Refactor MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for automated refactoring of Java and TypeScript/JavaScript codebases. Uses OpenRewrite for Java refactoring and ts-morph for TypeScript.

Features

Java Refactoring (via OpenRewrite)

• Rename class - Rename a class and update all references across the codebase

• Rename method - Rename a method and update all call sites

• Rename field - Rename a field and update all usages

• Move class - Move class(es) to a different package and update imports

• Add/Remove/Reorder parameters - Modify method signatures and update all call sites

• Java Record support - Full support for modifying Java record components (adds null to call sites)

TypeScript/JavaScript Refactoring (via ts-morph)

• Rename symbol - Rename any symbol (class, function, variable, interface, type) and update all references

• Move symbol - Move a symbol to a different file and update all imports

• Rename file - Rename/move a file and update all imports

• Extract function - Extract a code block into a new function with automatic parameter detection

• Add/Remove parameters - Modify function signatures and update all call sites

Utilities

• Detect project type - Automatically detect Java/TypeScript projects and their build systems

Related MCP server: ast-editor

Requirements

• Node.js 18+

• For Java refactoring: Maven or Gradle project with OpenRewrite plugin available

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/refactor-mcp.git
cd refactor-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build
npm run build

Configuration

Claude Code / Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude configuration file:

Claude Code (~/.claude/settings.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "refactor": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/refactor-mcp/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "refactor": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/refactor-mcp/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Java Projects

For Java refactoring to work, your project needs the OpenRewrite Maven plugin in pom.xml:

<build>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.openrewrite.maven</groupId>
            <artifactId>rewrite-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>5.44.0</version>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</build>

Or for Gradle, add to build.gradle:

plugins {
    id 'org.openrewrite.rewrite' version '6.25.0'
}

Usage

All tools support a dryRun parameter (default: true) that previews changes without applying them.

Java Examples

Rename a class:

Rename com.example.UserService to com.example.CustomerService

Rename a method:

Rename method getUser to fetchUser in com.example.UserService

Move classes to a new package:

Move all classes from com.example.old to com.example.new

TypeScript Examples

Rename a symbol:

Rename UserService to CustomerService in the TypeScript project

Move a symbol to a different file:

Move the UserService class from user-service.ts to services/customer-service.ts

Extract a function:

Extract lines 10-20 from utils.ts into a new function called processData

Available Tools

Development

# Run in development mode
npm run dev

# Build
npm run build

# Run tests
npm test

How It Works

Java Refactoring

The server generates OpenRewrite recipe YAML files dynamically and executes them via the Maven/Gradle plugin. This ensures type-safe refactoring with proper handling of imports, references, and edge cases.

TypeScript Refactoring

Uses ts-morph to parse and manipulate the TypeScript AST directly. Changes are tracked and can be previewed as diffs before applying.

Java Records Support

Java records require special handling because they have implicit canonical constructors. When you modify a record's components, both the record declaration AND all call sites (new RecordName(...)) must be updated.

How Record Modification Works

When you use java_add_parameter, java_remove_parameter, or java_change_method_signature on a Java record (with methodName: "<init>" or the class name), the tool:

1. Detects the record - Automatically identifies if the target class is a Java record

2. Modifies the record declaration - Updates the record component list directly in the source file

3. Updates all call sites - Uses OpenRewrite's AddNullMethodArgument recipe to add null to all new RecordName(...) expressions

Example: Adding a Component to a Record

// Before: public record Person(String name, int age) {}
// After:  public record Person(String name, int age, String email) {}

// All call sites are updated:
// Before: new Person("John", 30)
// After:  new Person("John", 30, null)

Important Notes for Records

• New parameters are added as null - When adding a component, all existing call sites receive null as the new argument value. You may need to update these manually if a different default is required.

• Use <init> or <constructor> as methodName - Both work for targeting record constructors

• Dry run first - Always use dryRun: true to preview changes before applying

Technical Details: OpenRewrite Recipes

Understanding which OpenRewrite recipes are used helps when troubleshooting or extending the tool.

Declarations vs Call Sites

OpenRewrite has different recipes for modifying declarations (where methods/constructors are defined) vs call sites (where they are invoked):

Recipe Selection by Operation

Method Patterns for Constructors

To target constructors in method patterns, use either:

• com.example.MyClass <constructor>(..) - Recommended

• com.example.MyClass <init>(..) - Also works

Both patterns match new MyClass(...) expressions when used with call-site recipes.

License

MIT