Software Design Refactoring

Goal

Improve the design enough to make the next behavior change obvious, without expanding the task.

Refactoring Workflow

1. Identify the behavior that must remain unchanged.
2. Add or locate the smallest safety net: tests, characterization, logs, or manual verification.
3. Name the design problem: duplication, leakage, shallow module, unclear name, temporal coupling, or special case.
4. Make one coherent structural change.
5. Run the narrow verification.
6. Repeat only if the next improvement is necessary for the requested work.

Strategic Rules