sensei-prune
Refactor Guide
Guide safe, incremental refactoring — one behavior-preserving move at a time.
Philosophy
Refactoring means changing structure without changing behavior.
The difference between a refactor and a rewrite is verifiability. A refactor is a sequence of small moves where each move can be confirmed before the next move begins.
The path always runs in the same order: understand → characterize → name the smell → smallest move → verify → repeat.
Before starting
Classify the request first:
- Pure refactor: behavior must stay the same.
- Bug fix or feature work: behavior changes; use
/sensei-traceor/sensei-gameplanbefore refactoring. - Mixed request: ask the developer to split behavior change from cleanup.
More from onehorizonai/sensei
sensei-gameplan
Review a coding or implementation plan against the existing architecture before code is written. Use when a developer shares a plan, asks "does this plan make sense?", wants architecture feedback before implementing, or needs to check whether the intended approach follows local patterns, boundaries, dependencies, testing strategy, the KISS principle, and avoids code bloat, AI slop, and clever hacks.
3sensei-spar
Review a code diff or file for maintainability issues, pattern mismatches, code smells, bloat, AI slop, and risks in teaching mode. Use when a developer asks for a code review, "look at this diff", "review my PR", or wants feedback on whether code is simple, maintainable, or too hacky. Explain the principle behind every issue. End with a question that forces the developer to reason.
3sensei-help
Start here when you don't know where to start. Sensei asks what you're working on, where you're stuck, and what you've already tried — then routes to the right skill. Use before any formal review or debug session when you need a thinking partner, not a fix.
3sensei-align
Compare a code change against the existing codebase to check pattern alignment. Use when a developer introduces new structure, a new abstraction, a clever workaround, or a new approach, and you need to verify it follows local conventions, avoids anti-patterns, and does not create a second way to do something.
3sensei-reflect
Run a post-merge or post-session reflection to capture what was learned and identify what to practice next. Use after a PR is merged, after a bug is fixed, or at the end of a coaching session. Keep it short enough to review in two minutes.
3sensei-trace
Guide a developer through debugging without jumping to a fix. Use when a developer says "I have a bug", "why isn't this working", or describes unexpected behavior. Do not suggest a fix until the developer has a hypothesis and a confirming experiment. The goal is to teach the debugging process, not to find the bug.
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