7.9 KiB
Iteration 0: Baseline Calibration for MCP Refactoring
Date: 2025-10-21 Duration: ~0.9 hours Status: Completed Framework: BAIME (Bootstrapped AI Methodology Engineering)
1. Executive Summary
Established the factual baseline for refactoring cmd/mcp-server, focusing on executor/server hot spots. Benchmarked cyclomatic complexity, test coverage, and operational instrumentation to quantify the current state before any modifications. Identified (*ToolExecutor).buildCommand (gocyclo 51) and (*ToolExecutor).ExecuteTool (gocyclo 24) as primary complexity drivers, with JSON-RPC handling providing additional risk. Confirmed short test suite health (all green) but sub-target coverage (70.3%).
Key learnings: (1) complexity concentrates in a single command builder switch, (2) metrics instrumentation exists but is tangled with branching paths, and (3) methodology artifacts for code refactoring are absent. Value scores highlight significant gaps, especially on the meta layer.
Value Scores:
- V_instance(s_0) = 0.42 (Target: 0.80, Gap: -0.38)
- V_meta(s_0) = 0.18 (Target: 0.80, Gap: -0.62)
2. Pre-Execution Context
Previous State (s_{-1}): n/a — this iteration establishes the baseline.
- V_instance(s_{-1}) = n/a
- V_meta(s_{-1}) = n/a
Meta-Agent: M_{-1} undefined. No refactoring methodology documented for this code path.
Agent Set: A_{-1} = {ad-hoc human edits}. No structured agent roles yet.
Primary Objectives:
- ✅ Capture hard metrics for complexity (gocyclo, coverage).
- ✅ Map request/response flow to locate coupling hotspots.
- ✅ Inventory existing tests and fixtures for reuse.
- ✅ Define dual-layer value function components for future scoring.
3. Work Executed
Phase 1: OBSERVE - Baseline Mapping (~25 min)
Data Collection:
- gocyclo max (runtime): 51 (
(*ToolExecutor).buildCommand). - gocyclo second (runtime): 24 (
(*ToolExecutor).ExecuteTool). - Test coverage: 70.3% (
GOCACHE=$(pwd)/.gocache go test -cover ./cmd/mcp-server).
Analysis:
- Executor fan-out risk: A monolithic switch handles 13 tools and mixes scope handling, output wiring, and validation.
- Server dispatch coupling:
handleToolsCallinterleaves tracing, logging, metrics, and executor invocation, obscuring error paths. - Testing leverage: Existing tests cover switch permutations but remain brittle; integration tests are long-running but valuable reference.
Gaps Identified:
- Complexity: 51 vs target ≤10 for hotspots.
- Value scoring: No explicit components defined → inability to track improvement.
- Methodology: No documented process or artifacts → meta layer starts near zero.
Phase 2: CODIFY - Baseline Value Function (~15 min)
Deliverable: .claude/skills/code-refactoring/iterations/iteration-0.md (this file, 120+ lines).
Content Structure:
- Baseline metrics and observations.
- Dual-layer value function definitions with formulas.
- Gap analysis feeding next iterations.
Patterns Extracted:
- Hotspot Switch Pattern: Multi-tool command switches balloon complexity; pattern candidate for extraction.
- Metric Coupling Pattern: Metrics + logging + business logic co-mingle, harming readability.
Decision Made: Adopt quantitative scorecards for V_instance and V_meta prior to any change.
Rationale:
- Need reproducible measurement to justify refactor impact.
- Aligns with BAIME requirement for evidence-based evaluation.
- Enables tracking convergence by iteration.
Phase 3: AUTOMATE - No code changes (~0 min)
No automation steps executed; this iteration purely observational.
Phase 4: EVALUATE - Calculate V(s_0) (~10 min)
Instance Layer Components (weights in parentheses):
- C_complexity (0.50):
max(0, 1 - (maxCyclo - 10)/40)→maxCyclo=51→ 0.00. - C_coverage (0.30):
min(coverage / 0.95, 1)→ 0.703 / 0.95 = 0.74. - C_regressions (0.20):
test_pass_rate→ 1.00.
V_instance(s_0) = 0.5*0.00 + 0.3*0.74 + 0.2*1.00 = 0.42.
Meta Layer Components (equal weights):
- V_completeness: No methodology docs or iteration logs → 0.10.
- V_effectiveness: Refactors require manual inspection; no guidance → 0.20.
- V_reusability: Observations not codified; zero transfer artifacts → 0.25.
V_meta(s_0) = (0.10 + 0.20 + 0.25) / 3 = 0.18.
Evidence:
- gocyclo output captured at start of iteration (see OBSERVE section).
- Coverage measurement recorded via Go tool chain.
Gaps:
- Instance gap: 0.80 - 0.42 = 0.38.
- Meta gap: 0.80 - 0.18 = 0.62.
Phase 5: VALIDATE (~5 min)
Cross-checked gocyclo against repo HEAD (no discrepancies). Tests run with local GOCACHE to avoid sandbox issues. Metrics consistent across repeated runs.
Phase 6: REFLECT (~5 min)
Documented baseline in this artifact; no retrospection beyond ensuring data accuracy.
4. V(s_0) Summary Table
| Component | Weight | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| C_complexity | 0.50 | 0.00 | gocyclo 51 ((*ToolExecutor).buildCommand) |
| C_coverage | 0.30 | 0.74 | Go coverage 70.3% |
| C_regressions | 0.20 | 1.00 | Tests green |
| V_instance | — | 0.42 | weighted sum |
| V_completeness | 0.33 | 0.10 | No docs |
| V_effectiveness | 0.33 | 0.20 | Manual process |
| V_reusability | 0.34 | 0.25 | Observations only |
| V_meta | — | 0.18 | average |
5. Convergence Assessment
- V_instance gap (0.38) → far from threshold; complexity reduction is priority.
- V_meta gap (0.62) → methodology infrastructure missing; must bootstrap documentation.
- Convergence criteria unmet (neither value ≥0.75 nor sustained improvement recorded).
6. Next Iteration Plan (Iteration 1)
- Refactor executor command builder to reduce cyclomatic complexity below 10.
- Preserve behavior by exercising focused unit tests (
TestBuildCommand,TestExecuteTool). - Document methodology artifacts to raise V_meta_completeness.
- Re-evaluate value functions with before/after metrics.
Estimated effort: ~2.5 hours.
7. Evolution Decisions
- Agent Evolution: Introduce structured "Refactoring Agent" responsible for complexity reduction guided by tests (to be defined in Iteration 1).
- Meta-Agent: Establish BAIME driver (this agent) to maintain iteration logs and value calculations.
8. Artifacts Created
.claude/skills/code-refactoring/iterations/iteration-0.md— baseline documentation.
9. Reflections
What Worked
- Metric Harvesting: gocyclo + coverage runs provided actionable visibility.
- Value Function Definition: Early formula definition clarifies success criteria.
What Didn't Work
- Coverage Targeting: Tests limited by available fixtures; improvement will depend on refactors enabling simpler seams.
Learnings
- Single Switch Dominance: Measuring before acting spotlighted exact hotspot.
- Methodology Debt Matters: Lack of documentation created meta-layer deficit nearly as large as code debt.
Insights for Methodology
- Need to institutionalize value calculations per iteration.
- Future iterations must capture code deltas plus meta artifacts.
10. Conclusion
Baseline captured successfully; both instance and meta layers are below targets. The experiment now has quantitative anchors for subsequent refactoring cycles. Next iteration focuses on collapsing the executor command switch while layering methodology artifacts to start closing the 0.62 meta gap.
Key Insight: Without documentation, even accurate complexity metrics cannot guide reusable improvements.
Critical Decision: Adopt weighted instance/meta scoring to track convergence.
Next Steps: Execute Iteration 1 refactor (executor command builder extraction) and create supporting documentation.
Confidence: Medium — metrics are clear, but execution still relies on manual change management.
Status: ✅ Baseline captured Next: Iteration 1 - Executor Command Builder Refactor Expected Duration: 2.5 hours