optimize_codebase

Optimize Code Base

Use this skill to clean up technical debt by checking for massive source files and logically breaking them down.

Inputs

• Scope: The directory to scan.
• Threshold: Line count limit (Default: 2000).

Tooling Strategy

• Use list_dir to see file sizes.
• Use view_file_outline to understand structure before splitting.
• Use write_to_file to create new modular files.

Workflow

1. Analysis (The "Weigh-in")

• Scan: Identify files in the relevant scope (HTML, Python, JS, etc.) that exceed 2,000 lines.
• Assess: correct functionality is paramount. Does this file need to be this big (e.g., a generated asset), or is it just technical debt?
• Comprehensive Tech Debt Scan:
  • Code Debt: Identify duplicated code (copy-paste), high cyclomatic complexity (>10), deeply nested conditionals (>3 levels), and long methods (>50 lines).
  • Architecture Debt: Look for missing abstractions, circular dependencies, and feature envy.
  • Testing Debt: Check for untested critical paths or brittle, environment-dependent tests.
  • Impact Assessment: Quantify the cost (e.g., "Developer velocity is impacted by changing this logic in 5 places").

2. The Refactoring Plan

Before touching any code, propose a strategy:

• Target Folder: Create a new directory named after the monolithic file (e.g., app.js -> app/).
• Modules: Identify distinct logical blocks (classes, helper functions, distinct UI sections) that can be extracted.
• Dependencies: Map out how these new modules will import/export to each other to avoid circular dependencies.

3. Execution (The "Split")

• Create Modules: Move code into smaller, purpose-built files.
• Entry Point: Create an index file (or keep the original filename as a shell) that imports and aggregates the new modules, preserving the original external API.
• Constraint: Do not change the logic. This is a refactor, not a rewrite.

4. Verification

• Integrity: Ensure all imports are resolved.
• Functionality: Run existing tests or walk through the critical path to ensure nothing broke.
• Performance: verify that splitting the file didn't introduce significant load overhead (e.g., excessive network requests in a web context without bundling).