# Refactoring Design Document Template

## 📋 Document Information
- **Document Type**: Refactoring Design Doc
- **Created**: [Date]
- **Last Updated**: [Date]
- **Status**: [Draft/Review/Approved/Implemented]
- **Author**: [Your Name]
- **Reviewers**: [Team Members]

## 🎯 Refactoring Objective

### Problem Statement
**What specific issues are we addressing?**
- [ ] Code maintainability concerns
- [ ] Performance bottlenecks
- [ ] Technical debt accumulation
- [ ] Code readability/complexity
- [ ] Architecture inconsistencies
- [ ] Testing gaps
- [ ] Documentation debt

### Goals & Success Criteria
**What will "done" look like?**
- **Primary Goal**: [Clear statement of main objective]
- **Success Metrics**: [How we'll measure success]
- **Quality Gates**: [Must-pass criteria before completion]

## 🔍 Current State Analysis

### Scope Definition
**What are we refactoring?**
- **Files/Directories**: [List specific paths]
- **Components/Modules**: [Identify affected areas]
- **Dependencies**: [External/internal dependencies affected]
- **Lines of Code**: [Estimated scope size]

### Current Issues
**What problems exist today?**
```
Current Issues:
1. [Issue description with examples]
2. [Issue description with examples]
3. [Issue description with examples]
```

### Architecture/Code Patterns
**How is it structured currently?**
```
Current Structure:
src/
├── [current structure]
└── [with problem areas marked]
```

## 🚀 Proposed Solution

### Target Architecture
**How will it be structured after refactoring?**
```
Target Structure:
src/
├── [new structure]
└── [with improvements marked]
```

### Key Changes
**What are the main transformations?**
1. **[Change Category]**: [Description]
   - Before: [Current approach]
   - After: [New approach]
   - Rationale: [Why this change]

2. **[Change Category]**: [Description]
   - Before: [Current approach]
   - After: [New approach]
   - Rationale: [Why this change]

### Breaking Changes
**What will break?**
- [ ] Public API changes
- [ ] Configuration format changes
- [ ] Database schema changes
- [ ] File structure changes
- [ ] Dependency changes

## 📊 Impact Assessment

### Risk Analysis
**What could go wrong?**
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-------------|---------|------------|
| [Risk description] | Low/Med/High | Low/Med/High | [How to prevent/handle] |

### Testing Strategy
**How will we validate the changes?**
- [ ] Unit tests for refactored components
- [ ] Integration tests for affected workflows
- [ ] Performance benchmarks
- [ ] Manual testing checklist
- [ ] Rollback testing

### Performance Considerations
**Will this affect performance?**
- **Expected Impact**: [Positive/Negative/Neutral]
- **Benchmarks**: [Current metrics to preserve/improve]
- **Monitoring**: [How we'll track post-refactoring]

## 🛣️ Implementation Plan

### Phase Breakdown
**How will we execute this safely?**

#### Phase 1: Preparation
- [ ] Create feature branch
- [ ] Set up testing environment
- [ ] Document current behavior
- [ ] Backup critical data/configs

#### Phase 2: Core Refactoring
- [ ] [Specific refactoring task]
- [ ] [Specific refactoring task]
- [ ] [Specific refactoring task]

#### Phase 3: Validation & Cleanup
- [ ] Run complete test suite
- [ ] Performance validation
- [ ] Documentation updates
- [ ] Code review completion

### Dependencies & Prerequisites
**What needs to happen first?**
- [ ] [Prerequisite task]
- [ ] [Prerequisite task]
- [ ] [Prerequisite task]

### Timeline Estimate
- **Preparation**: [X days]
- **Implementation**: [X days]
- **Testing & Validation**: [X days]
- **Total**: [X days]

## 🔧 Technical Constraints

### Size Constraints
**Are there specific size/complexity limits?**
- **Line Length**: Keep under [XXX] characters
- **File Size**: Prefer files under [XXX] lines
- **Function Complexity**: Maximum [XXX] cyclomatic complexity
- **Nesting Depth**: Maximum [XXX] levels

### Code Quality Standards
**What standards must we maintain?**
- [ ] Linting rules compliance
- [ ] Test coverage minimum: [XX]%
- [ ] Documentation coverage
- [ ] Performance benchmarks

### Technology Constraints
**What technology decisions are fixed?**
- **Language Version**: [Specific version requirements]
- **Framework Version**: [Specific version requirements]
- **Dependencies**: [Must-use or must-avoid libraries]

## 📚 References & Context

### Related Documents
- [Link to architecture docs]
- [Link to coding standards]
- [Link to related design docs]

### External Resources
- [Relevant articles/documentation]
- [Best practices references]
- [Tool documentation]

## ✅ Definition of Done

### Completion Checklist
- [ ] All code changes implemented
- [ ] All tests passing (unit + integration)
- [ ] Performance benchmarks met
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] Code review approved
- [ ] Breaking changes documented
- [ ] Migration guide written (if needed)
- [ ] Rollback plan documented

### Quality Verification
- [ ] Linting passes
- [ ] Security scan clean
- [ ] Accessibility validated (if applicable)
- [ ] Cross-browser tested (if applicable)
- [ ] Mobile responsive (if applicable)

## 📝 Notes & Decisions

### Decision Log
**Key decisions made during planning:**
1. **[Decision]**: [Rationale and alternatives considered]
2. **[Decision]**: [Rationale and alternatives considered]

### Open Questions
**What still needs to be resolved?**
- [ ] [Question that needs answering]
- [ ] [Question that needs answering]

### Assumptions
**What are we assuming to be true?**
- [Assumption about system/team/requirements]
- [Assumption about system/team/requirements]

---

## Template Usage Instructions

1. **Copy this template** for each refactoring initiative
2. **Fill in all sections** before starting work
3. **Get team review** of the design before implementation
4. **Update status** as work progresses
5. **Document lessons learned** at completion

**Pro Tips:**
- Be specific about file paths and line counts
- Include code examples for complex changes
- Consider backward compatibility early
- Plan for rollback scenarios
- Keep scope focused and achievable