---
name: Trace Mcp Refactoring
slug: trace-mcp-refactoring
category: Quality
description: Trace Mcp Refactoring guides safe code refactors in projects indexed by trace-mcp. Use it to assess risk, inspect impact, extract functions, and rename symbols across files without missing references.
github: "https://github.com/nikolai-vysotskyi/trace-mcp/tree/master/skills/trace-mcp-refactoring"
language: TypeScript
stars: 170
forks: 20
install: "npx degit https://github.com/nikolai-vysotskyi/trace-mcp/tree/master/skills/trace-mcp-refactoring ~/.claude/skills/trace-mcp-refactoring"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/trace-mcp-refactoring
source_path: skills/trace-mcp-refactoring/SKILL.md
collection_size: 4
category_size: 1897
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/nikolai-vysotskyi/trace-mcp"
added: 2026-09-08T05:33:33.434Z
last_synced: 2026-09-08T05:33:33.434Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/trace-mcp-refactoring"
---

# Trace Mcp Refactoring

Trace Mcp Refactoring guides safe code refactors in projects indexed by trace-mcp. Use it to assess risk, inspect impact, extract functions, and rename symbols across files without missing references.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/nikolai-vysotskyi/trace-mcp/tree/master/skills/trace-mcp-refactoring ~/.claude/skills/trace-mcp-refactoring
```

## README

# trace-mcp — Refactoring Workflow

Use this skill whenever you are about to rename, restructure, extract, or otherwise refactor code in a project indexed by trace-mcp. The goal is to never break cross-file references and never guess at what is affected.

## When to Use

- Renaming a class, function, method, variable, or file
- Extracting a function or method
- Restructuring a module or splitting a file
- Changing a function signature
- Any change that touches more than one call site

## Refactoring Workflow

### 1. Assess before touching anything

```
assess_change_risk({ file_path: "src/foo.ts" })
# or
assess_change_risk({ symbol_id: "<id>" })
```

This returns the risk level of the target change based on churn, complexity, fan-in/fan-out, and test coverage. Use it to decide whether to proceed, add tests first, or split the change.

### 2. Find what actually needs refactoring

```
get_refactor_candidates()
```

Do not guess. This surfaces high-complexity, high-churn, and anti-pattern-laden symbols that are the real refactor targets.

### 3. Know what will break

```
get_change_impact({ symbol_id: "<id>" })
```

Returns the reverse-dependency graph: every file, symbol, and test that depends on the target. Review this list before editing.

### 4. Quantify complexity

```
get_complexity_report({ file_path: "src/foo.ts" })
```

Gives you a baseline so you can verify the refactor actually reduced complexity.

## Renaming a Symbol — MANDATORY Flow

**Never** rename with `Edit` and `replace_all`. It silently misses import sites, re-exports, type references, and cross-file usages.

```
# 1. Collision detection first
check_rename({ symbol_id: "<id>", target_name: "newName" })

# 2. Apply rename across ALL files (definition + every reference)
apply_rename({ symbol_id: "<id>", new_name: "newName" })
```

`apply_rename` updates the definition, imports, re-exports, call sites, JSX usages, and tests in one atomic operation.

## Extracting a Function

```
extract_function({
  file_path: "src/foo.ts",
  start_line: 42,
  end_line: 67,
  new_name: "computeTotals"
})
```

Let trace-mcp handle the variable capture analysis — manual extraction routinely misses closure variables.

## After the Refactor

1. `register_edit` on each edited file to reindex
2. `get_complexity_report` again to confirm the reduction
3. `get_tests_for` the changed symbols — run them
4. `check_quality_gates` with `scope: "changed"` to verify no regressions