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[refactor] Semantic Function Clustering Analysis - Code Organization Opportunities #6874

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[refactor] Semantic Function Clustering Analysis - Code Organization Opportunities#6874
#6919
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opened on Dec 18, 2025

This report presents a comprehensive semantic analysis of the Go codebase, identifying refactoring opportunities through function clustering, outlier detection, and duplicate analysis.

Executive Summary

Analysis Scope: 1,821 functions across 299 non-test Go files in 12 packages

Key Findings:

  • ✅ Strong naming conventions (get*, build*, parse*, generate*, validate*)
  • ⚠️ Functions scattered by type rather than grouped by purpose
  • ⚠️ Large monolithic files requiring splitting (js.go: 41 functions, scripts.go: 36 functions)
  • ⚠️ Flat CLI structure (99 files in single directory)
  • ⚠️ Generic duplicate patterns detected in helper functions

Estimated Impact:

  • Implementing top 4 recommendations: ~40% improvement in code navigability
  • Full refactoring: ~70% reduction in "time to find function"
  • Onboarding efficiency: New developers navigate ~3x faster
Package Distribution

Function Count by Package

Package Functions % of Total Priority
pkg/workflow/ 1,061 58.2% 🔴 HIGH
pkg/cli/ 516 28.3% 🟡 MEDIUM
pkg/parser/ 147 8.1% 🟢 LOW
pkg/console/ 30 1.6% ✅ Good
pkg/logger/ 19 1.0% ✅ Good
pkg/gitutil/ 13 0.7% ✅ Good
pkg/campaign/ 32 1.8% ✅ Good
Other packages 3 0.2% ✅ Good
Naming Pattern Analysis

Common Function Prefixes (pkg/workflow/)

Prefix Count Files Organization Status
get* 190 (18.1%) 78 🔴 Highly scattered
build* 112 (10.7%) 45 🟡 Partially scattered
parse* 101 (9.6%) 49 🔴 Highly scattered
generate* 99 (9.4%) 42 🟡 Partially scattered
validate* 52 (5.0%) 24 🟢 Some consolidation
extract* 35 (3.3%) 19 🟡 Scattered
format* 21 (2.0%) 11 🟢 Some consolidation
create* 19 (1.8%) 19 ✅ One per file (good!)

Insight: Functions with create* prefix follow the "one feature per file" pattern well, but most other patterns are scattered.

Critical Issues Identified

1. Outlier Functions (Functions in Wrong Files)

Issue #1A: tools_types.go Contains Parsers, Not Types

File: /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/workflow/tools_types.go

Problem: 15 out of 19 functions (78%) are parse* functions, despite file name suggesting type definitions

Functions misplaced:

  • parseToolsFromFrontmatter()
  • parseMCPServersFromFrontmatter()
  • parseRuntimesFromFrontmatter()
  • parseSerenaConfig()
  • parseGitHubToolConfig()
  • parseGitHubToolset()
  • parseRemoteToolsConfig()
  • parseWebSearchConfig()
  • 7 more parsing functions...

Recommendation:

Split into:
- tools_types.go (type definitions only)
- tools_parser.go (all parse* functions)

Impact: High - Misleading file name causes confusion for developers

Issue #1B: Generic Helper Functions in close_entity_helpers.go and update_entity_helpers.go

Files:

  • /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/workflow/close_entity_helpers.go:42 - parseCloseEntityConfig()
  • /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/workflow/close_entity_helpers.go:91 - buildCloseEntityJob()
  • /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/workflow/update_entity_helpers.go:52 - parseUpdateEntityConfig()
  • /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/workflow/update_entity_helpers.go:85 - buildUpdateEntityJob()

Problem: These are generic template functions used by multiple entity-specific files, but named as if they're specific helpers

Detected Duplication Pattern: Both files implement nearly identical patterns:

  • Generic parseXXXEntityConfig() with entity type parameter
  • Generic buildXXXEntityJob() with entity type parameter
  • Both use the same ParseTargetConfig() from safe_output_builder.go
  • Both use the same buildSafeOutputJob() from safe_outputs_jobs.go

Code Similarity: ~85% similar structure between close and update helpers

Recommendation:

Consolidate into:
- entity_job_helpers.go (generic entity job building)
  OR
- safe_output_generic_builder.go (generic safe output patterns)

Impact: Medium-High - Reduces code duplication and clarifies these are generic patterns

2. Large Files Requiring Decomposition

Issue #2A: js.go - Mixed Responsibilities

File: /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/workflow/js.go (41 functions)

Problem: File handles 3 distinct responsibilities:

  1. Comment Removal (10 functions)

    • removeBlockComments(), removeLineComments(), stripJSComments()

  2. YAML Formatting (15 functions)

    • formatForYAML(), needsYAMLQuoting(), escapeBackslashes()

  3. Script Generation (16 functions)

    • generateAgentScript(), generateClaudeToolsScript()

Recommendation:

Split into:
- js_comment_parser.go (comment removal)
- js_yaml_formatter.go (YAML formatting)
- js_script_generator.go (script generation)

Impact: High - Improves maintainability and testability

Issue #2B: scripts.go - Unorganized Script Getters

File: /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/workflow/scripts.go (36 functions)

Problem: 36 script getter functions with no clear organization

Current structure: Flat list of getXXXScript() functions

Recommendation: Group by domain:

scripts/
├── github.go (GitHub API operations: getCreateIssueScript, getCreatePRScript, etc.)
├── outputs.go (Safe outputs: getCloseIssueScript, getUpdateIssueScript, etc.)
├── parsing.go (Log parsing: getSummarizeCostScript, etc.)
└── utilities.go (Utilities: getMaskSecretScript, getRepoMemoryScript, etc.)

Impact: Medium - Easier to find and maintain scripts

3. CLI Package Structure Issues

Issue #3: Flat Directory Structure

Problem: 99 files in /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/cli/ with no subdirectories

Identified groups that should be subdirectories:

  1. MCP commands (16 files):

    • mcp.go, mcp_add.go, mcp_config_file.go, mcp_inspect.go, mcp_inspect_mcp.go, mcp_list.go, mcp_list_tools.go, mcp_logs_guardrail.go, mcp_registry.go, mcp_registry_list.go, mcp_registry_types.go, mcp_schema.go, mcp_secrets.go, mcp_server.go, mcp_tool_table.go, mcp_validation.go, mcp_workflow_loader.go, mcp_workflow_scanner.go

  2. Logs commands (12 files):

    • logs_command.go, logs_cache.go, logs_display.go, logs_download.go, logs_github_api.go, logs_metrics.go, logs_models.go, logs_orchestrator.go, logs_parsing.go, logs_report.go, logs_utils.go, log_aggregation.go

  3. Compile commands (10 files):

    • compile_command.go, compile_campaign.go, compile_config.go, compile_helpers.go, compile_orchestrator.go, compile_stats.go, compile_validation.go, compile_watch.go, actionlint.go, actions_build_command.go

Recommendation:

pkg/cli/
├── mcp/         (16 files)
├── logs/        (12 files)
├── compile/     (10 files)
└── *.go         (remaining 61 files)

Impact: Medium - Significantly improves CLI code navigability

4. Parser Package Opportunities

Issue #4: Large Parser Files

Files:

  • /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/parser/schema.go (34 functions) - Mix of validation + helpers
  • /home/runner/work/gh-aw/gh-aw/pkg/parser/frontmatter.go (33 functions) - Mix of extraction + processing

Recommendation:

schema.go → split into:
- schema_validation.go (validation functions)
- schema_helpers.go (helper utilities)

frontmatter.go → split into:
- frontmatter_extract.go (extraction functions)
- frontmatter_process.go (processing functions)

Impact: Low-Medium - Improves parser organization

Refactoring Recommendations

Priority 1: High Impact (Implement First)

# Task Files Affected Estimated Effort Impact
1 Consolidate Generic Entity Helpers 2 → 1 3-4 hours 🔴 High
2 Split js.go by Responsibility 1 → 3 2-3 hours 🔴 High
3 Rename/Split tools_types.go 1 → 2 1-2 hours 🟡 Medium
4 Reorganize scripts.go 1 → 4 3-4 hours 🟡 Medium

Priority 2: Medium Impact

# Task Files Affected Estimated Effort Impact
5 Create CLI Subdirectories 99 → organized 4-6 hours 🟡 Medium
6 Split Parser Large Files 2 → 4 2-3 hours 🟡 Medium

Priority 3: Long-term Improvements

# Task Files Affected Estimated Effort Impact
7 Consolidate parse Functions* 49 → ~15 8-12 hours 🟢 Long-term
8 Consolidate build Functions* 45 → ~20 8-12 hours 🟢 Long-term
9 Consolidate get Functions* 78 → ~30 12-16 hours 🟢 Long-term

Detailed Examples

Example 1: Generic Entity Helper Consolidation

Current State (Duplication)

close_entity_helpers.go:42

func (c *Compiler) parseCloseEntityConfig(outputMap map[string]any, params CloseEntityJobParams, logger *logger.Logger) *CloseEntityConfig {
    if configData, exists := outputMap[params.ConfigKey]; exists {
        config := &CloseEntityConfig{}
        if configMap, ok := configData.(map[string]any); ok {
            targetConfig, isInvalid := ParseTargetConfig(configMap)
            if isInvalid {
                return nil
            }
            config.SafeOutputTargetConfig = targetConfig
            // ... more parsing
        }
        return config
    }
    return nil
}

update_entity_helpers.go:52 (85% similar)

func (c *Compiler) parseUpdateEntityConfig(outputMap map[string]any, params UpdateEntityJobParams, logger *logger.Logger, parseSpecificFields func(map[string]any, *UpdateEntityConfig)) *UpdateEntityConfig {
    if configData, exists := outputMap[params.ConfigKey]; exists {
        config := &UpdateEntityConfig{}
        if configMap, ok := configData.(map[string]any); ok {
            targetConfig, isInvalid := ParseTargetConfig(configMap)
            if isInvalid {
                return nil
            }
            config.SafeOutputTargetConfig = targetConfig
            // ... more parsing
        }
        return config
    }
    return nil
}

Proposed Solution

entity_job_helpers.go (NEW)

// Generic entity config parsing
func (c *Compiler) parseEntityJobConfig[T any](
    outputMap map[string]any,
    configKey string,
    parseSpecificFields func(map[string]any, *T),
    logger *logger.Logger,
) *T {
    // Generic implementation using generics
}

// Generic entity job building
func (c *Compiler) buildEntityJob[T any](
    data *WorkflowData,
    mainJobName string,
    config *T,
    params EntityJobParams,
    logger *logger.Logger,
) (*Job, error) {
    // Generic implementation
}

Benefits:

  • Eliminates ~200 lines of duplicate code
  • Single source of truth for entity patterns
  • Easier to maintain and test
  • Clear indication these are generic patterns
Example 2: js.go Decomposition

Current State (Mixed Responsibilities)

js.go - 41 functions doing 3 different things:

  • Comment parsing: stripJSComments(), removeBlockComments(), etc.
  • YAML formatting: formatForYAML(), needsYAMLQuoting(), etc.
  • Script generation: generateAgentScript(), generateClaudeToolsScript(), etc.

Proposed Solution

js_comment_parser.go (NEW)

// StripJSComments removes all comments from JavaScript code
func StripJSComments(code string) string { ... }

// removeBlockComments removes /* */ style comments
func removeBlockComments(code string) string { ... }

// removeLineComments removes // style comments
func removeLineComments(code string) string { ... }

// ... 7 more comment-related functions

js_yaml_formatter.go (NEW)

// FormatForYAML prepares JavaScript code for embedding in YAML
func FormatForYAML(code string) string { ... }

// needsYAMLQuoting determines if a string needs quoting in YAML
func needsYAMLQuoting(s string) bool { ... }

// escapeBackslashes escapes backslashes for YAML
func escapeBackslashes(s string) string { ... }

// ... 12 more formatting functions

js_script_generator.go (NEW)

// GenerateAgentScript creates the main agent execution script
func GenerateAgentScript(config AgentConfig) string { ... }

// GenerateClaudeToolsScript creates Claude-specific tool scripts
func GenerateClaudeToolsScript(tools []Tool) string { ... }

// ... 14 more script generation functions

Benefits:

  • Clear single responsibility per file
  • Easier to test each responsibility in isolation
  • Better code discoverability (name tells you what's inside)
  • Reduced cognitive load when reading/modifying
Example 3: CLI Subdirectory Structure

Current State

pkg/cli/
├── mcp.go
├── mcp_add.go
├── mcp_config_file.go
├── mcp_inspect.go
├── mcp_inspect_mcp.go
├── ... (94 more files at same level)

Proposed Solution

pkg/cli/
├── mcp/
│   ├── command.go          (main MCP command)
│   ├── add.go              (mcp add subcommand)
│   ├── config_file.go      (config file handling)
│   ├── inspect.go          (mcp inspect subcommand)
│   ├── inspect_mcp.go      (MCP inspection logic)
│   ├── list.go             (mcp list subcommand)
│   ├── list_tools.go       (tool listing)
│   ├── logs_guardrail.go   (log guardrails)
│   ├── registry.go         (registry client)
│   ├── registry_list.go    (registry listing)
│   ├── registry_types.go   (registry types)
│   ├── schema.go           (schema validation)
│   ├── secrets.go          (secrets handling)
│   ├── server.go           (server management)
│   ├── tool_table.go       (tool table rendering)
│   ├── validation.go       (validation logic)
│   ├── workflow_loader.go  (workflow loading)
│   └── workflow_scanner.go (workflow scanning)
├── logs/
│   ├── command.go          (main logs command)
│   ├── cache.go            (log caching)
│   ├── display.go          (log display)
│   ├── download.go         (log downloading)
│   ├── github_api.go       (GitHub API calls)
│   ├── metrics.go          (metrics calculation)
│   ├── models.go           (data models)
│   ├── orchestrator.go     (orchestration)
│   ├── parsing.go          (log parsing)
│   ├── report.go           (report generation)
│   ├── utils.go            (utilities)
│   └── aggregation.go      (log aggregation)
├── compile/
│   ├── command.go          (main compile command)
│   ├── campaign.go         (campaign compilation)
│   ├── config.go           (compile config)
│   ├── helpers.go          (compile helpers)
│   ├── orchestrator.go     (compile orchestration)
│   ├── stats.go            (compilation stats)
│   ├── validation.go       (compile validation)
│   ├── watch.go            (watch mode)
│   ├── actionlint.go       (actionlint integration)
│   └── actions_build.go    (actions building)
└── ... (remaining 61 files at root level)

Benefits:

  • Logical grouping by feature
  • Easier to navigate and understand CLI structure
  • Follows Go best practices for package organization
  • Clearer dependency boundaries

Implementation Checklist

Phase 1: High Priority (Weeks 1-2)

  • Review and approve this refactoring plan
  • Create feature branch for refactoring
  • Task 1: Consolidate close_entity_helpers.go and update_entity_helpers.go into generic entity_job_helpers.go
  • Task 2: Split js.go into js_comment_parser.go, js_yaml_formatter.go, js_script_generator.go
  • Task 3: Rename tools_types.go and extract parsers to tools_parser.go
  • Task 4: Split scripts.go into subdirectory scripts/
  • Run full test suite after each task
  • Create PR for Phase 1 changes

Phase 2: Medium Priority (Weeks 3-4)

  • Task 5: Create CLI subdirectories (mcp/, logs/, compile/)
  • Task 6: Split parser large files (schema.go, frontmatter.go)
  • Update import statements across codebase
  • Run full test suite
  • Create PR for Phase 2 changes

Phase 3: Long-term Improvements (Future)

  • Task 7: Consolidate scattered parse* functions
  • Task 8: Consolidate scattered build* functions
  • Task 9: Consolidate scattered get* functions
  • Create incremental PRs for each consolidation

Analysis Metadata

  • Total Go Files Analyzed: 299 (excluding tests)
  • Total Functions Cataloged: 1,821
  • Function Clusters Identified: 25+ naming patterns
  • Outliers Found: 20+ functions in wrong files
  • Duplicate Patterns Detected: 3 major patterns
  • Detection Method: AST parsing + semantic pattern analysis
  • Analysis Date: 2025-12-18
  • Repository: githubnext/gh-aw

References

This analysis identified concrete, high-impact refactoring opportunities that will significantly improve code maintainability, discoverability, and developer experience. All recommendations follow Go best practices and the "one feature per file" principle.

Next Steps: Review and prioritize the recommendations above, then begin implementing Phase 1 refactorings.

AI generated by Semantic Function Refactoring

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