Improve App
wondelai/skills
Guided journey from a shipped app that works but feels rough to a product that fits the job, flows without friction, reads clearly, and persuades honestly.
Identify design quality issues in code including high coupling, low cohesion, God classes, long methods, and other code smells.
$ npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE design-smell-detector --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/design-smell-detector .claude/skills/design-smell-detector && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "design-smell-detector" agent skill from https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE/tree/main/skills/design-smell-detector into .claude/skills/design-smell-detector/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "design-smell-detector", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE/tree/main/skills/design-smell-detectorType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE design-smell-detector --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/design-smell-detector .agents/skills/design-smell-detector && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "design-smell-detector" agent skill from https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE/tree/main/skills/design-smell-detector into .agents/skills/design-smell-detector/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "design-smell-detector", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE design-smell-detector --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/design-smell-detector .cursor/skills/design-smell-detector && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "design-smell-detector" agent skill from https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE/tree/main/skills/design-smell-detector into .cursor/skills/design-smell-detector/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "design-smell-detector", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.git --path skills/design-smell-detector--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE design-smell-detector --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/design-smell-detector .gemini/skills/design-smell-detector && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "design-smell-detector" agent skill from https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE/tree/main/skills/design-smell-detector into .gemini/skills/design-smell-detector/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "design-smell-detector", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE design-smell-detectorInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/design-smell-detector .github/skills/design-smell-detector && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "design-smell-detector" agent skill from https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE/tree/main/skills/design-smell-detector into .github/skills/design-smell-detector/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "design-smell-detector", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE design-smell-detector --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/design-smell-detector .opencode/skills/design-smell-detector && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "design-smell-detector" agent skill from https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE/tree/main/skills/design-smell-detector into .opencode/skills/design-smell-detector/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "design-smell-detector", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
design-smell-detectorIdentify design quality issues in code including high coupling, low cohesion, God classes, long methods, and other code smells.
Design Smell Detector is an agent skill from ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE. Identify design quality issues in code including high coupling, low cohesion, God classes, long methods, and other code smells. Use when: (1) Reviewing code architecture and design quality, (2) Identifying refactoring opportunities, (3) Detecting God classes or classes with too many responsibilities, (4) Finding high coupling or low cohesion issues, (5) Analyzing code maintainability and technical debt. Detects coupling smells, cohesion problems, complexity issues, size violations, and encapsulation problems with…
Its SKILL.md is about 3.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 5 other files, including scripts and reference files (for example `references/refactoring_strategies.md`, `references/smell_catalog.md` and `scripts/detect_smells.py`).
It sits in Development, covering Refactoring, Design review and critique and Technical debt. The repository describes itself as: A curated list of 180+ useful Claude Skills for Software Engineering and resources for customizing AI for SE workflows. The licence is Apache-2.0.
10 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 4f38503. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Ships 1 file in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
pythonmakeFrom the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Design Smell Detector loads about 3.2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~8.7k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 144 tokens; SKILL.md has 846 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.
The full file from ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE at commit 4f38503, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© ArabelaTso). 846 words, ~3,221 tokens.
.claude/skills/design-smell-detector/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 3 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.Identify and address design quality issues in code through automated smell detection and refactoring guidance.
# Analyze a single file
python scripts/detect_smells.py src/app.py
# Analyze entire directory
python scripts/detect_smells.py src/
# Output as JSON
python scripts/detect_smells.py src/ --format jsonFound 5 design smell(s): 1 critical, 3 major, 1 minor
CRITICAL ISSUES:
🔴 src/services.py:45 - God Class
Class 'UserManager' has 25 methods (threshold: 20)
💡 Split into multiple smaller, focused classes
MAJOR ISSUES:
🟠 src/models.py:120 - Low Cohesion
Class 'Order' has low cohesion (score: 0.25)
💡 Group related methods/attributes or split class
🟠 src/utils.py:89 - Long Method
Method 'process_order' has 67 lines (threshold: 50)
💡 Extract smaller methods or refactorHigh Coupling: Too many dependencies
Feature Envy: Method uses other class more than own
Inappropriate Intimacy: Classes too tightly coupled
Low Cohesion: Class members unrelated
God Class: Class knows/does too much
High Cyclomatic Complexity: Too many decision points
Long Method: Method too long
Long Parameter List: Too many parameters
Large Module: Module too large
Data Class: Only data, no behavior
Exposed Internal State: Implementation details exposed
Analyze codebase for design smells:
python scripts/detect_smells.py src/Examine detected smells by severity:
Focus on:
Use refactoring strategies based on smell type.
See refactoring_strategies.md for detailed solutions.
Re-run detection to measure progress:
python scripts/detect_smells.py src/Compare metrics before/after.
Symptoms:
Example:
# ❌ God Class
class Application:
# 30+ methods handling:
# - User management
# - Order processing
# - Payment handling
# - Reporting
# - Email notifications
# - File operations
passRefactoring:
# ✅ Split by responsibility
class UserManager:
pass
class OrderProcessor:
pass
class PaymentHandler:
pass
class ReportGenerator:
passSymptoms:
Example:
# ❌ High coupling
class UserService:
def __init__(self):
self.db = Database()
self.cache = Cache()
self.logger = Logger()
self.validator = Validator()
self.email = EmailService()
self.sms = SMSService()
# ... many moreRefactoring:
# ✅ Dependency injection
class UserService:
def __init__(self, db, logger, notifier):
self.db = db
self.logger = logger
self.notifier = notifier # AbstractionSymptoms:
Example:
# ❌ Low cohesion
class UserManager:
def create_user(self):
pass
def send_email(self):
pass
def log_activity(self):
pass
def calculate_discount(self):
passRefactoring:
# ✅ High cohesion - focused classes
class UserRepository:
def create_user(self):
pass
class EmailService:
def send_email(self):
pass
class ActivityLogger:
def log_activity(self):
passSymptoms:
Example:
# ❌ Long method (100+ lines)
def process_order(order):
# Validate (20 lines)
# Calculate price (15 lines)
# Save to DB (10 lines)
# Send email (20 lines)
# Update stats (10 lines)
# Log activity (15 lines)
passRefactoring:
# ✅ Extract methods
def process_order(order):
validate_order(order)
total = calculate_total(order)
save_order(order, total)
send_confirmation(order)
update_statistics()
log_activity(order)Dependency Injection:
# Inject dependencies instead of creating them
class OrderService:
def __init__(self, db, logger):
self.db = db
self.logger = loggerInterface Abstraction:
# Depend on abstractions, not implementations
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
class PaymentGateway(ABC):
@abstractmethod
def charge(self, amount):
pass
class PaymentProcessor:
def __init__(self, gateway: PaymentGateway):
self.gateway = gatewayExtract Class:
# Split into focused classes
class User:
# User data and behavior
class UserRepository:
# Database operations
class EmailService:
# Email operationsMove Method:
# Move method to appropriate class
class Account:
def get_formatted_balance(self): # Moved from reporter
return f"${self.balance:.2f}"Extract Method:
# Break complex method into smaller ones
def process_order(order):
validate_order(order)
calculate_total(order)
save_order(order)Replace Conditional with Polymorphism:
# Use inheritance instead of conditionals
class Customer:
def calculate_price(self, base_price):
return base_price
class PremiumCustomer(Customer):
def calculate_price(self, base_price):
return base_price * 0.9For comprehensive refactoring strategies, see refactoring_strategies.md.
| Smell | Metric | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| God Class | Methods | > 20 |
| God Class | Attributes | > 15 |
| God Class | LOC | > 500 |
| High Coupling | Imports | > 20 |
| Low Cohesion | LCOM | > 0.7 |
| Long Method | LOC | > 50 |
| High Complexity | Cyclomatic | > 10 |
| Long Parameter List | Parameters | > 5 |
LCOM (Lack of Cohesion of Methods):
Cyclomatic Complexity:
Fan-out (Coupling):
For complete descriptions, examples, and solutions for all design smells, see smell_catalog.md.
Includes:
Integrate into workflow:
# Pre-commit hook
python scripts/detect_smells.py src/
# CI/CD pipeline
make check-design-smellsMonitor trends:
Sprint 1: 15 God classes, 45 long methods
Sprint 2: 12 God classes, 38 long methods
Sprint 3: 8 God classes, 25 long methodsFocus on:
Before/after metrics:
Before: LCOM = 0.85 (low cohesion)
After: LCOM = 0.25 (high cohesion)Goal: Identify technical debt in legacy system
Approach:
Goal: Automated design quality checks in PR reviews
Approach:
Goal: Evaluate system architecture quality
Approach:
#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-commit
python scripts/detect_smells.py src/
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "Critical design smells detected. Commit aborted."
exit 1
fi# .github/workflows/quality.yml
name: Design Quality Check
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
check-smells:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- name: Detect design smells
run: python scripts/detect_smells.py src/
- name: Upload report
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
with:
name: smell-report
path: smell-report.jsonMost IDEs support similar analysis through plugins:
Problem: Legitimate design flagged as smell
Solution:
Problem: Too many smells to address
Solution:
Problem: Tests fail after refactoring
Solution:
See smell_catalog.md for:
See refactoring_strategies.md for:
© ArabelaTso, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
SKILL.md and 3 other files (scripts, references) in skills/design-smell-detector of ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 4f38503
Design Smell Detector next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design Smell Detector this skillArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE | 253 | — | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Improve Appwondelai/skills | 2.4k | — | ~6.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Systematic Code Refactoringluongnv89/claude-howto | 42k | — | ~3k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Code Simplification for ego-litecitrolabs/ego-lite | 17k | — | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Code Refactoring Workflowluongnv89/claude-howto | 42k | — | ~3.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| FIXME Resolvertailcallhq/forgecode | 7.6k | — | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 |
wondelai/skills
Guided journey from a shipped app that works but feels rough to a product that fits the job, flows without friction, reads clearly, and persuades honestly.
luongnv89/claude-howto
Guides refactoring in phases based on Martin Fowler's method: research, test coverage check, planning and small tested steps, with your approval at each phase.
citrolabs/ego-lite
Finds and implements evidence-backed simplifications in the ego-lite repository, such as dead code, duplicated state and speculative abstractions, without hiding behavior changes.
luongnv89/claude-howto
Guides systematic, test-backed refactoring in the style of Martin Fowler, moving through research, planning and small incremental changes with your approval at each phase.
tailcallhq/forgecode
Finds every FIXME comment in a codebase, groups related ones across files into one task, implements the work they describe and removes the comments once it is done.
Git-on-my-level/codex-autorunner
Codebase health scanner and technical debt tracker. An agent skill from Git-on-my-level/codex-autorunner.
ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE
Generate prioritized CVE watchlists and actionable security recommendations for repositories.
ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE
Automatically migrate Python web applications between frameworks (Flask → FastAPI, Django → FastAPI).
ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE
Generate test cases using metamorphic testing by applying transformations based on metamorphic properties.
ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE
Instruments programs to capture execution traces specifically for reproducing reported bugs, enabling consistent replay and diagnosis of failures.
ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE
Automatically migrate Spring MVC applications to Spring Boot.
ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE
Instrument programs (Python, C/C++, Java) to capture snapshots of key program states at runtime, including variables, memory, and call stacks.
Categories
Identify design quality issues in code including high coupling, low cohesion, God classes, long methods, and other code smells. Design Smell Detector is an agent skill from ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE. Identify design quality issues in code including high coupling, low cohesion, God classes, long methods, and other code smells.
Design Smell Detector fits situations like: reviewing code architecture and design quality; identifying refactoring opportunities; detecting God classes; classes with too many responsibilities.
Run `npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/design-smell-detector in ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE) into .claude/skills/design-smell-detector in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
Run `npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/design-smell-detector in ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE) into .agents/skills/design-smell-detector in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill design-smell-detector -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/design-smell-detector, .gemini/skills/design-smell-detector, .github/skills/design-smell-detector and .opencode/skills/design-smell-detector in your project.
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Design Smell Detector needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (python and make). Our summary lists: Python 3.
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.
Design Smell Detector is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
About 3.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 13k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 5.5k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Design Smell Detector: Improve App (wondelai/skills, 2.4k stars), Systematic Code Refactoring (luongnv89/claude-howto, 42k stars), Code Simplification for ego-lite (citrolabs/ego-lite, 17k stars) and Code Refactoring Workflow (luongnv89/claude-howto, 42k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
ArabelaTso (a GitHub user) maintains it in ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE, which has 253 GitHub stars. The repository holds 170 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 21, 2026.
Source: ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.