What is Code Refactoring?: What You Should Know

With more and more developers now embracing the Agile development strategy, there is a nifty little concept that has emerged on the scene. Why? Because development teams often work on very tight schedules, i.e., they often do not have enough time to improve or expand the scope of existing functionalities of a software, especially with clean code. And this is where code refactoring comes in. Code refactoring, a process used in the DevOps-driven software development process, refers to the improvement of existing code to utilize edit and generally optimize it. And all of this is done without having any impact on the code’s existing functionality. The concept is leveraged to boost the code’s efficiency as well as its maintainability factor.



Now that we understand what code refactoring is let’s take a look at some of the most important reasons why we need code refactoring.

Why do you need code refactoring?
  • When the code starts to smell, i.e., you begin observing redundant code or extremely complex code design, and more. If not dealt with quickly, it can take a toll on development, maintenance, and even the system’s performance.
  • When the team takes a technical debt, i.e., when the team takes a shortcut of sorts for the time being to accelerate the process, they add overhead for themselves. If this debt keeps piling up, it can often lead to the system being subjected to the risk of performance failure, maintenance issues, etc.
  • The Agile software development approach is, undoubtedly, a terrific tool, but only when a well-structured code backs it. If the code is not clean and comfortable to maintain, any attempts to extend the code’s functionality in the future are rendered impossible.
Next up: How to ensure a seamless refactoring process. Here are some tips and best practices to help you do just that.

Best practices
  • Red-Green-Refactor: This process involves organizing the refactoring into three key steps:
    • Pause and reflect on what the development requirement is ‘Red’
    • Ensure the development gets through rudimentary testing, i.e., ‘Green’
    • Implement the enhancements, a.k.a. Refactor
  • Composing method: Under the purview of this method, one works to optimize the code. To what end? Well, to cut down the number of duplications and redundancies in the code. This method is executed utilizing a variety of processes, such as inline and extraction processes.
  • Preparatory refactoring: In case you feel the need for code refactoring while working on the addition of new functionality to the system, you don’t need refactoring. Instead, it is a software update that you ought to consider. The simple process of identifying the need helps cut down any future technical debts.
As you can see, code refactoring is virtually ensuring that the code, and thus the system, remains in order. It also helps ease much burden and ensures seamlessness all around. So, if you find yourself needing it too, engage a trusted vendor for independent software testing services.