gitnexus-refactoring
Use when the user wants to rename, extract, split, move, or restructure code safely. Examples: "Rename this function", "Extract this into a module", "Refactor this class", "Move this to a separate file"
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The canonical home for this skill is gitnexus-refactoring in abhigyanpatwari/GitNexus
Refactoring with GitNexus
When to Use
- "Rename this function safely"
- "Extract this into a module"
- "Split this service"
- "Move this to a new file"
- Any task involving renaming, extracting, splitting, or restructuring code
Bind the repository first
Refactoring writes to disk. rename with dry_run: false edits files in
whichever repository was resolved, so binding identity here is a safety gate,
not bookkeeping.
Call list_repos {} before the first tool call. With one indexed repository,
use the examples below as written. With more than one, pass repo on every
call: an omitted repo normally errors, but under an MCP policy with a
configured default it resolves to that default silently. If you cannot tell
which repository is meant, stop and ask. Never run rename with
dry_run: false until the preview in the same bound repository has been
reviewed — its returned file_path values show which checkout is about to be
written, so read them as a confirmation of identity.
list_repos is paginated, so page with offset: pagination.nextOffset until
hasMore is false before concluding a repository is absent.
detect_changes takes worktree when you are editing a linked worktree the
MCP server was not launched from; otherwise git diff runs in the wrong
checkout and reports nothing changed, which reads as a verified refactor.
Workflow
0. list_repos {} → Bind repo (and worktree)
1. impact({target: "X", direction: "upstream"}) → Map all dependents
2. query({search_query: "X"}) → Find execution flows involving X
3. context({name: "X"}) → See all incoming/outgoing refs
4. Plan update order: interfaces → implementations → callers → testsIf "Index is stale" → run
node .gitnexus/run.cjs analyzein terminal.
Checklists
Rename Symbol
- [ ] list_repos {} — bind repo; explicit repo when >1 indexed, ask if ambiguous
- [ ] rename({symbol_name: "oldName", new_name: "newName", dry_run: true}) — preview all edits
- [ ] Confirm the previewed file paths are in the bound repository/worktree
- [ ] Review graph edits (high confidence) and text_search edits (review carefully)
- [ ] If satisfied: rename({..., dry_run: false}) — apply edits
- [ ] detect_changes() — verify only expected files changed
- [ ] Run tests for affected processesExtract Module
- [ ] list_repos {} — bind repo; explicit repo when >1 indexed, ask if ambiguous
- [ ] context({name: target}) — see all incoming/outgoing refs
- [ ] impact({target, direction: "upstream"}) — find all external callers
- [ ] Define new module interface
- [ ] Extract code, update imports
- [ ] detect_changes() — verify affected scope
- [ ] Run tests for affected processesSplit Function/Service
- [ ] list_repos {} — bind repo; explicit repo when >1 indexed, ask if ambiguous
- [ ] context({name: target}) — understand all callees
- [ ] Group callees by responsibility
- [ ] impact({target, direction: "upstream"}) — map callers to update
- [ ] Create new functions/services
- [ ] Update callers
- [ ] detect_changes() — verify affected scope
- [ ] Run tests for affected processesTools
rename — automated multi-file rename:
rename({symbol_name: "validateUser", new_name: "authenticateUser", repo: "my-app", dry_run: true})
→ 12 edits across 8 files
→ 10 graph edits (high confidence), 2 text_search edits (review)
→ Changes: [{file_path, edits: [{line, old_text, new_text, confidence}]}]impact — map all dependents first:
impact({target: "validateUser", repo: "my-app", direction: "upstream"})
→ d=1: loginHandler, apiMiddleware, testUtils
→ Affected Processes: LoginFlow, TokenRefreshdetect_changes — verify your changes after refactoring:
detect_changes({scope: "all"})
→ Changed: 8 files, 12 symbols
→ Affected processes: LoginFlow, TokenRefresh
→ Risk: MEDIUMpartial: true (a graph query failed) or truncated: true (the changed-symbol
listing was capped) means the result is short of the truth: a short or empty
list is not proof that only the expected files changed. Re-run it rather than
treat the refactor as verified.
A wrong-worktree zero carries neither flag and is indistinguishable from a clean verification, so confirm the diffed checkout is the one you edited.
cypher — custom reference queries:
MATCH (caller)-[:CodeRelation {type: 'CALLS'}]->(f:Function {name: "validateUser"})
RETURN caller.name, caller.filePath ORDER BY caller.filePathRisk Rules
| Risk Factor | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Many callers (>5) | Use rename for automated updates |
| Cross-area refs | Use detect_changes after to verify scope |
| String/dynamic refs | query to find them |
| External/public API | Version and deprecate properly |
| Same name in another indexed repo | Bind repo; verify previewed paths before applying |
Example: Rename validateUser to authenticateUser
0. list_repos {}
→ total: 2 (my-app, billing-api) — both define validateUser, so bind explicitly
1. rename({symbol_name: "validateUser", new_name: "authenticateUser", repo: "my-app", dry_run: true})
→ 12 edits: 10 graph (safe), 2 text_search (review)
→ Files: validator.ts, login.ts, middleware.ts, config.json...
2. Review text_search edits (config.json: dynamic reference!)
3. rename({symbol_name: "validateUser", new_name: "authenticateUser", repo: "my-app", dry_run: false})
→ Applied 12 edits across 8 files
4. detect_changes({scope: "all", repo: "my-app"})
→ Affected: LoginFlow, TokenRefresh
→ Risk: MEDIUM — run tests for these flows
Repository: my-app (/abs/path/my-app) Worktree: same Index: currentWith a single indexed repository, step 0 returns total: 1 and the repo
argument drops out of every call above.
- Repository
- abhigyanpatwari/GitNexus
- Commit
4e51213
- Last updated
- First committed
Canonical home
since Jul 24, 2026
Also appears in
on Aug 28, 2026
on Aug 28, 2026
on Aug 28, 2026
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