Systematic Type Migration

Overview

When refactoring components to new type-safe implementations, use this systematic workflow to prevent "works in isolation but broken integration" bugs.

Core principle: Integration test FIRST → file-by-file migration → incremental verification → cleanup

The Problem

Recurring issue during major refactoring:

• Old component definitions remain in the codebase
• Some files spawn entities with old types
• Other files query for new types
• Systems become disconnected (queries find zero entities)
• User functionality breaks despite all systems being "properly registered"

Example: After introducing type-safe MovementState enum, if setup.rs spawns entities with the old MovementState but planning.rs queries for the new MovementState, queries will silently fail.

The Workflow

Phase 1: Preparation

Step 1: Document the change

• Create work directory (e.g., docs/work/YYYY-MM-DD-type-safe-X)
• Document scope and goals

Step 2: Identify all uses

# Find all references to the type being replaced
grep -r "ComponentName" src/
rg "OldType" --type rust

Step 3: Create integration test FIRST

• Write test that exercises full user flow (not just isolated system behavior)
• Test should verify end-to-end functionality
• This test MUST pass before starting AND after completion

Step 4: Run baseline tests

• Run project test command
• Run project check command
• Capture baseline to compare against

Phase 2: Implementation

Step 1: Create new component

• Implement in canonical location (e.g., src/components/movement/states.rs)
• Include all required derives

Step 2: Do NOT delete old component yet

• Keep both during migration
• Enables gradual migration without breaking everything
• Allows atomic commits per file

Phase 3: Migration (Systematic, File-by-File)

For EACH file using the old component:

Step 1: Update imports

// Before
use old_module::OldType;

// After
use new_module::NewType;

Step 2: Update type usage

• Pattern matching if enum variants changed
• Entity spawning to use new type
• Queries to use new type

Step 3: Test after each file

cargo check  # Or language-specific quick check

• Catch type errors immediately
• Don't accumulate errors across files

Step 4: Commit atomically

git add path/to/file.rs
git commit -m "refactor: migrate FileX to new ComponentName"

• One commit per file or logical group
• Enables easy rollback if needed

Common file locations to check:

• Entity spawning files (e.g., setup.rs, spawners.rs)
• System logic files (business logic using the component)
• UI display files (rendering component state)
• Component definition files
• Integration test files

Phase 4: Cleanup

Step 1: Delete old component definition

• Remove from original module
• Only after ALL references migrated

Step 2: Remove obsolete imports

# Find unused imports
cargo clippy -- -W unused_imports

Step 3: Remove obsolete helper code

• Builder functions
• Conversion utilities
• Deprecated APIs

Step 4: Update exports

• Remove old type from mod.rs public API
• Ensure new type properly exported

Phase 5: Verification

Step 1: Compile clean

cargo check --all-targets
# Or language-specific equivalent

Step 2: Run all tests

Run project test command

• All unit tests must pass
• All integration tests must pass

Step 3: Verify integration test passes

• The test created in Phase 1 MUST pass
• This verifies end-to-end functionality

Step 4: Run checks

Run project check command

• Linting, formatting, type checking

Step 5: Manual testing

• Test actual user flows
• Verify UI updates correctly
• Check edge cases

Phase 6: Documentation

Step 1: Update pattern docs

• If new pattern emerged, document it

Step 2: Document in retrospective

• Capture lessons learned in work directory
• Note any pitfalls encountered

Step 3: Update project docs

• If pattern is important, reference from CLAUDE.md or README

Key Principles

Principle	Rationale
Integration test FIRST	Prevents "works in parts, broken as whole"
Keep both during migration	Enables atomic commits per file
File-by-file, not all-at-once	Easier debugging, clear progress
Incremental verification	Catch errors immediately (5 min) vs batch (30+ min)
Atomic commits	Easy rollback if specific change breaks something

Prevention: Integration Tests

The best prevention is integration tests that verify the full user flow, not just isolated system behavior.

What Makes a Good Integration Test

Good integration test:

#[test]
fn test_user_can_move_vehicle() {
    // Setup: Spawn entities with realistic component combinations
    let world = setup_test_world();
    let vehicle = spawn_vehicle_with_all_components(&mut world);

    // Act: Trigger user action (click → select → move)
    click_vehicle(&mut world, vehicle);
    issue_move_order(&mut world, target_position);

    // Assert: Verify end result, not internal state
    run_systems_until_complete(&mut world);
    assert!(vehicle_arrived_at_target(&world, vehicle));
}

Bad integration test:

#[test]
fn test_planning_system_queries() {
    // Only tests one system in isolation
    // Doesn't verify components are actually compatible
}

Integration test should:

• Spawn entities with ALL required components (like real usage)
• Exercise multiple systems together (full pipeline)
• Verify user-visible outcome, not internal state
• Use realistic component combinations

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Skipping Integration Test

Problem: Discover breakage during manual testing (too late) Solution: Write integration test FIRST, watch it pass LAST

Mistake 2: Big-Bang Migration

Problem: Migrate all files at once, giant debug session when it fails Solution: File-by-file with cargo check after each

Mistake 3: Deleting Old Type Too Early

Problem: Can't compile during migration, hard to debug Solution: Keep both until migration complete

Mistake 4: Batching Commits

Problem: Hard to identify which change broke tests Solution: Atomic commits per file

Mistake 5: Testing Only Units

Problem: Units pass, integration broken (components incompatible) Solution: Integration test MUST exercise full user flow

Example Workflow

# Phase 1: Preparation
mkdir -p docs/work/2025-10-23-type-safe-movement-state
grep -r "MovementState" src/ > docs/work/2025-10-23-type-safe-movement-state/references.txt
# Write integration test: tests/movement_integration.rs
# Run project test command to establish baseline

# Phase 2: Implementation
# Create src/components/movement/states.rs with new MovementState
# Keep old src/space/components.rs::MovementState

# Phase 3: Migration (file-by-file)
# File 1: src/space/systems/setup.rs
nvim src/space/systems/setup.rs  # Update import, spawning
cargo check  # Verify
git add src/space/systems/setup.rs
git commit -m "refactor: migrate setup.rs to new MovementState"

# File 2: src/space/systems/planning.rs
nvim src/space/systems/planning.rs  # Update import, queries
cargo check  # Verify
git add src/space/systems/planning.rs
git commit -m "refactor: migrate planning.rs to new MovementState"

# ... repeat for each file ...

# Phase 4: Cleanup
# Delete old MovementState from src/space/components.rs
git add src/space/components.rs
git commit -m "refactor: remove old MovementState definition"

# Phase 5: Verification
cargo check --all-targets
# Run project test command - integration test MUST pass
# Run project check command
# Manual testing

# Phase 6: Documentation
# Write docs/work/2025-10-23-type-safe-movement-state/summary.md

Related Practices

Before using this skill:

• Read: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}principles/development.md - Code structure principles
• Read: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}principles/testing.md - Testing principles

After migration:

• Use: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}skills/requesting-code-review/SKILL.md - Request code review

Testing This Skill

See test-scenarios.md for pressure tests validating this workflow prevents integration breakage.