refactor

To refactor code without changing behavior, you must first establish a behavior contract using tests or a checklist. You then reorganize the structure, reduce duplication, and re-verify against that contract before committing.

The best way to split oversized components is to make the smallest useful structural cut, such as extracting a function or module. You must justify the change by naming the next concrete modification it enables.

You verify a structural restructuring by running the exact same behavioral checks before and after the refactoring. You commit the changes only when the previously established behavior contract still holds.

You need a behavior contract to reorganize code whenever you want to improve naming, reduce duplication, or restructure modules. It acts as a guard to ensure external behavior remains identical throughout the process.

Yes, you can reduce dependencies while reorganizing a messy code structure. The process allows for practical structural cuts and decomposition to simplify relationships while keeping changes small and reviewable.

A limitation of a behavior-preserving refactor is that it requires a pre-existing behavior contract, meaning without tests or a checklist, you cannot safely verify that external behavior remains identical after changes.