Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M0894

Refactoring

Refactoring
CultureHigh supportPhilosophy
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Improving the internal structure of code without changing its external behavior. That is, 'polishing the window'—although the scenery (functionality) remains the same, the view (maintainability) is better.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Maintenance philosophy: Workflows, knowledge bases, or interpersonal relationships require regular refactoring. Don't wait until things collapse to fix them; instead, clean up 'dead code' (outdated habits) in daily work to keep the system clean and extensible.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Refactoring is the process of adjusting the internal structure to improve readability, extensibility, and reduce coupling without changing the external behavior of the software. It is continuous improvement rather than rewriting.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_refactoringZH · Explicit
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