hatch3r-refactor

Refactoring code without changing behavior requires defining behavioral invariants, planning implementation steps, preserving error handling, and running mandatory test verification to ensure externally observable outcomes remain identical across affected modules.

You need behavior-preserving refactoring during module restructuring or dependency-free cleanup when internal code quality must improve while guaranteeing public APIs and error propagation paths remain unchanged across multiple files.

Ensure tests pass after restructuring by running existing tests, adding targeted regression tests for at-risk behavior, and verifying that error handling and propagation paths are preserved during the code implementation phase.

Yes, automated agent orchestration supports refactoring by delegating required researcher and reviewer agent roles to gather strategy and validate behavioral preservation throughout the code review and implementation workflow.

The best way to handle ambiguity when refactoring across multiple files is to detect it up front and use required user questioning to clarify scope, preventing silent scope creep and accidental behavioral changes.

Dependency-free cleanup limitations include restrictions against introducing new dependencies, requirements to preserve error handling, and mandatory regression tests for at-risk behavior to prevent accidental changes to external APIs.