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Software Developer's Guide to Code Refactoring

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Eduard Kopaloni
Software Developer's Guide to Code Refactoring

What is Refactoring?


Refactoring is the process of editing and cleaning up a codebase to keep the code efficient, safe and stable over time. This process does not cause any change in the application features, but rather improves the application's efficiency and security. Developers who don't refactor frequently have a massive quantity of technical debt because as the program expands and scales, the debt grows.


Refactoring is best done in modest, manageable increments. It is not a one-time code-changing process, like code rewriting. Additionally, it is crucial to perform it before including any new features or functionality in the solution. Refactoring the code should not alter how the product functions in any way. This is why code refactoring requires some techniques for effectiveness.


"Good code is its own best documentation. As you're about to add a comment, ask yourself, 'How can I improve the code so that this comment isn't needed?'" - Steve McConnell


Techniques for Refactoring


  • Red-Green Refactoring: Refactoring in this technique is broken down into three steps as follows:
  • At this stage the developer only needs to know the functionality of the program and it doesn't matter how the code will look like. The programmer writes a functionality test for a situation where the code fails [RED]. 
  • After this the information about the failed test must be examined and the code that fixes the errors must be written [GREEN].
  • The next step is to apply actions to structure and clean up the code from duplicates [REFACTOR]
  • Refactoring by Abstraction: The main goal of abstraction is to reduce duplication in source codes. The abstraction technique is normally used when a large amount of code is to be refactored. Pull-Up/Push-down is an example of Abstract refactoring. 
  • Composing method: Composing is done to reduce duplications by streamlining the code. The method involves two processes:
  • Extraction: To find the exact fragmentation by breaking the code into smaller chunks.
  • Inline: Reducing the number of pointless methods while streamlining the code.
  • Simplifying method: Simplifying technique comes in when code becomes increasingly jumbled and complex. There are several approaches to accomplish this, including replacing conditional with polymorphism and consolidating conditional fragments and expressions.


Best Code Refactoring Practices


  • Plan the refactoring project and decide on a timeline.
  • Break down the project into small chunks, and perform testing before moving to the next update
  • The Quality Assurance team should be involved in refactoring.
  • Use an automation tool to make refactoring easier and faster.


"The purpose of software engineering is to control complexity, not to create it." - Pamela Zave



Team Maintenance of Software and Refactoring


Software maintenance is the process of detecting bugs and program failures, making the necessary adjustments and enhancements, and testing the software to make sure it complies with standard operating procedures.


A team of people who collaborate to maintain software products for a business or organization is called a software maintenance team. To ensure that a product satisfies customer needs and keeps up with technological trends, a team frequently works together to maintain it. The team may consist of developers, quality assurance personnel, testers, system administrators, network administrators, database administrators, and customer service representatives


When a software system has been pushed to production, it must undergo maintenance from time to time. The purpose of maintenance is to increase the system's functionality, performance, and dependability, making it more flexible to meet shifting needs and conditions. One of the most important maintenance techniques for cutting-edge software systems is refactoring. 


Benefits of Refactoring in Software Maintenance


  • It makes source code readable and understandable
  • Refactoring makes it easy to add new features and upgrade software
  • Refactoring improves code quality and eliminates smells
  • Refactoring reduces technical debt thus reducing overhead maintenance costs


"A good refactoring tool can save you countless hours of manual work and help you avoid errors." - Joshua Kerievsky



Code Refactoring Tools


It is crucial to identify tools for refactoring that software maintenance teams can adopt to make the refactoring process effective and less time-consuming.


  • Stepsize. The tool allows you to analyze your technical debt and provides recommendations for refactoring.


  • JustCode. It is a browser and code editor with a lot of useful features, such as: code generation, unit test launcher and intelligent refactoring, among others. The tool blends perfectly with your natural workflow. 


  • AppRefactoring: It is an application for fast and secure uniqueness checking.The program allows you to improve code quality by analyzing duplicates and code overlaps in your projects. The tool supports the programming languages Java, C#, Swift, Kotlin, JavaScript, GO, PHP, Objective-C, Typescript, Node.js.


  • Glean. The tool provides several handy functions, such as extracting JSX into new components, converting class components into functional components and back, embedding conditions into JSX, and renaming state variables and their setters simultaneously.


  • Refactoring Essentials. This is a free open-source extension to Visual Studio. The tool makes it easy to refactor C# and VB.NET code. The code helps to get more readable and better quality code. 


Conclusion


Code refactoring is an important part of software development and maintenance. Refactoring ensures the source code of your software is maintainable and scalable by reducing the technical debts and complexities that could hinder easy maintenance. Prepare a solid plan for refactoring and employ the necessary tools for automation. This will help you extend the lifetime of your software.



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