Agent skill
refactoring/smells
Code Smells refactoring skill
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npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/development/refactoringsmells
SKILL.md
Code Smells
Checklist of code smells to identify during refactoring. Both generic C issues and ikigai-specific violations.
Generic C Code Smells
Function-Level
| Smell | Signal | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Long function | >50 lines | Extract functions by responsibility |
| Deep nesting | >3 levels | Extract inner logic, use early returns |
| Long parameter list | >4 params | Introduce parameter object (struct) |
| Magic numbers | Literal values in logic | Define named constants |
| Duplicate code | Copy-pasted blocks | Extract shared function |
| Comments explaining what | // increment counter |
Rename to be self-documenting |
| Dead code | Unreachable branches | Delete it |
| Complex conditionals | if (a && b || c && !d) |
Extract to named boolean or function |
Structural
| Smell | Signal | Action |
|---|---|---|
| God struct | Struct with 10+ fields | Split by responsibility |
| Feature envy | Function uses another module's data extensively | Move function to that module |
| Primitive obsession | Passing raw char*, int everywhere |
Introduce domain types |
| Shotgun surgery | One change requires editing many files | Consolidate related code |
| Divergent change | One file changes for unrelated reasons | Split by responsibility |
ikigai-Specific Violations
Naming
| Violation | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Missing ik_ prefix |
config_load() |
ik_cfg_load() |
| Wrong abbreviation | ik_configuration_load() |
ik_cfg_load() (use approved abbrev) |
| Inconsistent module prefix | ik_config_load() vs ik_cfg_parse() |
Pick one, use consistently |
Missing _ptr suffix |
bool *visible; (raw pointer) |
bool *visible_ptr; |
Missing g_ prefix |
volatile sig_atomic_t shutdown; |
g_shutdown |
Error Handling
| Violation | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Unchecked res_t | ik_cfg_load(...); use(cfg); |
TRY(ik_cfg_load(...)) or check is_err() |
| Wrong mechanism | if (!ptr) return ERR(...) for OOM |
OOM → PANIC(), not res_t |
| assert for runtime | assert(file_exists(path)) |
External input → res_t, not assert |
| Missing LCOV marker | if (!ptr) PANIC("OOM"); |
Add // LCOV_EXCL_BR_LINE |
| Error on wrong context | ERR(tmp, ...) before talloc_free(tmp) |
Use parent context for errors |
Memory (talloc)
| Violation | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| malloc instead of talloc | char *buf = malloc(size); |
talloc_array(ctx, char, size) |
| Missing parent | talloc_new(NULL) in non-main |
Pass parent context from caller |
| Orphaned allocation | talloc(ctx, ...) never freed/stolen |
Attach to proper parent or free |
| Hidden allocation | Function mallocs internally | Accept TALLOC_CTX* parameter |
Dependency Injection
| Violation | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Global state | static config_t *g_config; |
Pass config as parameter |
| Hidden I/O | load_from_disk() inside init |
Load externally, pass data in |
| Service locator | get_service("db") |
Pass db_t* parameter |
| Constructor does work | init() opens files, connects |
Accept opened resources as params |
Style
| Violation | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Block comment | /* comment */ |
// comment |
| Primitive type | int count; |
int32_t count; |
| Wrong include order | System before project headers | Project headers first |
| static helper function | static void helper() {...} |
Inline at call site |
Investigation Workflow
- Scan for patterns - Use grep/search for smell signals
- Triage by impact - Fix high-frequency smells first
- Verify with tests - Ensure refactoring doesn't break behavior
- One smell at a time - Don't mix refactoring types in one commit
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