# Workflow Refactor

> [Workflow] Use when restructuring, reorganizing, or cleaning up code without changing behavior.

- Skill: `duc01226/workflow-refactor-2` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add duc01226/workflow-refactor-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/duc01226/workflow-refactor-2/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: duc01226 (https://skillmd.com/u/duc01226)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/duc01226/workflow-refactor-2

---


## Quick Summary

**Goal:** Run the Code Refactoring workflow to restructure existing code without changing behavior, with evidence-backed planning, validation, spec/test/docs synchronization, and a clean final review.

**Summary:** Investigate → plan/review/validate → why-review → execute the behavior-preserving refactor → update specs/tests → review and verify integration → review changes/changelog/test/entity scan → sync docs and close with evidence.

**Workflow:**

1. **Detect** — classify request scope and target artifacts.
2. **Execute** — apply required steps with evidence-backed actions.
3. **Verify** — confirm constraints, output quality, and completion evidence.

**Ordered route:** `/investigate` → `/plan` → `/plan-review` → `/plan-validate` → `/why-review` → `/plan-execute` → specs/tests → integration review/verification → changes review → changelog/test/entity scan → `/docs-update` → `/workflow-end` → `/watzup`.

**Key Rules:**

- MUST ATTENTION keep claims evidence-based (`file:line`) with confidence >80% to act.
- MUST ATTENTION keep task tracking updated as each step starts/completes.
- MUST ATTENTION define success criteria before execution and loop until observable verification passes.
- MUST ATTENTION when creating/reviewing specs or tests, name `Business Intent / Invariant Guarded` or the protected business intent/invariant and ensure the test would fail if that intent breaks.
- MUST ATTENTION apply shared SDD Artifact Contract from `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md`; use project config/reference docs only for local conventions.
- NEVER skip mandatory workflow or skill gates.

---

**IMPORTANT MANDATORY Steps:** /investigate -> /plan -> /plan-review -> /plan-validate -> /why-review -> /plan-execute -> /spec [mode=tests] -> /why-review -> /artifact-review --type=spec-tests -> /spec [mode=sync] -> /integration-test -> /integration-test-review -> /integration-test-verify -> /workflow-review-changes -> /changelog -> /test -> /scan --target=domain-entities -> /docs-update -> /workflow-end -> /watzup

> **[EXPERIENCE ACCEPTANCE HANDOFF]** `/workflow-review-changes` carries the conditional `/experience-review` gate after refactor review convergence. Behavior-preservation evidence is exercised and inspected for affected observable surfaces; unchanged surfaces retain their accepted protection.

> **[BLOCKING]** Each step MUST ATTENTION invoke its `Skill` tool — marking a task `completed` without skill invocation is a workflow violation. NEVER batch-complete validation gates.

Activate the `workflow-refactor` workflow. Run `/start-workflow workflow-refactor` with the user's prompt as context.

**Steps:** /investigate → /plan → /plan-review → /plan-validate → /why-review → /plan-execute → /spec [mode=tests] → /why-review → /artifact-review --type=spec-tests → /spec [mode=sync] → /integration-test → /integration-test-review → /integration-test-verify → /workflow-review-changes → /changelog → /test → /scan --target=domain-entities → /docs-update → /workflow-end → /watzup

> **[CONDITIONAL TERMINAL DOMAIN-ENTITY REFERENCE REFRESH]** After `/test` and before `/docs-update`, run `/scan --target=domain-entities` to refresh the project-reference entity catalog only when the final diff changes an entity/model, DTO/data contract, persistence schema/migration, or entity-sync evidence represented in `docs/project-reference/domain-entities-reference.md`. Otherwise mark the scan step completed with a cited skip reason naming the changed files and why they are outside this scope; this is the explicitly authorized exception to the per-step skill-invocation rule.

> **[PERFORMANCE-SDD ROUTE]** If this refactor is performance-driven (query optimization, caching, reducing allocations, improving throughput), run `/performance-review` for benchmark evidence while preserving observable behavior. Do not use performance/refactor scope to bypass spec, test, or docs sync when behavior, public contract, SLA, performance constraint, state timing boundary, or docs/spec boundary changes. Pure behavior-preserving optimization may skip new TC/integration-test generation only with explicit skip reason and invariant-preservation evidence. `/test` remains mandatory.

**[TASK-PLANNING]** Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.

> **[IMPORTANT]** Analyze how big the task is and break it into many small todo tasks systematically before starting — this is very important.

**IMPORTANT MANDATORY Steps:** /investigate -> /plan -> /plan-review -> /plan-validate -> /why-review -> /plan-execute -> /spec [mode=tests] -> /why-review -> /artifact-review --type=spec-tests -> /spec [mode=sync] -> /integration-test -> /integration-test-review -> /integration-test-verify -> /workflow-review-changes -> /changelog -> /test -> /scan --target=domain-entities -> /docs-update -> /workflow-end -> /watzup

<!-- SYNC:nested-task-creation -->

> **Nested Task Expansion Contract** — For workflow-step invocation, the `[Workflow] ...` row is only a parent container; the child skill still creates visible phase tasks.
>
> 1. Call `TaskList` first. If a matching active parent workflow row exists, set `nested=true` and record `parentTaskId`; otherwise run standalone.
> 2. Create one task per declared phase before phase work. When nested, prefix subjects `[N.M] /skill-name — phase`.
> 3. When nested, link the parent with `TaskUpdate(parentTaskId, addBlockedBy: [childIds])`.
> 4. Orchestrators must pre-expand a child skill's phase list and link the workflow row before invoking that child skill or sub-agent.
> 5. Mark exactly one child `in_progress` before work and `completed` immediately after evidence is written.
> 6. Complete the parent only after all child tasks are completed or explicitly cancelled with reason.
>
> **Blocked until:** `TaskList` done, child phases created, parent linked when nested, first child marked `in_progress`.

<!-- /SYNC:nested-task-creation -->

<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

> **Critical Thinking Mindset** — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
> **Anti-hallucination:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

> **AI Mistake Prevention** — Failure modes to avoid on every task:
>
> **Re-read files after context changes.** Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting.
> **Verify generated content against source evidence.** AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing.
> **Check downstream references before deleting or renaming.** Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first.
> **Trace the full impact chain after edits.** Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done.
> **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect.
> **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Before changing or reporting a constant, limit, flag, cutoff, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history, the CALLER's ordering, and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard.
> **Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk.
> **Assert the outcome your system owns, not the intermediate state your infrastructure owns.** When verifying async work, assert the final business state — never the delivery/retry bookkeeping held in shared infrastructure that any co-running process can write. Such a check passes when run alone and flakes the moment anything else shares that infrastructure.
> **Keep shared guidance role-relevant.** Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.

<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

<!-- SYNC:incremental-persistence -->

> **Incremental Result Persistence** — MANDATORY for all sub-agents or heavy inline steps processing >3 files.
>
> 1. **Before starting:** Create report file `plans/reports/{skill}-{date}-{slug}.md` and record Run ID, Task ID, Attempt ID, target scope, and target fingerprint.
> 2. **After each file/section reviewed:** Append findings, evidence, changed paths, and gaps immediately — never hold them in memory.
> 3. **Delegated return:** A sub-agent emits only the structured `SYNC:subagent-return-contract` envelope with exact totals, salient Critical/High findings (maximum ten), current attempt, and `Full report:` path. **Inline user-facing output:** Preserve the skill's requested explanation or teaching, with links to the persisted evidence; the delegated transport limit does not replace that deliverable. Do not paste a full review report into an envelope.
> 4. **Parent synthesis:** The main agent reads the full report for synthesis, acceptance, deduplication, and repair planning — not only when a named blocker exists. It preserves all severities beyond the transport cap.
> 5. **Read-only boundary:** A read-only leaf may write its report/repair proposal but MUST NOT edit source, generated output, or user data; the parent/owner performs repairs after acceptance.
> 6. **Advancement gate:** The parent records `ACCEPTED` for the current Attempt ID only after reconciling target, totals, gaps, and changed paths; stale or late attempts cannot advance dependent work.
>
> **Why:** Context cutoff mid-execution loses ALL in-memory findings. Each disk write survives compaction. Partial results are better than no results, while explicit identity prevents a late result from being mistaken for the current run.
>
> **Report naming:** `plans/reports/{skill-name}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md`

<!-- /SYNC:incremental-persistence -->

<!-- SYNC:subagent-return-contract -->

> **Sub-Agent Return Contract** — When this skill spawns a sub-agent, the sub-agent MUST return ONLY the structured envelope below. Main agent reads the envelope first, then opens the referenced report for synthesis, acceptance, deduplication, or repair planning; a full report is never pasted inline.
>
> ```markdown
> ## Sub-Agent Result: [skill-name]
>
> Status: ✅ PASS | ⚠️ PARTIAL | ❌ FAIL
> Confidence: [0-100]%
> Run ID: [stable run identifier]
> Task ID: [parent task or phase identifier]
> Attempt ID: [monotonic attempt/revision identifier]
> Target: [exact files/paths or scope] @ [target fingerprint/commit]
> Changed paths: [none | exact paths]
> Finding totals: Critical=[n] | High=[n] | Medium=[n] | Low=[n]
> Acceptance: PENDING | ACCEPTED | REJECTED — parent records the decision
>
> ### Findings (Critical/High surfaced — max 10 bullets)
>
> - [severity] [file:line] [finding]
>
> ### Gaps / Unverified
>
> - [missing host, runtime, coverage, or evidence limitation]
>
> ### Actions Taken
>
> - [file changed] [what changed]
>
> ### Blockers (if any)
>
> - [blocker description, or `none`]
>
> Full report: plans/reports/[skill-name]-[date]-[slug].md
> ```
>
> The ten-bullet limit is a transport limit, not a visibility limit: the full report may contain more than ten Medium/Low findings when no named blocker exists, and the parent MUST read it when synthesizing or deduplicating. The parent MUST reject a stale, duplicate, or superseded `Attempt ID` and MUST accept the current attempt before advancing a dependent step. Read-only leaves write repair proposals/reports only; they do not edit source, generated carriers, or user files.
>
> **Context budget** — the return payload is a SUMMARY, not a transcript: no raw file contents / full diffs / verbatim logs inline, no re-pasted source. Everything beyond the envelope lives in the incrementally-written report. A sub-agent that would exceed the summary shape MUST persist the detail and return only the pointer; bounded transport must never become bounded visibility.

<!-- /SYNC:subagent-return-contract -->

<!-- SYNC:nested-task-creation:reminder -->

- **MANDATORY** Parent workflow rows do not replace child phase tracking; expand phases and link the parent when nested.
- **MANDATORY** Orchestrators pre-expand child skill phases before invocation; use `[N.M] /skill-name — phase` prefixes and one-`in_progress` discipline.

<!-- /SYNC:nested-task-creation:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->

> **Project Protocol Overlay** — Before executing this skill, resolve any PROJECT overlay rules layered onto it: match this skill's name against the `Target` column of the project's skill-protocol index (`docs/project-reference/skill-protocols-reference.md` by default; a `referenceDocs` entry in `docs/project-config.json` overrides the path), taking the most specific matching tier ONLY — exact name > glob > `*`. **That precedence orders overlays against EACH OTHER, never against this skill.** Read ONLY the matched bodies, resolved as `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a row's Body link is display text, never a read path. A matched body that is missing or malformed is REPORTED and skipped — never reconstructed from the index Description. No index, or no match -> proceed with no overlay, silently. Full contract: `.claude/skills/project-skill-protocol/references/registry.md`.
>
> Overlays are **ADDITIVE ONLY**: they ADD rules on top of this skill's own protocol and NEVER replace, override, disable, or reinterpret a rule it already states — removing every overlay must return this skill to exactly its documented behavior. An overlay is a BRIEF, not an authority escalation: it can NEVER waive a workflow gate, git discipline, a review gate, or a user-confirmation gate. A genuine overlay-vs-skill conflict, or two equally-specific overlays that directly contradict -> surface both to the user; NEVER resolve silently.

<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->

<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->

**MUST ATTENTION** resolve project protocol overlays for this skill BEFORE executing — most specific matching tier only (exact > glob > `*`, which ranks overlays against each other, NEVER against this skill), read only matched bodies at `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a missing or malformed body is reported, never reconstructed. Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY (they never replace this skill's own rules) and are a brief, NEVER an authority escalation; an equal-specificity contradiction goes to the user.

<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->

## Closing Reminders

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal:** Run the Code Refactoring workflow to restructure existing code without changing behavior, with evidence-backed planning, validation, spec/test/docs synchronization, and a clean final review.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Main steps:** `/investigate` → `/plan` → `/plan-review` → `/plan-validate` → `/why-review` → `/plan-execute` → `/spec [mode=tests]` → `/why-review` → `/artifact-review --type=spec-tests` → `/spec [mode=sync]` → `/integration-test` → `/integration-test-review` → `/integration-test-verify` → `/workflow-review-changes` → `/changelog` → `/test` → conditional `/scan --target=domain-entities` → `/docs-update` → `/workflow-end` → `/watzup`. **NEVER** skip behavior-preservation evidence, required gates, or conditional skip reasons.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):**

- **Nested Task Creation:** Expand child phases; link parent when nested.
- **Critical Thinking:** Traced proof per claim; confidence >80% to act.
- **AI Mistake Prevention:** verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity.
- **Incremental Persistence:** Append findings to report file per section.
- **Subagent Return Contract:** Sub-agents return summary only, not transcript.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** apply Phase 1 compression before structural enhancement; preserve semantic meaning.
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** NEVER alter YAML frontmatter, code blocks, tables, or SYNC-tag bodies during optimization.
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** keep evidence gates and mandatory workflow/skill steps explicit and enforceable.
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** add a final review task to verify output quality and unresolved risks.