nw-refactor

Applies the Refactoring Priority Premise (RPP) levels L1-L6 for systematic code refactoring. Use when improving code quality through structured refactoring passes.

322 stars

Best use case

nw-refactor is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Applies the Refactoring Priority Premise (RPP) levels L1-L6 for systematic code refactoring. Use when improving code quality through structured refactoring passes.

Teams using nw-refactor should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/nw-refactor/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nWave-ai/nWave/main/nWave/skills/nw-refactor/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/nw-refactor/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How nw-refactor Compares

Feature / Agentnw-refactorStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Applies the Refactoring Priority Premise (RPP) levels L1-L6 for systematic code refactoring. Use when improving code quality through structured refactoring passes.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

# NW-REFACTOR: Systematic Code Refactoring

**Wave**: CROSS_WAVE
**Agent**: Crafty (nw-software-crafter)
**Command**: `*refactor`

## Overview

Applies the Refactoring Priority Premise (RPP) — cascading 6-level hierarchy where lower levels complete before higher. Levels: L1 Readability|L2 Complexity|L3 Responsibilities|L4 Abstractions|L5 Design Patterns|L6 SOLID++. Each builds on previous. For complex multi-class refactorings, agent applies Mikado Method internally.

## Context Files Required

- src/\* - Production codebase
- tests/\* - Test codebase

## Agent Invocation

@nw-software-crafter

Execute \*refactor for {target-class-or-module}.

**Context Files:**
- src/\*
- tests/\*

**Configuration:**
- level: 3 # Shorthand: --from=1 --to=3 (RPP range)
- from: 1 # Start RPP level (default: 1)
- to: 3 # End RPP level (default: same as level)
- scope: module # file/module/project
- method: extract # extract/inline/rename/move
- mikado_planning: false # Use Mikado Method for complex refactorings

## Success Criteria

- [ ] Code quality metrics improved (measured before/after)
- [ ] All tests passing after refactoring
- [ ] Refactoring levels applied in sequence (L1 before L2, etc.)
- [ ] Technical debt reduced measurably

## Next Wave

**Handoff To**: {invoking-agent-returns-to-workflow}
**Deliverables**: Refactored codebase with quality improvements

## Examples

### Example 1: Module-level readability refactor
```
/nw-refactor src/auth/token_manager.py --level=2 --scope=module
```
Crafty applies RPP L1-L2: rename ambiguous variables|extract magic numbers into constants|remove dead code (L1), then simplify conditionals|extract long methods (L2).

### Example 2: SOLID-level design refactor
```
/nw-refactor src/billing/ --level=6 --scope=module --mikado_planning=true
```
Crafty uses Mikado Method for multi-class refactoring, applies dependency inversion|interface segregation across billing module.

### Example 3: RPP range sweep (L1-L3)
```
/nw-refactor src/des/domain/ --from=1 --to=3 --scope=module
```
Sweeps L1 readability|L2 complexity|L3 responsibility smells. Cascade rule: L2 only after L1 clean, L3 only after L2 clean.

### Example 4: Targeted single-level refactor
```
/nw-refactor src/des/cli/verify.py --level=3 --scope=file
```
Targets L3 responsibility smells only (Large Class, Feature Envy, Shotgun Surgery). Assumes L1-L2 already clean.

## Expected Outputs

```
src/*                              (refactored production code)
tests/*                            (refactored test code)
docs/refactoring/
  refactoring-log.md
  quality-metrics.md
```

Related Skills

nw-test-refactoring-catalog

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Detailed refactoring mechanics with step-by-step procedures, and test code smell catalog with detection patterns and before/after examples

nw-progressive-refactoring

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Progressive L1-L6 refactoring hierarchy, 22 code smell taxonomy, atomic transformations, test code smells, and Fowler refactoring catalog

nw-legacy-refactoring-ddd

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

DDD-guided legacy refactoring patterns -- strangler fig, bubble context, ACL migration, 14 tactical/strategic/infrastructure patterns, and incremental monolith-to-microservices methodology

nw-ux-web-patterns

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Web UI design patterns for product owners. Load when designing web application interfaces, writing web-specific acceptance criteria, or evaluating responsive designs.

nw-ux-tui-patterns

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Terminal UI and CLI design patterns for product owners. Load when designing command-line tools, interactive terminal applications, or writing CLI-specific acceptance criteria.

nw-ux-principles

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Core UX principles for product owners. Load when evaluating interface designs, writing acceptance criteria with UX requirements, or reviewing wireframes and mockups.

nw-ux-emotional-design

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Emotional design and delight patterns for product owners. Load when designing onboarding flows, empty states, first-run experiences, or evaluating the emotional quality of an interface.

nw-ux-desktop-patterns

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Desktop application UI patterns for product owners. Load when designing native or cross-platform desktop applications, writing desktop-specific acceptance criteria, or evaluating panel layouts and keyboard workflows.

nw-user-story-mapping

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

User story mapping for backlog management and outcome-based prioritization. Load during Phase 2.5 (User Story Mapping) to produce story-map.md and prioritization.md.

nw-tr-review-criteria

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Review dimensions and scoring for root cause analysis quality assessment

nw-tlaplus-verification

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

TLA+ formal verification for design correctness and PBT pipeline integration

nw-test-organization-conventions

322
from nWave-ai/nWave

Test directory structure patterns by architecture style, language conventions, naming rules, and fixture placement. Decision tree for selecting test organization strategy.