/workflow:checkpoint-refactor Skill

/workflow:checkpoint-refactor

Multi-phase refactoring with persistent state that survives context limits and session boundaries.

When to Use This Skill

| Use this skill when... | Use direct refactoring instead when... | |------------------------|---------------------------------------| | Refactoring spans 10+ files | Changing 1-5 files | | Work will exceed context limits | Small, focused change | | Need to resume across sessions | Single-session task | | Multiple dependent phases | Independent file changes | | Team coordination on large refactor | Solo quick fix |

Context

Repo root: !git rev-parse --show-toplevel
Plan file exists: !find . -maxdepth 1 -name REFACTOR_PLAN.md
Git status: !git status --porcelain
Recent commits: !git log --oneline --max-count=5

Parameters

--init: Create a new refactoring plan interactively
--continue: Resume from the last completed phase
--status: Show current plan progress
--phase=N: Execute a specific phase

Plan File Format

The plan file (REFACTOR_PLAN.md) serves as persistent state:

# Refactor Plan: {description}

Created: {date}
Last updated: {date}
Base commit: {hash}

## Overview
{What is being refactored and why}

## Phase 1: {phase name}
- **Status**: done | in-progress | pending | needs-review
- **Files**: file1.ts, file2.ts, file3.ts
- **Description**: {what this phase does}
- **Acceptance criteria**: {how to verify success}
- **Result**: {summary of changes made, filled in after completion}

## Phase 2: {phase name}
- **Status**: pending
- **Files**: file4.ts, file5.ts
- **Description**: {what this phase does}
- **Acceptance criteria**: {how to verify success}
- **Result**: {empty until completed}

...

Execution

Execute this multi-phase refactoring workflow:

Step 1: Initialize refactoring plan (--init mode)

If --init flag provided:

Analyze scope: Read files to be refactored, understand dependencies
Define phases where each:
- Touches 3-7 files (bounded scope)
- Has clear acceptance criteria (tests, type check)
- Can be committed independently
- Builds on previous phases
Write plan file: Create REFACTOR_PLAN.md at repo root
Record base commit: git log --format='%H' -1

Phase ordering: Shared utilities/types first, leaf components last, tests alongside implementation.

Step 2: Resume existing refactor (--continue mode)

If --continue flag provided:

Read REFACTOR_PLAN.md
Find next pending phase (status pending or needs-review)
Verify all prior phases are done
Execute phase (go to Step 4)

Step 3: Check progress (--status mode)

If --status flag provided:

Read REFACTOR_PLAN.md
Parse plan and display status table with phases, descriptions, statuses, file counts
Exit

Step 4: Execute target phase (--phase=N or selected via Step 2)

For each phase:

Read context from plan file (current phase's details)
Read only the files listed for this phase
Implement changes according to phase description
Validate with appropriate tool (tsc, ty check, cargo check, or npm/pytest test)
If validation fails:
- Fix errors if straightforward
- If complex, mark phase as needs-review with error details
- Commit partial work with WIP: prefix
If validation passes:
- Update plan file: set status to done, write result summary
- Commit: git add -u && git commit -m "refactor phase N: {description}"
If more phases remain, proceed to next phase or suggest --continue

Step 5: Sub-agent delegation (for large phases)

For phases with 7+ files, delegate to Task sub-agent with:

File list to modify
Phase description and acceptance criteria
Instructions: run validation, update plan file, stage/commit changes
If validation fails: mark phase as needs-review with error details

Recovery Patterns

| Situation | Action | |-----------|--------| | Context limit hit mid-phase | Start new session, run --continue | | Phase marked needs-review | Read plan for details, fix issues, run --phase=N | | Tests broken after a phase | Revert phase commit, investigate, re-execute | | Plan needs adjustment | Edit REFACTOR_PLAN.md directly, update phases | | Base branch moved | Rebase onto new base, re-validate completed phases |

Agentic Optimizations

| Context | Command | |---------|---------| | Check plan exists | test -f REFACTOR_PLAN.md && echo "exists" | | Quick typecheck | npx tsc --noEmit --pretty 2>&1 \| head -20 | | Quick test | npm test -- --bail=1 2>&1 \| tail -20 | | Phase commit | git commit -m "refactor phase N: description" | | Verify working state | npx tsc --noEmit && npm test -- --bail=1 | | Show plan phases | grep "^## Phase" REFACTOR_PLAN.md | | Show phase status | grep -A1 "^## Phase" REFACTOR_PLAN.md \| grep Status |

Quick Reference

| Operation | Command | |-----------|---------| | Init new refactor | /workflow:checkpoint-refactor --init | | Check progress | /workflow:checkpoint-refactor --status | | Resume work | /workflow:checkpoint-refactor --continue | | Run specific phase | /workflow:checkpoint-refactor --phase=3 | | Manual plan edit | Edit REFACTOR_PLAN.md directly |

Related Skills

code-review-checklist - Review refactored code
refactoring-patterns - Refactoring techniques

Agent Skills: /workflow:checkpoint-refactor

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