From hb
Manages deprecation and migration of old systems, APIs, or features. Guides removal of legacy code, sunsetting features, consolidating duplicates, and lifecycle planning.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/hb:deprecateThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Code is a liability, not an asset. Every line carries ongoing cost: tests, docs, security patches, dependency updates, mental overhead. Deprecation is the discipline of removing code that no longer earns its keep. Migration is the process of moving users safely from the old to the new.
Code is a liability, not an asset. Every line carries ongoing cost: tests, docs, security patches, dependency updates, mental overhead. Deprecation is the discipline of removing code that no longer earns its keep. Migration is the process of moving users safely from the old to the new.
Most teams build well, few remove well. This skill addresses the gap.
Functionality has value; code has cost. When the same functionality can be provided with less code or better abstractions, the old code should go.
With enough users, every observable behavior becomes depended on — including bugs, timing quirks, and undocumented side effects. Deprecation requires active migration, not just announcement. Users can't "just switch" when they depend on behaviors the replacement doesn't replicate.
When building something new, ask: "How would we remove this in 3 years?" Clean interfaces, feature flags, and minimal surface area are easier to deprecate.
Before deprecating anything:
1. Does this system still provide unique value?
→ Yes: maintain it. No: proceed.
2. How many users/consumers depend on it?
→ Quantify the migration scope. If unknown, find out before announcing.
3. Does a replacement exist?
→ No: build the replacement first. Never deprecate without an alternative.
4. Who owns the deprecation?
→ Without a named owner, deprecations stall indefinitely.
5. What is the timeline?
→ Open-ended deprecations never finish. Pick a date.
@deprecated JSDoc, runtime warning, etc.)| Signal | Suggests |
|---|---|
| Replacement exists and is mature | Migrate |
| Old system has acute pain (security CVEs, perf cliff, can't hire for it) | Migrate urgently |
| Old system works, new system speculative | Maintain — don't migrate for novelty |
| Migration cost > 5x maintenance cost | Maintain unless strategic reason |
| Single consumer, can be coordinated 1:1 | Migrate, low ceremony |
| Many consumers, behaviors leaked | Migrate carefully, long timeline |
After completing a deprecation:
npx claudepluginhub helderberto/agent-skills --plugin hbGuides deprecation and migration: removing old systems, APIs, or features and migrating users to new implementations.
Plans and executes removal of deprecated APIs without breaking consumers. Includes pre-removal checklist, blast radius decomposition, and step-by-step migration process.
Plans and executes deprecation lifecycle for design system components, tokens, patterns: audits usage via grep, sets timelines, migration paths, communication plans, multi-phase removal.