nw-mikado-method

Safe refactoring across multiple classes requires mapping dependencies and executing changes bottom-up. This approach uses tree-based prerequisite graphs and deterministic rollback to maintain a shippable state throughout the architectural transformation.

The Mikado method is a structured exploration protocol for complex refactoring. It works by attempting a naive implementation, discovering dependencies, logging them into a prerequisite graph, and then reverting to a clean baseline before executing changes bottom-up.

To map dependencies for large-scale architectural changes, you attempt a naive implementation of your goal, log the resulting dependencies, and construct a tree-based prerequisite graph to guide safe, bottom-up execution.

Bottom-up execution is ideal for codebase refactoring when changes span multiple modules and risk is high. It minimizes breakage by resolving prerequisite dependencies first, preserving working software at every step with deterministic rollback.

No specific testing framework is required, but a clean baseline state is essential. You must be able to revert naive implementation attempts and track explicit commits to preserve history and ensure deterministic rollback during dependency discovery.

The best way to decouple cross-cutting concerns while maintaining a shippable state is using structured dependency discovery and tree-based task management. This ensures incremental, explicit commits that keep the codebase working throughout the migration.