How does Atlas handle Svelte component imports during refactoring?

Atlas uses the `lsp` tool's `findReferences` operation to identify every import statement and component usage across your SvelteKit project. When you restructure a module, Atlas helps you track these references with `todowrite`, ensuring all callers are updated and your Svelte application continues to build correctly.

Can Atlas help me refactor a Svelte store without breaking its subscribers?

Yes, Atlas can. First, it maps the store's public surface and finds all subscribers using `lsp documentSymbol` and `findReferences`. Then, you pin the store's behavior with `Vitest with Testing Library` tests via `atlas bash 'pnpm test'`. Atlas's `apply_patch` tool helps you restructure the store, and you re-run tests after each change to ensure no subscriber behavior is altered.

What if my Svelte project uses `prettier-plugin-svelte` for formatting?

Atlas respects your existing Svelte toolchain. While Atlas focuses on structural and behavioral changes, it does not interfere with your formatter. You can configure Atlas to run `prettier-plugin-svelte` via `atlas bash 'pnpm prettier --write .'` as part of your post-refactor cleanup or pre-commit hooks, maintaining your project's code style.

How does Atlas ensure my `svelte.config.js` isn't accidentally broken?

Atlas operates with explicit user approval. Any proposed change to `svelte.config.js` or any other file will generate a unified diff that Atlas presents to you for review. You must approve the diff before Atlas writes the changes, giving you full control and preventing accidental modifications to critical configuration files.

Can Atlas refactor SvelteKit `+page.svelte` or `+layout.svelte` files?

Yes, Atlas can assist with refactoring any Svelte file, including SvelteKit's route files like `+page.svelte` and `+layout.svelte`. It can map their exports, find references to them, and apply structural changes using `apply_patch`, all while verifying behavior with your `Vitest with Testing Library` tests.

Is Atlas compatible with `pnpm` for Svelte projects?

Absolutely. Atlas is terminal-native and uses its `bash` tool to execute any command you would normally run. This means you can direct integrate `pnpm` commands, such as `atlas bash 'pnpm install'` or `atlas bash 'pnpm test'`, into your Atlas-driven Svelte refactoring workflow.

Refactor a Legacy Svelte Module with Atlas in 2026

In 2026, Svelte developers can efficiently refactor legacy modules without changing their behavior or breaking callers by leveraging Atlas, which integrates directly with `Vitest with Testing Library` for robust behavior verification, `pnpm` for package management, and `prettier-plugin-svelte` for consistent formatting. Atlas ensures structural changes are safe and verifiable, providing a clear path to modernizing your SvelteKit codebase.

How to Map a Svelte Module's Public Surface with Atlas

Mapping a Svelte module's public surface in 2026 is the critical first step for safe refactoring, and Atlas uses its `lsp` tool to identify all exported symbols from files like `src/lib/LegacyWidget.svelte`. This process ensures every external dependency on the module is accounted for before any structural changes begin.

Before restructuring any Svelte component or utility module, Atlas helps you understand its external footprint. Using the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation, Atlas can parse your `src/lib/components/OldComponent.svelte` or `src/stores/legacyStore.js` files to list all exported functions, variables, and components. For instance, running `atlas lsp documentSymbol src/lib/components/OldComponent.svelte` will reveal every symbol that other parts of your SvelteKit project might be importing. Once the public surface is mapped, Atlas then employs `lsp findReferences` on each identified symbol. This enumerates every single callsite across your entire Svelte project, from `+page.svelte` files to other Svelte components, ensuring no caller is overlooked. This comprehensive mapping prevents silent breakage, a common risk in legacy refactoring, by providing a complete picture of the module's dependencies.

Pinning Svelte Module Behavior with Vitest and Atlas

Pinning the existing behavior of a Svelte module is paramount before any refactoring, and Atlas achieves this by running your `Vitest with Testing Library` tests. In 2026, developers use `atlas bash 'pnpm test'` to establish a green baseline, ensuring that the module's functionality is preserved throughout the restructuring process.

The core principle of safe refactoring is to change structure without altering behavior. For Svelte projects, this means leveraging your existing `Vitest with Testing Library` test suite. Atlas integrates directly with your terminal, allowing you to execute your tests using the `bash` tool. Before making any changes to `src/lib/LegacyService.js` or `src/components/OldFeature.svelte`, you would run `atlas bash 'pnpm test'` to confirm all tests pass. This 'green baseline' serves as your behavioral contract. Atlas records this baseline, and any subsequent test failures immediately signal a regression. This approach, combined with the granular application of changes, ensures that the refactoring process is continuously validated against the module's intended functionality, providing confidence that your Svelte application remains stable.

Restructuring Svelte Files Safely with Atlas's apply_patch

Restructuring Svelte files requires precision to avoid file drift, and Atlas's `apply_patch` tool is designed for this. In 2026, it applies structural changes by anchoring on context lines, refusing to proceed if the target file, such as `src/lib/utils/old-helpers.js`, has diverged from the expected state.

When it's time to actually restructure your Svelte components or utility files, Atlas uses the `apply_patch` tool. This tool is not a blind find-and-replace; it's designed for robust, context-aware modifications. Each 'hunk' of a patch includes context lines and the `old_lines` it expects to find. If the target file, for example, `src/components/LegacyCard.svelte`, has been modified by another process or developer since the patch was generated, `apply_patch` will fail with a 'Failed to find context' error. This prevents unintended changes from being applied to a drifted file, safeguarding your Svelte codebase. Atlas computes a unified diff for every file edit and surfaces it for your approval before writing, giving you full control over every change to your `svelte.config.js` or any other project file. This meticulous approach ensures that refactoring operations are both precise and safe.

Continuous Verification: Re-running Svelte Tests After Each Change

To maintain Svelte module integrity during refactoring, Atlas advocates re-running `Vitest with Testing Library` tests after each `apply_patch` operation. This continuous verification strategy, a best practice in 2026, immediately flags any behavioral regressions in files like `src/routes/old-dashboard/+page.svelte`.

Instead of applying all structural changes at once and then running tests, Atlas promotes a 'test-after-each-hunk' methodology. After every successful `apply_patch` operation that modifies a Svelte file, such as moving a function from `src/lib/old-api.js` to `src/lib/new-api.js`, Atlas prompts you to re-run your `Vitest with Testing Library` tests. You would again use `atlas bash 'pnpm test'`. This immediate feedback loop is crucial. If a test fails, you know precisely which recent change introduced the regression, making debugging significantly easier. This iterative process minimizes the risk of accumulating subtle bugs that are hard to trace back to their origin, ensuring that your Svelte application's behavior remains consistent throughout the refactoring journey.

Tracking Svelte Call Site Migrations with Atlas's todowrite

Managing the migration of Svelte call sites during a refactor is streamlined by Atlas's `todowrite` tool. In 2026, this feature helps developers track remaining references to a legacy module, preventing partially migrated components like `src/components/PartialWidget.svelte` from being mistaken for finished work.

Refactoring a legacy Svelte module often involves updating numerous call sites across your project. Atlas's `todowrite` tool is designed to help you manage this complex task. After identifying all references using `lsp findReferences`, Atlas can generate a `todowrite` list that enumerates every file and line where the legacy module is still being used. As you migrate each call site - perhaps updating an import in `src/routes/admin/+page.svelte` or modifying a component usage in `src/components/NewFeature.svelte` - you can mark it off the list. This ensures that a partially migrated module is never mistakenly considered complete. The `todowrite` list provides a clear, actionable roadmap for completing the refactoring, giving you confidence that all dependencies on the legacy Svelte module have been successfully updated.

Atlas's Safety and Review Mechanisms for Svelte Refactoring

Atlas incorporates robust safety and review mechanisms for Svelte refactoring, ensuring every change is transparent and approved. In 2026, this includes permission-gated tool calls, a read-only plan agent, and unified diffs for every file edit, safeguarding your `svelte.config.js` and other critical files.

Atlas is built with safety at its core, especially crucial when modifying complex Svelte codebases. Every Atlas tool call, whether it's `lsp`, `apply_patch`, or `bash`, is permission-gated against allow, ask, and deny rules before it runs. This means you explicitly control what Atlas can do. Before making any changes, Atlas drafts a plan in a read-only plan agent and asks for your approval before switching to a build agent. This 'plan-then-build' approach gives you a clear overview of the intended modifications. Furthermore, Atlas computes a unified diff for every file edit and surfaces it for your approval before writing. This applies to all files, from Svelte components to configuration files like `svelte.config.js`. You see exactly what changes will be made, line by line, and can approve or reject them. Atlas also snapshots file changes as git patches, allowing edits to be easily diffed and rolled back if needed, providing multiple layers of protection for your Svelte project.

Step by step

011. Map the public surface of your Svelte module using `atlas lsp documentSymbol src/lib/LegacyModule.svelte` to identify all exported symbols.
022. Enumerate every callsite for each exported symbol with `atlas lsp findReferences src/lib/LegacyModule.svelte <symbol_name>` and track them in a `todowrite` list.
033. Pin the module's behavior by running existing `Vitest with Testing Library` tests with `atlas bash 'pnpm test'` and record the green baseline.
044. Draft a refactoring plan with Atlas's read-only plan agent, reviewing the proposed structural changes to your Svelte files.
055. Apply structural changes to your Svelte module using `atlas apply_patch <patch_file>` for each hunk, ensuring context lines match.
066. After each `apply_patch` operation, re-run your `Vitest with Testing Library` tests with `atlas bash 'pnpm test'` to immediately detect regressions.
077. Review the unified diff for every file edit, including `svelte.config.js` or `src/routes/+page.svelte`, and approve changes before Atlas writes them.
088. Update remaining call sites in your Svelte project, marking them off your `todowrite` list as you migrate imports and component usages.
099. Once all call sites are migrated and tests pass, use `atlas git commit -m 'Refactor: Legacy Svelte module'` to finalize the changes.

Frequently asked questions

How does Atlas handle Svelte component imports during refactoring?: Atlas uses the `lsp` tool's `findReferences` operation to identify every import statement and component usage across your SvelteKit project. When you restructure a module, Atlas helps you track these references with `todowrite`, ensuring all callers are updated and your Svelte application continues to build correctly.
Can Atlas help me refactor a Svelte store without breaking its subscribers?: Yes, Atlas can. First, it maps the store's public surface and finds all subscribers using `lsp documentSymbol` and `findReferences`. Then, you pin the store's behavior with `Vitest with Testing Library` tests via `atlas bash 'pnpm test'`. Atlas's `apply_patch` tool helps you restructure the store, and you re-run tests after each change to ensure no subscriber behavior is altered.
What if my Svelte project uses `prettier-plugin-svelte` for formatting?: Atlas respects your existing Svelte toolchain. While Atlas focuses on structural and behavioral changes, it does not interfere with your formatter. You can configure Atlas to run `prettier-plugin-svelte` via `atlas bash 'pnpm prettier --write .'` as part of your post-refactor cleanup or pre-commit hooks, maintaining your project's code style.
How does Atlas ensure my `svelte.config.js` isn't accidentally broken?: Atlas operates with explicit user approval. Any proposed change to `svelte.config.js` or any other file will generate a unified diff that Atlas presents to you for review. You must approve the diff before Atlas writes the changes, giving you full control and preventing accidental modifications to critical configuration files.
Can Atlas refactor SvelteKit `+page.svelte` or `+layout.svelte` files?: Yes, Atlas can assist with refactoring any Svelte file, including SvelteKit's route files like `+page.svelte` and `+layout.svelte`. It can map their exports, find references to them, and apply structural changes using `apply_patch`, all while verifying behavior with your `Vitest with Testing Library` tests.
Is Atlas compatible with `pnpm` for Svelte projects?: Absolutely. Atlas is terminal-native and uses its `bash` tool to execute any command you would normally run. This means you can direct integrate `pnpm` commands, such as `atlas bash 'pnpm install'` or `atlas bash 'pnpm test'`, into your Atlas-driven Svelte refactoring workflow.

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