Refactoring in Skink: rename, move, extract, safe delete

Press Alt+Shift+R to rename the symbol at the cursor everywhere. Any change that touches several files opens the refactor preview first, so you check it before anything is applied.

Other refactors are commands:

• :mv moves a file and updates its imports.
• :extract var or :extract fn pulls out the selection.
• :safedelete removes a declaration nobody uses.

Most of these use your language server. See Code intelligence for setup.

The refactor preview

The preview lists the files and hunks a change will touch, each with a checkbox, and a side-by-side diff of the selected one.

Key	Does
↑ / ↓	Move between files and hunks
Space	Check or uncheck
a	Check all
n	Check none
Enter	Apply the checked changes
Esc	Cancel

Applying is one undo step per file. The changed files are left unsaved, so you get a last look and save them yourself.

The same preview is used for:

• rename and multi-file code actions
• file moves
• project-wide replace (:greprep) and structural rewrite (:srep)
• edits from AI agents

Rename a symbol

Alt+Shift+R asks for the new name. Or give it straight away:

:renamesymbol new_name
:rn new_name

The language server finds every real use, across files, so unrelated names that happen to match are left alone.

Move or rename a file

:mv src/util/strings.rs

This moves or renames the current file, relative to the project root. Open tabs follow the file.

Running language servers are asked first (workspace/willRenameFiles). The import and module-path changes they suggest open in the preview.

Renaming in the file tree (r or F2 on a file) does the same. New folders in the path are created for you.

Extract a variable or function

Select an expression or some lines, then run one of:

:extract var [NAME]
:extract fn [NAME]

This uses the language server’s extract code action. extract var also works without a server for Rust, TypeScript/JavaScript and Python.

Safe delete

Put the cursor on a function, struct or class and run :safedelete. Skink runs find-references first:

• No uses outside the declaration: the declaration, with its doc comments and attributes, is removed through the preview.
• Uses found: they are listed instead, so you can deal with them first.

:safedelete! skips the check and opens the deletion in the preview unchecked, for you to decide.

Code actions

Alt+Enter (or :fix) shows the server’s quick fixes and refactorings for the cursor position, such as “add missing import” or “inline variable”.

A lightbulb in the sign column means some are available. Ones that touch several files open the preview.

Structural search and replace

For changes by shape rather than by name, use ast-grep patterns:

:sgrep foo($A, $$$REST)
:srep foo($A, $B) => bar($B, $A)

:srep rewrites every match through the preview. See Project search.

Smaller edits in one file

Key	Typed command	Does
Alt+O / Alt+I	:expand / :contract	Grow / shrink the selection to the enclosing syntax node
Alt+↑ / Alt+↓	:moveup / :movedown	Move lines
Ctrl+D	:addcursor	Multiple cursors on the next match (more)
	:SortLines, :JoinLines	Sort or join the selected lines
	:UpperCase, :LowerCase, :TitleCase	Change case of the selection or word

Every key also has a typed command. See Typed commands.

Note

How much a refactor can do depends on your language server. rust-analyzer and the TypeScript server offer a lot; others offer less. Skink is alpha, and more built-in refactors are planned.