
Component Flattening Analysis
FreeStreamline your component hierarchy and eliminate orphaned classes.
Free · Opens the source repo
What Component Flattening Analysis does
Component Flattening Analysis is a skill designed for developers who need to maintain a clean and efficient codebase by addressing component hierarchy issues. This skill detects misplaced classes and ensures that components are correctly structured as leaf nodes within directory or namespace hierarchies. It is particularly useful when you find yourself asking questions like "how can I clean up my component structure?" or "where are my orphaned classes?". By utilizing this skill, you can enhance the organization of your code, making it easier to manage and understand.
The skill operates by scanning your codebase to identify root namespaces and orphaned classes that should be encapsulated within components. It offers a systematic approach to flattening nested component structures, providing actionable suggestions for refactoring. For instance, it can recommend strategies for consolidating or splitting components based on their current hierarchy. This process not only helps in cleaning up the code but also prepares it for future enhancements and domain grouping.
Component Flattening Analysis is particularly beneficial for teams working on large-scale applications where maintaining a clear component structure is crucial for collaboration and ongoing development. By ensuring that components exist only as leaf nodes, the skill helps prevent confusion and potential bugs that can arise from a disorganized codebase. Whether you are preparing for a major refactor or simply looking to tidy up your existing structure, this skill provides the insights needed to improve your component organization.
By implementing this skill, you can expect to see a more manageable codebase with a clear hierarchy, which translates to improved maintainability and reduced technical debt. It is an essential tool for developers focused on maintaining high standards of code quality and organization.
When to use it
Use this skill when you need to analyze and improve the structure of your components, especially after significant changes or when preparing for refactoring.
When not to use it
This skill is not suitable for dependency analysis or domain grouping; for those tasks, consider other specialized tools.
What you can build with it
Refactoring After Major Changes
Use this skill after significant updates to your codebase to ensure that component structures remain clean and organized.
Preparing for Domain Grouping
Before grouping components into domains, analyze your current structure to identify and fix any hierarchy issues.
Cleaning Up Legacy Code
Apply this skill to legacy projects to identify orphaned classes and improve overall code organization.
How to install Component Flattening Analysis
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add tech-leads-club/agent-skills/component-flattening-analysis --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by tech-leads-clubComponent Flattening Analysis
This skill identifies component hierarchy issues and ensures components exist only as leaf nodes in directory/namespace structures, removing orphaned classes from root namespaces.
How to Use
Quick Start
Request analysis of your codebase:
- "Find orphaned classes in root namespaces"
- "Flatten component hierarchies"
- "Identify components that need flattening"
- "Analyze component structure for hierarchy issues"
Usage Examples
Example 1: Find Orphaned Classes
User: "Find orphaned classes in root namespaces"
The skill will:
1. Scan component namespaces for hierarchy issues
2. Identify orphaned classes in root namespaces
3. Detect components built on top of other components
4. Suggest flattening strategies
5. Create refactoring plan
Example 2: Flatten Components
User: "Flatten component hierarchies in this codebase"
The skill will:
1. Identify components with hierarchy issues
2. Analyze orphaned classes
3. Suggest consolidation or splitting strategies
4. Create refactoring plan
5. Estimate effort
Example 3: Component Structure Analysis
User: "Analyze component structure for hierarchy issues"
The skill will:
1. Map component namespace structure
2. Identify root namespaces with code
3. Find components built on components
4. Flag hierarchy violations
5. Provide recommendations
Step-by-Step Process
- Scan Structure: Map component namespace hierarchies
- Identify Issues: Find orphaned classes and component nesting
- Analyze Options: Determine flattening strategy (consolidate vs split)
- Create Plan: Generate refactoring plan with steps
- Execute: Refactor components to remove hierarchy
When to Use
Apply this skill when:
- After gathering common domain components (Pattern 2)
- Before determining component dependencies (Pattern 4)
- When components have nested structures
- Finding orphaned classes in root namespaces
- Preparing for domain grouping
- Cleaning up component structure
- Ensuring components are leaf nodes only
Core Concepts
Component Definition
A component is identified by a leaf node in directory/namespace structure:
- Leaf Node: The deepest directory containing source files
- Component: Source code files in leaf node namespace
- Subdomain: Parent namespace that has been extended
Key Rule: Components exist only as leaf nodes. If a namespace is extended, the parent becomes a subdomain, not a component.
Root Namespace
A root namespace is a namespace node that has been extended:
- Extended: Another namespace node added below it
- Example:
ss.surveyextended toss.survey.templates - Result:
ss.surveybecomes a root namespace (subdomain)
Orphaned Classes
Orphaned classes are source files in root namespaces:
- Location: Root namespace (non-leaf node)
- Problem: No definable component associated with them
- Solution: Move to leaf node namespace (component)
Example:
ss.survey/ ← Root namespace (extended by .templates)
├── Survey.js ← Orphaned class (in root namespace)
└── templates/ ← Component (leaf node)
└── Template.js
Flattening Strategies
Strategy 1: Consolidate Down
- Move code from leaf nodes into root namespace
- Makes root namespace the component
- Example: Move
ss.survey.templates→ss.survey
Strategy 2: Split Up
- Move code from root namespace into new leaf nodes
- Creates new components from root namespace
- Example: Split
ss.survey→ss.survey.create+ss.survey.process
Strategy 3: Move Shared Code
- Move shared code to dedicated component
- Creates
.sharedcomponent - Example:
ss.surveyshared code →ss.survey.shared
Analysis Process
Phase 1: Map Component Structure
Scan directory/namespace structure to identify hierarchy:
-
Map Namespace Tree
- Build tree of all namespaces
- Identify parent-child relationships
- Mark leaf nodes (components)
-
Identify Root Namespaces
- Find namespaces that have been extended
- Mark as root namespaces (subdomains)
- Note which namespaces extend them
-
Locate Source Files
- Find all source files in each namespace
- Map files to their namespace location
- Identify files in root namespaces
Example Structure Mapping:
## Component Structure Map
ss.survey/ ← Root namespace (extended) ├── Survey.js ← Orphaned class ├── SurveyProcessor.js ← Orphaned class └── templates/ ← Component (leaf node) ├── EmailTemplate.js └── SMSTemplate.js
ss.ticket/ ← Root namespace (extended) ├── Ticket.js ← Orphaned class ├── assign/ ← Component (leaf node) │ └── TicketAssign.js └── route/ ← Component (leaf node) └── TicketRoute.js
Phase 2: Identify Orphaned Classes
Find source files in root namespaces:
-
Scan Root Namespaces
- Check each root namespace for source files
- Identify files that are orphaned
- Count orphaned files per root namespace
-
Classify Orphaned Classes
- Shared Code: Common utilities, interfaces, abstract classes
- Domain Code: Business logic that should be in component
- Mixed: Combination of shared and domain code
-
Assess Impact
- How many files are orphaned?
- What functionality do they contain?
- What components depend on them?
Example Orphaned Class Detection:
## Orphaned Classes Found
### Root Namespace: ss.survey
**Orphaned Files** (5 files):
- Survey.js (domain code - survey creation)
- SurveyProcessor.js (domain code - survey processing)
- SurveyValidator.js (shared code - validation)
- SurveyFormatter.js (shared code - formatting)
- SurveyConstants.js (shared code - constants)
**Classification**:
- Domain Code: 2 files (should be in components)
- Shared Code: 3 files (should be in .shared component)
**Dependencies**: Used by ss.survey.templates component
Phase 3: Analyze Flattening Options
Determine best flattening strategy for each root namespace:
-
Option 1: Consolidate Down
- Move leaf node code into root namespace
- Makes root namespace the component
- Use when: Leaf nodes are small, related functionality
-
Option 2: Split Up
- Move root namespace code into new leaf nodes
- Creates multiple components from root
- Use when: Root namespace has distinct functional areas
-
Option 3: Move Shared Code
- Extract shared code to
.sharedcomponent - Keep domain code in root or split
- Use when: Root namespace has shared utilities
- Extract shared code to
Example Flattening Analysis:
## Flattening Options Analysis
### Root Namespace: ss.survey
**Current State**:
- Root namespace: 5 orphaned files
- Leaf component: ss.survey.templates (7 files)
**Option 1: Consolidate Down** ✅ Recommended
- Move templates code into ss.survey
- Result: Single component ss.survey
- Effort: Low (7 files to move)
- Rationale: Templates are small, related to survey functionality
**Option 2: Split Up**
- Create ss.survey.create (2 files)
- Create ss.survey.process (1 file)
- Create ss.survey.shared (3 files)
- Keep ss.survey.templates (7 files)
- Effort: High (multiple components to create)
- Rationale: More granular, but may be over-engineering
**Option 3: Move Shared Code**
- Create ss.survey.shared (3 shared files)
- Keep domain code in root (2 files)
- Keep ss.survey.templates (7 files)
- Effort: Medium
- Rationale: Separates shared from domain, but still has hierarchy
Phase 4: Create Flattening Plan
Generate refactoring plan for each root namespace:
-
Select Strategy
- Choose best flattening option
- Consider effort, complexity, maintainability
-
Plan Refactoring Steps
- List files to move
- Identify target namespaces
- Note dependencies to update
-
Estimate Effort
- Time to refactor
- Risk assessment
- Testing requirements
Example Flattening Plan:
## Flattening Plan
### Priority: High
**Root Namespace: ss.survey**
**Strategy**: Consolidate Down
**Steps**:
1. Move files from ss.survey.templates/ to ss.survey/
- EmailTemplate.js
- SMSTemplate.js
- [5 more files]
2. Update imports in dependent components
- Update references from ss.survey.templates._ to ss.survey._
3. Remove ss.survey.templates/ directory
4. Update namespace declarations
- Change namespace from ss.survey.templates to ss.survey
5. Run tests to verify changes
**Effort**: 2-3 days
**Risk**: Low (templates are self-contained)
**Dependencies**: None
Phase 5: Execute Flattening
Perform the refactoring:
-
Move Files
- Move source files to target namespace
- Update file paths and imports
-
Update References
- Update imports in dependent components
- Update namespace declarations
- Update directory structure
-
Verify Changes
- Run tests
- Check for broken references
- Validate component structure
Output Format
Orphaned Classes Report
## Orphaned Classes Analysis
### Root Namespace: ss.survey
**Status**: ⚠️ Has Orphaned Classes
**Orphaned Files** (5 files):
- Survey.js (domain code)
- SurveyProcessor.js (domain code)
- SurveyValidator.js (shared code)
- SurveyFormatter.js (shared code)
- SurveyConstants.js (shared code)
**Leaf Components**:
- ss.survey.templates (7 files)
**Issue**: Root namespace contains code but is extended by leaf component
**Recommendation**: Consolidate templates into root namespace
Component Hierarchy Issues
## Component Hierarchy Issues
| Root Namespace | Orphaned Files | Leaf Components | Issue | Recommendation |
| -------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------- | ---------------- |
| ss.survey | 5 | 1 (templates) | Has orphaned classes | Consolidate down |
| ss.ticket | 45 | 2 (assign, route) | Large orphaned code | Split up |
| ss.reporting | 0 | 3 (tickets, experts, financial) | No issue | ✅ OK |
Flattening Plan
## Flattening Plan
### Priority: High
**ss.survey** → Consolidate Down
- Move 7 files from templates to root
- Effort: 2-3 days
- Risk: Low
### Priority: Medium
**ss.ticket** → Split Up
- Create ss.ticket.maintenance (30 files)
- Create ss.ticket.completion (10 files)
- Create ss.ticket.shared (5 files)
- Effort: 1 week
- Risk: Medium
Analysis Checklist
Structure Mapping:
- Mapped all namespace hierarchies
- Identified root namespaces
- Located all source files
- Marked leaf nodes (components)
Orphaned Class Detection:
- Scanned root namespaces for source files
- Identified orphaned classes
- Classified orphaned classes (shared/domain/mixed)
- Assessed impact and dependencies
Flattening Analysis:
- Analyzed consolidation option
- Analyzed splitting option
- Analyzed shared code extraction option
- Selected best strategy for each root namespace
Plan Creation:
- Selected flattening strategy
- Created refactoring steps
- Estimated effort and risk
- Prioritized work
Execution:
- Moved files to target namespaces
- Updated imports and references
- Updated namespace declarations
- Verified changes with tests
Implementation Notes
For Node.js/Express Applications
Components typically in services/ directory:
services/
├── survey/ ← Root namespace (extended)
│ ├── Survey.js ← Orphaned class
│ └── templates/ ← Component (leaf node)
│ └── Template.js
Flattening:
- Consolidate: Move
templates/files tosurvey/ - Split: Create
survey/create/andsurvey/process/ - Shared: Create
survey/shared/for utilities
For Java Applications
Components identified by package structure:
com.company.survey ← Root package (extended)
├── Survey.java ← Orphaned class
└── templates/ ← Component (leaf package)
└── Template.java
Flattening:
- Consolidate: Move
templatesclasses tosurveypackage - Split: Create
survey.createandsurvey.processpackages - Shared: Create
survey.sharedpackage
Detection Strategies
Find Root Namespaces with Code:
// Find root namespaces containing source files
function findRootNamespacesWithCode(namespaces, sourceFiles) {
const rootNamespaces = namespaces.filter((ns) => {
// Check if namespace has been extended
const hasChildren = namespaces.some((n) => n.startsWith(ns + '.') || n.startsWith(ns + '/'))
// Check if namespace contains source files
const hasFiles = sourceFiles.some((f) => f.namespace === ns)
return hasChildren && hasFiles
})
return rootNamespaces
}
Find Orphaned Classes:
// Find orphaned classes in root namespaces
function findOrphanedClasses(rootNamespaces, sourceFiles) {
const orphaned = []
rootNamespaces.forEach((rootNs) => {
const files = sourceFiles.filter((f) => f.namespace === rootNs)
orphaned.push({
rootNamespace: rootNs,
files: files,
count: files.length,
})
})
return orphaned
}
Fitness Functions
After flattening components, create automated checks:
No Source Code in Root Namespaces
// Alert if source code exists in root namespace
function checkRootNamespaceCode(namespaces, sourceFiles) {
const violations = []
namespaces.forEach((ns) => {
// Check if namespace has been extended
const hasChildren = namespaces.some((n) => n.startsWith(ns + '.') || n.startsWith(ns + '/'))
if (hasChildren) {
// Check if namespace contains source files
const files = sourceFiles.filter((f) => f.namespace === ns)
if (files.length > 0) {
violations.push({
namespace: ns,
files: files.map((f) => f.name),
issue: 'Root namespace contains source files (orphaned classes)',
})
}
}
})
return violations
}
Components Only as Leaf Nodes
// Ensure components exist only as leaf nodes
function validateComponentStructure(namespaces, sourceFiles) {
const violations = []
// Find all leaf nodes (components)
const leafNodes = namespaces.filter((ns) => {
return !namespaces.some((n) => n.startsWith(ns + '.') || n.startsWith(ns + '/'))
})
// Check that all source files are in leaf nodes
sourceFiles.forEach((file) => {
if (!leafNodes.includes(file.namespace)) {
violations.push({
file: file.name,
namespace: file.namespace,
issue: 'Source file not in leaf node (component)',
})
}
})
return violations
}
Best Practices
Do's ✅
- Ensure components exist only as leaf nodes
- Remove orphaned classes from root namespaces
- Choose flattening strategy based on functionality
- Consolidate when functionality is related
- Split when functionality is distinct
- Extract shared code to
.sharedcomponents - Update all references after flattening
- Verify changes with tests
Don'ts ❌
- Don't leave orphaned classes in root namespaces
- Don't create components on top of other components
- Don't skip updating imports after moving files
- Don't flatten without analyzing impact
- Don't mix flattening strategies inconsistently
- Don't ignore shared code when flattening
- Don't skip testing after refactoring
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Simple Consolidation
Before:
ss.survey/
├── Survey.js ← Orphaned
└── templates/ ← Component
└── Template.js
After:
ss.survey/ ← Component (leaf node)
├── Survey.js
└── Template.js
Pattern 2: Functional Split
Before:
ss.ticket/ ← Root namespace
├── Ticket.js ← Orphaned (45 files)
├── assign/ ← Component
└── route/ ← Component
After:
ss.ticket/ ← Subdomain
├── maintenance/ ← Component
│ └── Ticket.js
├── completion/ ← Component
│ └── TicketCompletion.js
├── assign/ ← Component
└── route/ ← Component
Pattern 3: Shared Code Extraction
Before:
ss.survey/ ← Root namespace
├── Survey.js ← Domain code
├── SurveyValidator.js ← Shared code
└── templates/ ← Component
After:
ss.survey/ ← Component
├── Survey.js
└── shared/ ← Component
└── SurveyValidator.js
Next Steps
After flattening components:
- Apply Determine Component Dependencies Pattern - Analyze coupling
- Create Component Domains - Group components into domains
- Create Domain Services - Extract domains to services
Notes
- Components must exist only as leaf nodes
- Root namespaces with code are problematic
- Flattening improves component clarity
- Choose flattening strategy based on functionality
- Shared code should be in dedicated components
- Always update references after moving files
- Test thoroughly after flattening
Frequently asked questions about Component Flattening Analysis
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