Feature Refactor Proposal

Feature Refactor Proposal

This skill provides a structured methodology for analyzing an existing codebase against new feature requirements, identifying technical debt and risks, and producing a clear refactoring and implementation proposal before writing code.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Adding a complex new feature to an existing codebase
• Extending existing components or state management that could cause architectural regression
• Assessing feature feasibility and breaking changes before implementation
• Preparing an architecture proposal or technical design review for a feature request

Workflow Decision Tree

User provides New Feature Requirements / Issue
  │
  ├── 1. Parse Requirements & Define Boundaries
  │     └─ Identify UI, state, API, and backend scope
  │
  ├── 2. Map Codebase Impact
  │     └─ Locate affected components, hooks, services, types
  │
  ├── 3. Evaluate Risks & Trade-offs
  │     └─ Consult [risk_checklist.md](references/risk_checklist.md)
  │
  ├── 4. Draft Refactoring & Implementation Plan
  │     └─ Use [proposal_template.md](references/proposal_template.md)
  │
  └── 5. Present Proposal & Verification Steps
        └─ Provide phased steps and validation commands

Detailed Steps

Step 1: Requirement Breakdown & Scope Mapping

1. Extract core requirements and non-goals from the user prompt or issue document.
2. Categorize requirements by impact layer:
   • UI Layer: Pages, components, modals, styles
   • State Layer: React state, context, custom hooks, global stores
   • Service / API Layer: Frontend API client, backend commands, Tauri IPC
   • Data Layer: Types, schemas, entities, database tables

Step 2: Codebase Exploration & Dependency Tracing

1. Search for relevant existing files using workspace__grepFiles and workspace__globFiles.
2. Inspect target files with workspace__readFile to understand:
   • Current responsibilities and size of components
   • Existing data flow and state propagation
   • Shared dependencies and props interface
3. Map component dependencies to anticipate ripple effects when modifying signatures or state.

Step 3: Risk Assessment & Architecture Trade-offs

1. Load and evaluate against references/risk_checklist.md:
   • Type Safety: Prop changes, boundary validation, schema changes
   • State Complexity: State duplication vs context extension vs hook extraction
   • UI/UX Resilience: Virtualized lists, scroll pinning, loading/error states
   • Backward Compatibility: Impact on other features using the same components
2. Compare architectural choices (e.g., Option A: Direct Extension vs Option B: Modular Refactoring).

Step 4: Generate Proposal Report

1. Use the structure provided in references/proposal_template.md.
2. Document:
   • Affected files and modification scope
   • Recommended refactoring approach with trade-off justification
   • Phased execution steps (Preparation/Refactor -> Feature Implementation -> Verification)
   • Specific verification criteria (pnpm refactor:validate, tests, manual checks)

References

• proposal_template.md: Standard template for feature refactoring proposals.
• risk_checklist.md: Architectural and quality risk review checklist.