---
id: wiki-2026-0508-the-two-hats
title: The Two Hats
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [Two Hats Rule, Beck's Two Hats, 두 모자]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.92
verification_status: applied
tags: [tdd, refactoring, kent-beck, discipline]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack:
  language: TypeScript
  framework: Vitest
---

# The Two Hats

## 매 한 줄
> **"매 한 번에 한 hat 만 — adding feature OR refactoring, never both"**. Kent Beck 의 *TDD By Example* (2003) 의 핵심 discipline. 매 mode-switching 의 명시적 awareness 가 매 code change 의 quality 를 결정. 매 Feathers 의 legacy work 에서도 동일 principle.

## 매 핵심

### 매 두 hat
- **Adding Feature hat**: 매 new behavior. 매 fail test 작성 → minimum code 로 pass. 매 design improvement 의 X.
- **Refactoring hat**: 매 behavior 의 preservation. 매 all test green. 매 new feature 의 X.

### 매 switching rule
1. 매 hat 의 명시적 awareness — 매 commit message 에 표시.
2. 매 transition 시 모든 test green 확인.
3. 매 hat 을 동시에 쓰면 — 매 step back, 매 separate commit.

### 매 응용
1. PR 분리 — 매 refactor PR + 매 feature PR (reviewer 부담 감소).
2. Commit hygiene — 매 "refactor: extract method" + 매 "feat: add discount logic".
3. Code review — 매 "이거 refactor 야 feature 야?" 질문 의 명시.

## 💻 패턴

### Hat marker in commit
```bash
# Refactor hat
git commit -m "refactor: extract calculatePrice into PriceCalculator

No behavior change. All 142 tests green before and after."

# Feature hat
git commit -m "feat: add VIP tier discount

- Add VIPDiscount strategy
- Test: VIP gets 20% off
- Test: STANDARD unchanged"
```

### TDD cycle with hats
```typescript
// === FEATURE HAT ===
// 1. Write failing test
it('VIP customer gets 20% discount', () => {
  expect(calculateDiscount(100, 'VIP')).toBe(80);
});

// 2. Minimum code to pass (ugly OK)
function calculateDiscount(price: number, tier: string): number {
  if (tier === 'VIP') return price * 0.8;
  return price;
}

// === REFACTOR HAT === (all tests green)
// 3. Improve design without behavior change
type Tier = 'VIP' | 'STANDARD';
const DISCOUNT: Record<Tier, number> = { VIP: 0.2, STANDARD: 0 };

function calculateDiscount(price: number, tier: Tier): number {
  return price * (1 - DISCOUNT[tier]);
}
// Run tests → green. Commit as refactor.

// === FEATURE HAT === again for next behavior
it('GOLD customer gets 10% discount', () => { /* ... */ });
```

### Mode-switch checklist
```typescript
// Before switching to Refactor hat:
// [ ] All tests green?
// [ ] Last commit clean?
// [ ] No half-written feature?

// Before switching to Feature hat:
// [ ] Refactor commit complete?
// [ ] Tests still green?
// [ ] Clear what new behavior to add?
```

### Sprout method (Feathers, refactor-friendly feature add)
```typescript
// Legacy mess — don't refactor (Feature hat)
function processOrder(order: any) {
  // ... 300 lines, low test coverage ...
}

// Add new behavior in NEW pure function (Feature hat)
export function calculateLoyaltyPoints(order: Order): number {
  return Math.floor(order.total / 10);
}

// Wire it in — minimal touch
function processOrder(order: any) {
  const points = calculateLoyaltyPoints(order);  // sprout
  // ... existing mess unchanged ...
}
// Later, separate Refactor hat session can clean up `processOrder`.
```

### Detecting hat conflation (smell)
```typescript
// SMELL: PR titled "Add discount logic" but diff includes:
//   - new feature ✓
//   - rename 5 unrelated variables ✗
//   - extract 3 unrelated methods ✗
//   - reformat whole file ✗
//
// Reviewer cannot tell what changed semantically.
// Fix: split into 3-4 commits/PRs by hat.
```

### Pre-commit hook (hat enforcement)
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-commit
msg=$(cat "$1")
if [[ ! "$msg" =~ ^(feat|fix|refactor|docs|test|chore): ]]; then
  echo "Commit message must start with type prefix indicating hat"
  exit 1
fi
```

## 매 결정 기준
| 상황 | Hat |
|---|---|
| New behavior needed | Feature |
| Existing test green, code ugly | Refactor |
| Bug fix (changes behavior to correct) | Feature (failing test first) |
| Rename for clarity | Refactor |
| Extract method | Refactor |
| Add parameter | Feature (likely) |
| Mixed urge | Stop — split into two |

**기본값**: 매 explicit hat awareness, 매 separate commit, 매 green test 의 transition gate.

## 🔗 Graph
- 부모: [[Test-Driven_Development]] · [[Refactoring_Best_Practices|Refactoring]]
- 변형: [[Red-Green-Refactor]]
- 응용: [[Sprout Method]]
- Adjacent: [[Testability_Architecture]] · [[Technical_Debt]] · [[Conventional Commits]]

## 🤖 LLM 활용
**언제**: PR splitting advice, commit message disciplining, refactor-vs-feature classification.
**언제 X**: 매 actual editor mode-switching automation — 매 human discipline 이 본질.

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **Mixed PR**: refactor + feature 의 단일 PR — 매 review 가 noise 에 묻힘.
- **"While I'm here"**: 매 unrelated tweak — 매 feature 가 endless drift.
- **Refactor in red**: 매 broken test 에서 refactor — 매 behavior change 의 hidden source.
- **Big-bang refactor**: 매 multi-day refactor 의 isolation — 매 daily incremental 이 안전.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- Verified (Beck 2003 *TDD By Example*; Feathers 2004 *WELC*).
- 신뢰도 A.

## 🕓 Changelog
| 날짜 | 변경 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 |
| 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — Beck two hats + sprout + commit hygiene |