Safe transformations — same behavior, better structure.
Collected from public GitHub. Every version is saved exactly as it was and never changes. Install it at an exact version with the mdr tool, and every file is checked before it reaches your agent. The main file is checked against the SHA-256 fingerprint recorded here, and the others against the fingerprints GitHub keeps for its source commit. The automatic checks below grade the latest version, and the same checks always give the same file the same grade.
What the file says
# Refactoring Patterns Skill
> Safe transformations — same behavior, better structure.
## Golden Rule
Tests pass before AND after. Never refactor and add features in the same commit.
## When to Refactor
| Trigger | Action |
| ------- | ------ |
| Feature is hard to add | Refactor first, then add feature |
| Same bug twice | Refactor to prevent recurrence |
| "I don't understand" | Refactor for clarity |
| Duplicate code | Extract and reuse |
| Long function (>30 lines) | Extract logical units |
## When NOT to Refactor
- No tests + time pressure
- Code won't change again
- Right before release (deadline pressure)
- Should rewrite instead (>70% changes needed)
- Exploratory/prototype code
## Core Refactoring Moves
### Extract Function
When a block does one logical thing, give it a name.
```typescript
// Before
function processOrder(order: Order) {
// Validate order
if (!order.items.length) throw new Error('Empty order');
if (!order.customer) throw new Error('No customer');
if (order.total < 0) throw new Error('Invalid total');
// Calculate tax
const taxRate = order.region === 'EU' ? 0.20 : 0.10;
const tax = order.total * taxRate;
// Apply discount
…
The line at the top of this page pins the label git:20260728.80a7ab6, which is what most people want. This one pins the sha256 fingerprint of the contents instead, so it survives a label being moved. Either way the exact version is written to mdr.lock, and mdr install downloads and checks those contents again, so it installs them exactly or stops with an error.
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_aottfqy4hd47x6by
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=fabioc-aloha/alex_skill_mall/refactoring-patterns
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/8762e68c2c0b3e577ce9614b648b31bc150f5abb32ef51951e8fe9fe4b2fa036
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