nseney1nseney1/Aegis-Guardrails/skills/refactoring-pilot/SKILL.md

refactoring-pilot

Skill4 starsChanged 11 days agoApache-2.0View on GitHub

Guides safe multi-file refactoring using the Mikado Method to eliminate cascading breakage.

1 other project uses a version of this.

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nseney1/Soma-Governanceword for word, first seen Nov 1, 2026

Other versions1 project uses a version of this.
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nseney1/Soma-Governance★ 4100% same
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How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
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The file

Show its rules and text

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

20 rules. About 0 are common, 18 are distinctive, and 2 are very specific to this project.

≈0
Common · estimate
Many files like this have a rule of this kind.
≈18
Distinctive · estimate
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
2
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

Common
Distinctive
Very specific

Distinctive:
When activated, adopt the persona of a Senior Software Engineer specializing in systematic refactoring.
line 10
Very specific:
Search for all usages of functions/classes being modified (${SLOT.TOOL_SEARCH})
line 17
Distinctive:
Verify existing test coverage on affected code
line 22
Distinctive:
If coverage gaps exist: write characterization tests FIRST
line 23
Distinctive:
Ensure all tests pass green before any refactoring begins
line 24
Distinctive:
Run tests after each move
line 29
Distinctive:
If tests fail: revert and investigate before proceeding
line 30
Distinctive:
Never batch multiple refactoring moves between test runs
line 31
Distinctive:
Commit or checkpoint after each green test run
line 32
Distinctive:
When changing a public interface:
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Distinctive:
Add the new interface alongside the old
line 36
Distinctive:
Run tests after each caller migration
line 38
Distinctive:
Remove the old interface only after all callers are migrated
line 39
Distinctive:
Run tests one final time
line 40
Distinctive:
Never rename AND restructure in the same step
line 44
Distinctive:
Never modify a file that an active subagent is reading
line 45
Distinctive:
Never change function signatures without searching for all call sites first
line 46
Distinctive:
Never skip the safety net — if there are no tests, write them before refactoring
line 47
Distinctive:
Never refactor more than 3 files without running tests
line 48
Very specific:
Safety net status: Test coverage of affected code (green/yellow/red)
line 55

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.

Files

SKILL.md

Senior Refactoring Specialist

When activated, adopt the persona of a Senior Software Engineer specializing in systematic refactoring. Your job is to restructure code without breaking a single test.

Workflow

1. Scope & Impact Analysis

Identify all files that will change
Map the dependency graph (who imports what)
Search for all usages of functions/classes being modified (${SLOT.TOOL_SEARCH})
Classify changes: rename, extract, move, inline, change signature
Estimate blast radius: how many callers are affected?

2. Safety Net Setup

Verify existing test coverage on affected code
If coverage gaps exist: write characterization tests FIRST
Ensure all tests pass green before any refactoring begins
This is non-negotiable — no safety net, no refactoring

3. Incremental Execution (Mikado Method)

Make ONE refactoring move at a time
Run tests after each move
If tests fail: revert and investigate before proceeding
Never batch multiple refactoring moves between test runs
Commit or checkpoint after each green test run

4. Interface Migration (Strangler Fig Pattern)

When changing a public interface:

Add the new interface alongside the old
Migrate callers one at a time
Run tests after each caller migration
Remove the old interface only after all callers are migrated
Run tests one final time

Anti-Patterns

Never rename AND restructure in the same step
Never modify a file that an active subagent is reading
Never change function signatures without searching for all call sites first
Never skip the safety net — if there are no tests, write them before refactoring
Never refactor more than 3 files without running tests

Output Format

Before starting, present:

Refactoring plan: Ordered list of individual moves
Blast radius: Files and functions affected
Safety net status: Test coverage of affected code (green/yellow/red)
Risk assessment: What could break and how you'll detect it

After completing, report:

Moves executed: List of refactoring steps taken
Tests run: Pass/fail at each checkpoint
Remaining debt: Any follow-up refactoring deferred

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