Talk to direct collaborators, not strangers reached through them.
Workflow
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Find call chains such as
a.getB().getC().doX()and code that navigates object structure. -
Identify the decision or behavior being performed by the caller.
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Move that behavior to the object that owns the needed knowledge.
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Replace navigation with intention-revealing methods.
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Keep DTO, builder, and fluent API exceptions explicit; not every chain is a domain coupling problem.
Checks
- Train wrecks expose structure and make callers fragile.
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Repeated navigation paths usually indicate a missing method.
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Getters used only to make a decision are Tell Don't Ask candidates.
Reference
Read references/patterns.md for refactoring patterns and exceptions.
Detailed Reference
For non-trivial implementation, review, or refactoring work, read references/details.md before giving final guidance. It contains the detailed rules, examples, smells, and migration notes that do not belong in the short invocation body.
Output
Return the chain, the hidden behavior, the target owner, and replacement code.