code-refactoring skill

Practical, language-agnostic guidance for behavior-preserving refactoring in existing codebases.

What this skill does

This skill helps you run refactoring as a safe, incremental workflow instead of a large rewrite. It is designed for situations where code is hard to change and you need confidence while improving structure.

Use it to:

• Identify high-impact smells and change-friction points.
• Choose the smallest safe first refactor.
• Apply micro-steps with immediate testing feedback.
• Keep changes behavior-preserving and review-friendly.
• Commit each completed refactor with a consistent message format.

Core workflow

For each refactor, run this loop:

1. Apply one micro-step.
2. Run relevant tests immediately.
3. Repeat until one complete refactor reaches its structural goal.
4. Run refactor-level validation before commit.
5. Commit exactly one completed refactor using [refactor]: xxx.

Example commit messages:

• [refactor]: extract pricing calculator
• [refactor]: rename payment state mapper

Install

Install from this repository with skill-installer:

skill-installer install git@github.com:maocili/code-refactoring-skill.git

How to use

Call the skill in your Codex prompt:

• $code-refactoring

Typical requests:

• Plan a safe first refactor for a long function.
• Map observed smells to minimal refactoring moves.
• Execute test-first, behavior-preserving cleanup in small commits.

Repository structure

• SKILL.md: Primary skill definition and operating workflow.
• references/: Execution checklists and refactoring selection guides.
• agents/openai.yaml: Agent metadata and default prompt wiring.