request-refactor-plan

SKILL.md

Interview-driven refactoring planner that breaks changes into tiny, safe commits and files a GitHub issue.

Conducts a detailed user interview to understand the problem, explore alternatives, and nail down exact scope before planning

Verifies assertions by exploring the repository and assesses existing test coverage in the affected codebase

Breaks implementation into the smallest possible commits, each leaving the codebase in a working state

Generates a structured GitHub issue with problem statement, solution, detailed commit plan, decision document, testing strategy, and out-of-scope items

This skill will be invoked when the user wants to create a refactor request. You should go through the steps below. You may skip steps if you don't consider them necessary.

Ask the user for a long, detailed description of the problem they want to solve and any potential ideas for solutions.

Explore the repo to verify their assertions and understand the current state of the codebase.

Ask whether they have considered other options, and present other options to them.

Interview the user about the implementation. Be extremely detailed and thorough.

Hammer out the exact scope of the implementation. Work out what you plan to change and what you plan not to change.

Look in the codebase to check for test coverage of this area of the codebase. If there is insufficient test coverage, ask the user what their plans for testing are.

Break the implementation into a plan of tiny commits. Remember Martin Fowler's advice to "make each refactoring step as small as possible, so that you can always see the program working."

Create a GitHub issue with the refactor plan. Use the following template for the issue description: