If you do not know exactly what software refactoring is, why it is important, and especially when (or not) it should be done, you’ve come to the right place.

Refactoring is an important step in system development, but also in the career of a dev, regardless of whether you are an expert developer or a generalist.

Therefore, let’s clarify the subject matter for good. Keep on reading until the end to understand how software refactoring can help improve your code so it fully meet users’ needs.

Enjoy! 

What is software refactoring?

Software refactoring is the process of improving a system’s code through advanced programming techniques. It is the reworking of legacy code in order to optimize the structure, organization, and understanding of source code.

It is important to state that refactoring is not meant to fix broken code; rather, It is generally applied in functional systems which somehow need a review, and the end goal is to rethink the organization of the project for the devs.

The importance of software refactoring

As previously stated, software refactoring is important in order to better organize code, facilitate its reading by other devs, and simplify the maintenance process for other team members.

This is due to the fact that a system is often created without best development practices at first, which can happen because of staff inexperience or even due to specific needs of the given moment in time.

For starters, if a system has a functionality failure, the code created to fix this flaw may not be the best possible for the structure issue, since the primary goal is to resolve the problem at hand and prevent the user from being blocked out of using the software.

In this hypothetical scenario, the refactoring process would be performed in order to organize the new piece of code, without changing its main functioning.

When should software be refactored?

There are some recommendations in the development universe that outline when software should be refactored. Let’s check them out:

1. When the code is overly complex and difficult to understand;
2. When the code is too old;
3. When a new feature is added;
4. When any fault is corrected.

Item 1, when the code is too complex to understand, is the most pressing point on the list. In this scenario, the team is likely facing challenges in order to read code, and this is a telltale sign that refactoring is a good solution to reorganize things back to their rightful place. 

Item 2 may suggest a refactoring process, but it depends on a thorough prior evaluation. After all, not all old code needs to be optimized if it has already been originally written with the best, time-tested development practices.

Items 3 and 4 are completely optional, and a refactoring process should only be carried out if it would not compromise project delivery. In this scenario, refactoring is not the initial approach, but it could be performed in order to take advantage of the changes in code already taking place.

Therefore, it is essential that the team has the maturity to detect, analyze, and decide which code needs refactoring, since —while mostly harmless and welcome—it is not always a mandatory practice.

When should software NOT be refactored?

Just as it is important to analyze the code to decide whether it should be refactored, we might also conclude, after analyzing it, that it should not be refactored. But when would that happen? Let’s check it out:

1. When refactoring would require more time than a total code rewriting;
2. When the code is filled with flaws and logical problems;
3. When there are no available tests which can ensure the quality of the original source code.

In the 3 cases presented above, the best possible solution would be to rewrite the code from scratch and add the proper automated tests so that minimum required quality is achieved. That way, the system will become more stable and increase in functionality for its users.

Read also: Usability testing in software: what it is, how it works, its importance and some tips on how to perform it

Software refactoring techniques

Now that you understand what software refactoring is, its importance, and in which particular scenarios it should or should not be applied, it is time to get to know 5 refactoring techniques that can be helpful in the process, as detailed below:

1. The extraction method

Used when a code snippet can be grouped. In this case, the recommendation is to move the snippet to a method, or function, so that it can be called at the right time.

2. The inline method

The inline method follows the opposite path of the extract, in which the contents of a method or function are used in lieu of the call. This process is rolled out when the method/function body is used in a single location, for example.

3. The variable extraction

Variable extraction is indicated for expressions that are difficult to understand. In this specific scenario, it is important to break the expression into smaller code snippets and store the results in strategic variables.

Thus, involved variables may be self-explanatory in order to facilitate reading and the maintenance of the code.

4. The temporary variable split

Another important instance is when a variable is used to store results coming from different code snippets. In this case, the best solution is to create variables so as to assign them a single role. In a nutshell, that means that each variable will be responsible for storing a single value type. 

5. Removal of assignments to parameters

Finally, we describe a refactoring problem, which is when a parameter is mistakenly populated within a method. In this scenario, and in order to prevent this from happening, the deployment of a local variable is recommended so work can be performed in isolation and safely.

Do you understand what software refactoring is?

Software refactoring is a simple concept to understand, but challenging to apply. This process requires experience and maturity in order to identify code that is susceptible to further improvement.

However, as time goes on, it is only natural to get to understand the importance of software refactoring in the process of creating quality systems that fully meet the needs of users.Do you like the content? So, also take the opportunity to read another essential article to help you evolve in your career as a developer: Tips for programmers: 10 essential practices for professional success