Refactor

A systematic approach to cleaning up code without breaking things.

When to Use

• Code feels messy or hard to understand
• Before adding features to tangled code
• After rapid prototyping ("make it work" → "make it right")
• When you keep having bugs in the same area
• Technical debt paydown

The Golden Rule

Refactoring = changing structure WITHOUT changing behavior.

If you're adding features or fixing bugs, that's not refactoring. Do those separately.

Pre-Refactor Checklist