Serena Safe Refactor

Serena Safe Refactor

Automated refactoring workflow that ensures safety by analyzing impact before making changes.

When to Apply

• Renaming functions or classes
• Changing function signatures
• Extracting or moving code
• Large-scale refactoring operations

Workflow

Phase 1: Impact Analysis

1. Use serena_find_symbol to locate the target
2. Use serena_find_referencing_symbols to find all usages
3. Review impact scope

Phase 2: Preparation

1. Check for tests covering the target code
2. Identify potential breaking changes
3. Plan migration strategy if needed

Phase 3: Execution

1. Use serena_rename_symbol for safe renaming
2. Use serena_replace_symbol_body for implementation changes
3. Use serena_replace_content for pattern-based changes

Phase 4: Verification

1. Run tests to verify changes
2. Check for compilation errors
3. Review affected files

Best Practices

1. Always find references before refactoring
2. Make atomic changes - one symbol at a time
3. Verify with tests after each change
4. Use rename_symbol instead of replace_content when possible

Safety Checklist

• All references found and reviewed
• Tests exist for the target code
• Breaking changes documented
• Rollback plan prepared

Example Usage

// Safe rename of a function
const workflow = [
  'serena_find_symbol("oldFunctionName")',
  'serena_find_referencing_symbols("oldFunctionName")',
  'serena_rename_symbol("oldFunctionName", "newFunctionName")',
];

Context

• Learned from repeated refactoring patterns
• Emphasizes safety and impact analysis
• Confidence: High (based on 5+ observed usages)