Rename Symbol

Rename Symbol

Perform a codebase-wide rename guaranteeing that all references — direct and semantic — are updated consistently.

Standard renames miss semantic siblings (e.g., renaming EmitOverallDecisionReason but leaving OverallDecisionReasonMapper untouched), interface/implementation pairs, test names, file names, and non-code references. rg "OldName" surfaces all of these — this skill makes that search mandatory.

rg won't catch generated code, serialized names, or string-interpolated references — flag these to the user if the codebase uses them.

Workflow

1. Clarify Scope

• Identify the OLD name (or name fragment) and the NEW name.
• Confirm: exact symbol rename vs. conceptual root rename (e.g., OverallDecisionReason → DecisionReason affects classes, methods, files, etc.).
• When ambiguous, ask the user before proceeding.

2. Search the Full Blast Radius

Before any edits:

rg "OldName"

If the root is a common substring, scope more narrowly to avoid false positives.

Use Glob to find files whose names contain the old symbol.

Categorize results:

• Declarations: class/method/interface/variable definitions
• Call sites: imports, using statements, invocations
• File names: files named after the old symbol
• Semantic siblings: related symbols sharing the conceptual root
• Non-code: comments, documentation, YAML, configs, test names

3. Present Change Plan

Before executing, show the user:

• Every file and symbol that will change, grouped by category
• Any ambiguous matches flagged for confirmation

4. Execute and Verify

Edit everything the plan identified. Then verify:

rg "OldName"

Must return zero results (or only user-confirmed exceptions). Check linter on changed files. If matches remain, keep going.

Guardrails

• Substring caution: do not rename symbols that merely contain the old name unless the user confirms (e.g., renaming User should not automatically rename UserService).
• Prefer rg over IDE refactoring — rg catches references in non-code files that IDE tools miss.