C · ProductionAdvanced40 min read
10. Refactoring & codebase navigation with agents
AI Coding with Cursor · 44 pages source format
Agents excel at mechanical refactors (rename, extract, migrate). Guide them with search results and explicit file lists.
What you'll learn
- Guided refactors
- Codemods vs agents
- Large-scale changes
Scoped refactor brief
"Rename UserService to AccountService in src/services/ only. Update imports. Run tests."
Do this now
Execute a rename refactor with agent. Verify with grep that no old name remains.
Clear?
When NOT to use agents
Architecture decisions, security-critical changes, and performance optimization need human judgment first.
Do this now
List 3 tasks you would NOT delegate to an agent. Explain why.
Clear?