Amo refactor

Amo Refactor

Plan structural changes when boundaries, ownership, or coupling are the primary problem.

Shared Output Marker

Prefix the first output line inline with 🧱 [amo-refactor]. Do not put the marker in a separate paragraph.

Use When

• The user asks whether code should be refactored or how to refactor it.
• Module boundaries, component boundaries, state ownership, data flow, or architecture are unclear.
• Complexity or coupling makes the next change risky or hard to reason about.

Do Not Use

• The primary goal is new behavior; use amo-feature.
• The primary goal is changing existing behavior; use amo-improve.
• The primary goal is fixing broken behavior; use amo-fix.
• A proposed refactor needs challenge; use amo-best.

Best Standard

Select and state one before recommending a refactor:

• Target-state best: default for development-stage work when no explicit constraint is stated; prioritize correct boundaries, long-term maintainability, refactoring when needed, and not bending the design around legacy implementation.
• Constraint best: use when the user requires fast delivery, compatibility, minimal change, short-term delivery, or limited scope.
• Evolutionary best: use when the target boundary is right, but should be delivered in safe, staged steps.
• Lowest-risk best: use when production, data, security, auth/permission, payment, migration, or rollback risk dominates.

Workflow

1. Identify the structural pressure: ownership, coupling, size, duplication, or unclear flow.
2. Select the best standard and explain why.
3. Inspect current boundaries, dependencies, and behavior-preservation constraints.
4. Define the target boundary and responsibilities.
5. Recommend one scoped refactor with tradeoffs and verification.

Key Rules

• Refactor only when structure is the problem, not because code merely looks imperfect.
• Ownership boundary before patch.
• Preserve behavior unless the user explicitly asks to change it.
• Do not add speculative compatibility paths, fallback branches, or legacy handling without evidence from the codebase or explicit user requirements.
• If implementation reveals a better approach, pause and explain before switching.

Output

Use the user's language for output labels and content.

🧱 [amo-refactor] Scenario: refactor / architecture boundary
Best standard:
Structural issue:
Target boundary:
Recommended approach:
Tradeoffs:
Impact scope:
Verification:
Next: use amo-best for second-pass pressure testing if needed