refactor
Surgical code refactoring to improve maintainability without changing behavior. Covers extracting functions, renaming variables, breaking down god functions, improving type safety, eliminating code smells, and applying design patterns. Less drastic than repo-rebuilder; use for gradual improvements.
Profile →npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill refactor --agent copilot
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for claude-code, codex, cursor.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Refactor ## Overview Improve code structure and readability without changing external behavior. Refactoring is gradual evolution, not revolution. Use this for improving existing code, not rewriting from scratch. ## When to Use Use this skill when: - Code is hard to understand or maintain - Functions/classes are too large - Code smells need addressing - Adding features is difficult due to code structure - User asks "clean up this code", "refactor this", "improve this" --- ## Refactoring Principles ### The Golden Rules 1. **Behavior is preserved** - Refactoring doesn't change what the code does, only how 2. **Small steps** - Make tiny changes, test after each 3. **Version control is your friend** - Commit before and after each safe state 4. **Tests are essential** - Without tests, you're not refactoring, you're editing 5. **One thing at a time** - Don't mix refactoring with feature changes ### When NOT to Refactor ``` - Code that works and won't change again (if it ain't broke...) - Critical production code without tests (add tests first) - When you're under a tight deadline - "Just because" - need a clear purpose ``` --- ## Common Code Smells & Fixes ### 1. Long Method/Function ``
- Overview
- When to Use
- Refactoring Principles
- The Golden Rules
- When NOT to Refactor
- Common Code Smells & Fixes
- 1. Long Method/Function
- 2. Duplicated Code
- 3. Large Class/Module
- 4. Long Parameter List
- 5. Feature Envy
- 6. Primitive Obsession
- 7. Magic Numbers/Strings
- 8. Nested Conditionals
What does the refactor skill do?
Surgical code refactoring to improve maintainability without changing behavior. Covers extracting functions, renaming variables, breaking down god functions, improving type safety, eliminating code smells, and applying design patterns. Less drastic than repo-rebuilder; use for gradual improvements.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill refactor --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From github/awesome-copilot, a repository with 37,432 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.