Refactor Skill

"Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand." — Martin Fowler

Iteratively improve code for readability, maintainability, and reusability without breaking observable behavior. Apply the principles of Refactoring (Fowler), Clean Code (Martin), and The Art of Readable Code (Boswell & Foucher).

Refactoring is not rewriting. Change structure, not behavior.

Before Touching Anything

1. Understand what the code actually does and where its boundaries are.
2. Identify the highest-pain smells — prioritize ruthlessly.
3. If tests are absent, flag it. Refactoring without a safety net is high-risk.
4. Propose an incremental plan. Never refactor everything in one pass.