Can I use this skill to fix bugs or add features?

No, this skill is strictly for refactoring—improving code structure without changing behavior. For bugs, use fixing-bugs; for new features, use standard development workflows.

What is the core cycle of the Safe Code Refactoring skill?

The skill follows a strict Change → Test → Commit cycle, ensuring every small transformation is verified by your test suite before it is finalized.

Why does this skill encourage frequent small commits?

Small commits provide a clear history of transformations, make it easy to isolate where a break occurred, and allow you to revert to a known-good state without losing significant work.

What should I do if a test fails during refactoring?

If a test fails, you must stop immediately, undo the last change, and understand why the behavior changed. You should only proceed once the tests are green again.

Safe Code Refactoring

Name: Safe Code Refactoring
Author: withzombies

bywithzombies

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Developer Tools

Guides incremental, test-verified code transformations to improve structure and readability without altering existing behavior.

About

The Safe Code Refactoring skill implements a disciplined workflow for technical debt reduction, ensuring your codebase remains functional throughout the restructuring process. By enforcing a strict Change → Test → Commit cycle, it helps developers break down complex changes into small, reversible steps that keep the test suite green. This skill is essential for extracting logic, renaming components, or reorganizing modules, providing a structured safety net that prevents regressions and maintains high code quality in any programming language.

Key Features

Strict Change-Test-Commit workflow enforcement
Automated test-runner dispatching for immediate verification
Best practices for the Strangler Fig migration pattern
Integration with beads (bd) task tracking for refactoring goals
Safety-first rollback guidance for failing test cycles
13 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Simplifying complex conditional logic while preserving original behavior
Extracting duplicated logic into shared utility classes or services
Renaming functions, variables, or modules for better maintainability

About

Key Features

Strict Change-Test-Commit workflow enforcement
Automated test-runner dispatching for immediate verification
Best practices for the Strangler Fig migration pattern
Integration with beads (bd) task tracking for refactoring goals
Safety-first rollback guidance for failing test cycles
13 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Simplifying complex conditional logic while preserving original behavior
Extracting duplicated logic into shared utility classes or services
Renaming functions, variables, or modules for better maintainability