Refactoring / safe structural change

Refactoring rules for AI agents.

Guidance for improving structure without changing observable behavior: small transformations, test protection, smell diagnosis, and stopping before cleanup turns into redesign.

refactoringcode smellstestsbehavior preservation

mini nano full

Use when

The task is cleanup, migration prep, review follow-up, or reducing complexity without feature changes.

Default version

Use mini for refactoring passes. Keep full as reference for deeper audit sessions.

Good companions

Pair with Working Effectively with Legacy Code when tests are weak.