refactoring-patterns

Files (7)

• SKILL.md
• composing-methods.md · references/
• moving-features.md · references/
• organizing-data.md · references/
• refactoring-workflow.md · references/
• simplifying-conditionals.md · references/
• smell-catalog.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Refactoring Patterns Framework

A disciplined approach to improving the internal structure of existing code without changing its observable behavior. Every refactoring follows the same loop: verify tests pass, apply one small structural change, verify tests still pass.

## Core Principle

**Refactoring is not rewriting. It is a sequence of small, behavior-preserving transformations, each backed by tests.** You never change what the code does — only how it is organized. Big-bang rewrites fail because they combine structural change with behavioral change, making it impossible to know which broke things.

**The foundation:** Bad code is a natural consequence of delivering under time pressure, not a character flaw. Code smells are objective signals of degraded structure; the smell catalog tells you *where* to look, and the refactoring catalog tells you *what to do*.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Score structural quality by how many of the eight [Quick Diagnostic](#quick-diagnostic) rows pass — `score = round(passed / 8 × 10)`, adjusting down when a single smell is severe. Bands:
- **9-10**: no obvious smells remain, each function does one thing, names reveal intent, duplication is eliminated, conditionals use polymorphism where apt, and tests cover the refactored paths.
- **5-6**: a few smells remain (a Long Method, some duplication) but structure is mostly sound.
- **≤3**: pervasive smells — tangled conditionals, God classes, duplication everywhere — or no tests to refactor safely.

Always state the current score, name the smells driving it down, and list the specific refactorings needed to reach 10/10.

## The Refactoring Patterns Framework

Six areas of focus for systematically improving code structure:

### 1. Code Smells as Triggers

**Core concept:** Code smells are surface indicators of deeper structural problems — not bugs, but signals that the design makes code harder to understand, extend, or maintain. Each smell maps to named refactorings that fix it.

**Why it works:** Named smells give teams objective criteria instead of subjective "I don't like this" — "This is Feature Envy" points directly at the fix.

**Key insights:**
- Smells cluster into five families: Bloaters, Object-Orientation Abusers, Change Preventers, Dispensables, Couplers
- Long Method is the most common smell; Duplicate Code is the most expensive
- A method that needs a comment to explain *what* it does is a smell — extract and name the block instead
- Shotgun Surgery (one change, many classes) and Divergent Change (one class, many reasons to change) are opposite signals of misplaced responsibilities
- Primitive Obsession — raw strings/ints instead of small domain objects — spreads errors and duplication

**Code applications:**

| Context | Pattern | Example |
|---------|---------|---------|
| Method > 10 lines | Extract Method | Pull loop body into `calculateLineTotal()` |
| One change touches many classes (Shotgun Surgery) | Move Method/Field | Gather the scattered behavior into one class |
| Same params in many methods | Introduce Parameter Object | `startDate, endDate` → `DateRange` |
| Copy-pasted logic | Extract Method + Pull Up Method | Share via common method or base class |

See [references/smell-catalog.md](references/smell-catalog.md) when you need to name a smell and its fix — all five families (Bloaters, OO Abusers, Change Preventers, Dispensables, Couplers) with detection heuristics and the refactoring each maps to.

### 2. Composing Methods

**Core concept:** Most refactoring starts here: break long methods into smaller, well-named pieces that read like prose — high-level steps delegating to clearly named helpers.

**Why it works:** Short methods with intention-revealing names eliminate comments, make bugs obvious at a glance, and enable reuse; a method call costs nothing to read when the name says everything.

**Key insights:**
- Extract Method is the single most important refactoring — master it first
- Urge to write a comment? Extract the block and use the comment as the method name
- Inline Method when the body is as clear as the name — indirection without value is noise
- Replace Temp with Query for computed values used in multiple places; Split Temporary Variable when one temp serves two purposes
- Replace Method with Method Object when locals are too tangled to extract — they become fields

**Code applications:**

| Context | Pattern | Example |
|---------|---------|---------|
| Block with a comment | Extract Method | `// check eligibility` → `isEligible()` |
| Temp used once | Inline Variable | Drop `const price = order.getPrice()` |
| Trivial delegating method | Inline Method | Inline `return deliveries > 5` if used once |
| Method with many tangled locals | Replace Method with Method Object | Locals become fields in a new class |

See [references/composing-methods.md](references/composing-methods.md) when applying any method-level transformation — step-by-step mechanics and before/after code for Extract/Inline Method, Extract/Inline Variable, Replace Temp with Query, Split Temporary Variable, and Replace Method with Method Object.

### 3. Moving Features Between Objects

**Core concept:** The key OO design decision is where responsibilities live. When Feature Envy, excessive coupling, or unbalanced class sizes show a method or field is in the wrong class, move it where it belongs.

**Why it works:** A method placed away from the data it uses creates invisible cross-class dependencies, so one logical change ripples across many files — Shotgun Surgery. Co-locating method and data confines the change to one class.

**Key insights:**
- Move Method when a method uses more of another class's features than its own; Move Field likewise
- Extract Class when one class does two things — split along the axis of change; Inline Class when one does too little
- Hide Delegate enforces the Law of Demeter; Remove Middle Man undoes it when forwarding becomes the whole class
- Resolve that tension case by case: hide the delegate when the chain is unstable, remove the middle man when it's pure forwarding

**Code applications:**

| Context | Pattern | Example |
|---------|---------|---------|
| Method envies another class | Move Method | `calculateShipping()` from `Order` to `ShippingPolicy` |
| God class 500+ lines | Extract Class | Pull `Address` fields/methods into own class |
| Client calls `a.getB().getC()` | Hide Delegate | Add `a.getCThroughB()` |
| Class only forwards calls | Remove Middle Man | Let client call the delegate directly |

See [references/moving-features.md](references/moving-features.md) when deciding where a responsibility belongs — mechanics for Move Method/Field, Extract/Inline Class, Hide Delegate, and Remove Middle Man.

### 4. Organizing Data

**Core concept:** Raw data — magic numbers, exposed fields, integer type codes — creates subtle bugs and scatters domain knowledge. Replace primitives with objects that encapsulate behavior and enforce invariants.

**Why it works:** An `int` amount has no rounding rules or currency code; a `Money` object encapsulates all of it, so business rules live in one place and the type system catches errors at compile time.

**Key insights:**
- Replace Magic Number with Symbolic Constant — the simplest data refactoring; it names intent
- Replace Data Value with Object cures Primitive Obsession (`EmailAddress`, `Money`, `Temperature`)
- Encapsulate Field and Encapsulate Collection — never expose raw fields or mutable internal lists
- Replace Type Code with Subclasses when the code affects behavior; with Strategy when subclassing is impractical
- Change Value to Reference when you need identity semantics (one shared `Customer`, not copies)

**Code applications:**

| Context | Pattern | Example |
|---------|---------|---------|
| `if (status == 2)` | Replace Magic Number | `if (status == ORDER_SHIPPED)` |
| `String email` passed everywhere | Replace Data Value with Object | `EmailAddress` class with validation |
| Getter returns mutable list | Encapsulate Collection | Return `Collections.unmodifiableList(items)` |
| `int typeCode` with switch | Replace Type Code with Subclasses | `Employee` → `Engineer`, `Manager` |

See [references/organizing-data.md](references/organizing-data.md) when replacing primitives with objects — mechanics for Replace Data Value with Object, Change Value to Reference, Replace Magic Number, Encapsulate Field/Collection, and the Replace Type Code variants.

### 5. Simplifying Conditional Logic

From wondelai/skills, MIT.

More from wondelai/skills