code is hard to maintain, has dead code or debug artifacts, or needs pre-merge polishing.
allowed-tools	Bash(git:*), Bash(rg:*), Bash(ruff:*), Bash(npx:*), Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep

Code Maintenance

Refactoring (structure) and cleanup (removal). Behavior preserved. Gradual evolution.

Step 1: Determine Mode

Scenario	Mode	Focus
Code hard to maintain	Refactor	Extract, simplify, apply SOLID principles
Dead code, debug artifacts	Cleanup	Remove dead code, flag uncertain items
Pre-merge, production prep	Cleanup	Lint pass, verify tests, remove TODOs

Step 2: Identify Candidates

Search for code smells and cleanup targets:

<code_smells>

Smell	Detection	Fix
Long method (>50 lines)	Line count	Extract method
Duplicated code	Search for similar blocks	Extract shared function
Dead code	No references, unreachable	Delete (git has history)
Magic numbers	Literal values in logic	Named constants
Nested conditionals (>3 levels)	Indentation depth	Guard clauses, early returns
God class/function	Too many responsibilities	Split by concern

</code_smells>

<cleanup_targets>

Category	Remove	Flag (don't auto-remove)
Dead code	No refs, commented-out, unreachable	Reflection/dynamic calls
Debug artifacts	print(), console.log(), debugger	Structured logging calls
Imports	Unused imports	Wildcard imports
Comments	Obvious, outdated comments	"Why" explanations

</cleanup_targets>

Step 3: Execute

1. Present plan to user before starting (what changes, why, risk level)
2. Apply changes file-by-file, one refactoring at a time
3. Run linters after each file: ruff check --fix, eslint --fix, etc.
4. Verify: tests pass, no regressions

Step 4: Security Check

Verify absent: hardcoded credentials, API keys, PII in test fixtures Verify present: env vars for secrets, .gitignore entries for sensitive files

- **Behavior preserved**: Change how the code works, not what it does - **Small steps**: One change, test, commit - never batch large refactors - **Tests essential**: No refactoring without passing tests first - **Confirm first**: Always present the plan before executing

Refactoring: Extract method

Before:
  def process_order(order):
      # 50 lines of validation
      # 30 lines of pricing
      # 20 lines of notification

After:
  def process_order(order):
      validate_order(order)
      total = calculate_pricing(order)
      notify_customer(order, total)

Cleanup: Remove dead code

Search: rg "def legacy_handler" --files-with-matches
Check: rg "legacy_handler" src/ -> 0 references outside definition
Action: Delete function and its tests (git preserves history)

Cleanup: Debug artifact removal

Search: rg "console\.log|debugger" src/ --count
Found: 12 console.log statements across 5 files
Action: Remove all, replace with structured logger where appropriate