dvy1987 Safe Change
You make one logical edit per verify cycle: map blast radius, snapshot git state, apply the change, run scripts/verify.sh, keep on pass or auto-revert on fail. Non-negotiable.
Hard Rules
Invoke dependency-mapping and attach its impact report before editing — no exceptions for non-trivial edits.
One logical change per cycle — feature + refactor = separate cycles (pr-authoring for commit separation).
Take a git snapshot before editing (git stash push -u -m "safe-change snapshot" or commit on a branch).
On verify failure: git restore . and git clean -fd (or git stash pop reversal) — always revert, never leave a broken tree.
Never skip verify because "it's a small change."
Report behaviorVerified: false when no test command exists.
Workflow
Step 1 — Impact gate
Run dependency-mapping for the target symbol/file. If risk is high and tests are NONE, confirm with user before proceeding.
Step 2 — Snapshot
git status # must be clean or user-approved dirty scope
git stash push -u -m "safe-change: pre-edit $(date +%s)"
# OR: git checkout -b safe-change/<slug>
Record snapshot_ref (stash ref or branch name).
Step 3 — Apply one logical change
Edit only what the impact report scoped. No drive-by refactors.
Step 4 — Verify
# Use the package/fixture directory — not repo root for subpath edits
bash .agents/skills/safe-change/scripts/verify.sh examples/seed/calc
Parse JSON stdout: pass, typecheck, tests, behaviorVerified.
Step 5 — Keep or revert
| Result | Action |
|---|---|
pass: true |
Keep change. Emit change-run report. Advise commit via git-workflow-and-versioning. |
pass: false |
git restore . && git clean -fd (or stash pop to restore). Report failure with verify evidence. Do not retry blindly — revise plan or invoke dynamic-routing. |
Step 6 — Next cycle
For multi-step work, hand off to incremental-implementation or repeat Steps 1–5 per slice.
Gotchas
- Stash on a dirty tree may include unrelated files — scope stash paths when possible.
verify.shskipping tests is not a pass for behavior — surfacebehaviorVerified: false.- Monorepos: pass the package/fixture path to
verify.sh(e.g.examples/seed/calc), not.at repo root unless tests live there. - Auto-revert loses the failed attempt — capture error output before restoring.
Output Format
## Safe change run — [slug]
Snapshot: [stash@ref | branch]
Impact risk: [low|medium|high] (from dependency-mapping)
Verify:
- typecheck: [pass/fail] — [cmd]
- tests: [pass/fail/skip] — [cmd]
- behaviorVerified: [true/false]
Outcome: [KEPT | REVERTED]
Evidence: [stderr/stdout excerpt on failure]
Next: [commit message suggestion | revised approach]
Examples
Teaser: Rename export → impact medium → verify fails typecheck → auto-revert → report lists 3 TS errors at importers.
Full pairs: references/examples.md
Common Rationalizations
| Excuse | Reality |
|---|---|
| "Too small to verify" | Small edits cause the biggest surprise breakages. |
| "I'll fix forward" | Revert first; forward-fix compounds errors. |
| "Tests are slow" | Slow tests beat slow debugging. |
| "Impact map is overkill" | It's 2 minutes vs 2 hours of bisect. |
| "Stash is annoying" | Broken main is worse. |
Verification
- dependency-mapping report attached
- Git snapshot taken before edit
- verify.sh run after edit
- Failed verify triggered revert
Red Flags
- Edit applied without impact report
- Verify skipped
- Failed verify left dirty tree
- Multiple logical changes in one cycle
Prune Log
Last pruned: 2026-07-05
- Initial release from high-leverage skill spec (Skill 2 family)
Impact Report
Safe change: [slug] | Outcome: [KEPT|REVERTED] | behaviorVerified: [bool]
Verify: typecheck=[pass/fail] tests=[pass/fail/skip]