Windsurf

#When Single-File Editing Falls Short

Some refactors touch dozens of files:

• Renaming a widely-used type
• Changing a function signature
• Migrating from one pattern to another

Doing these one file at a time is error-prone. Cascade handles the coordination.

#How Cascade Works

#Step 1: Describe the Refactor

Be specific about what you want:

Rename the User interface to UserProfile across the entire codebase,
updating all imports and usages

#Step 2: Cascade Analyzes

Cascade scans your project and identifies:

• All files containing the target
• Import statements that need updating
• Type references in other files
• Test files that reference it

#Step 3: Review the Scope

Before any changes, you see:

• List of affected files
• Summary of changes per file
• Potential conflicts or issues

#Step 4: Controlled Execution

You can:

• Approve all changes at once
• Review file by file
• Exclude specific files
• Modify the approach and re-analyze

#Tips for Effective Cascade Use

#1. Start Small

Test Cascade on a limited scope first:

// Instead of:
"Refactor all services to use the new error handling"

// Start with:
"Refactor UserService to use the new error handling pattern"

Validate it works, then expand.

#2. Use Descriptive Patterns

Help Cascade understand your conventions:

Refactor following the pattern established in src/services/auth.ts

#3. Check Edge Cases

After Cascade finishes, verify:

• Build still passes
• Tests still run
• Dynamic usages (string-based imports, reflection) are handled

#4. Commit Checkpoints

For large refactors, commit after each logical unit. If something goes wrong later, you can revert cleanly.

#Pro Tip

Cascade works best when your codebase follows consistent patterns. If you have wildly inconsistent code, consider standardizing one area first, then using that as the reference pattern for Cascade.