The importance of code refactoringĪt first, its purpose may seem a little superfluous – sure, code refactoring is improving the nonfunctional attributes of the software, which is nice, but what’s the point if it isn’t helping the overall functionality?Įxperts say that the goal of code refactoring is to turn dirty code into clean code, which reduces a project’s overall technical debt.ĭirty code is an informal term that refers to any code that is hard to maintain and update, and even more difficult to understand and translate. The changes in existing source code preserve the software’s behavior and functionality because the changes are so tiny that they are unlikely to create or introduce any new errors. There are many ways to go about refactoring, but it most often comprises applying a series of standardized, basic actions, sometimes known as micro-refactorings. Defining code refactoringĬode refactoring is defined as the process of restructuring computer code without changing or adding to its external behavior and functionality. In this article, we are looking at code refactoring as a way to reduce technical debt.
This work then turns into “debt” because it will eventually need to be dealt with. Such a short-term solution works for now but isn’t the best for the software in the long run. Luckily, the release goes well, the function is added smoothly, and it’s onto the next sprint of work.īut what happens to that code that isn’t the cleanest, clearest, or best it can be? We’ve talked in previous articles about technical debt – the idea that certain work gets delayed during software development in order to deliver on time. Instead, you have to add the functionality in a bit of a haphazard way, just to get it done, so you do. We’ve all been there before: it’s time to add one last function into your program for the next release, but you don’t have the time to make it just right – organized, well-structured, and aligned with the rest of the code.
0 kommentar(er)
