Code refactoring is the process of restructuring code to improve its readability, maintainability, and extensibility without changing its structure and functionality.
The main reason why code refactoring is important is to make sure that the software codes are properly maintained and be more efficient. Through this process, you are able to become more cost-effective as you do the restructuring of the code now rather than spend money on handling errors later on.
Code refactoring can help the debugging process go smoothly as well as the QA process.
To help you properly implement this process, here are five best practices that you should apply and follow for code refactoring.
Put It Under a Test
If there are errors in your code, you can use the program’s tests to help you build and test your code. If problems arise, you can easily find them without causing other issues.
What you should do is put the code that you intend to refactor under a test even before running it. This is to make sure that you are able to cover all possible cases. Doing this would help you find any errors that might occur without breaking the system.
Encapsulate Primitive Operations
With code refactoring, it is necessary to create a more general and a more involved procedure. For example, instead of having several expressions with one character, you should combine and put them into a procedure.
This is to ensure that you have a more efficient approach to your codes.
Plan and Create an Effective Timeline
Before you start any refactoring project, you should have a timeline and a plan for what you are going to do. This is important and must be followed for the project to be carried out properly. Without a timeline, you can easily get lost and confused in the code and not be able to understand it.
Also, you should refrain from trying to improve the code by guessing. Make sure that you have more information and have a bigger picture before you start making changes.
Use Refractor First before Adding Features
If you do refactoring first and then add new and more advanced features, you can have a better understanding of some of the code’s fundamental functions. This is a great way for you to be able to improve how you deal with the code. It can be time consuming, but it will help you prevent any technical issues now and in the future.
Make Use of Code Refractory Automation
Automation is important for any process, especially for refactoring. It can help you work faster and more efficiently.
One of the best examples of refractory automation is an IDE or Integrated Development Environment. There are two IDEs with automated refactoring support. They are IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse.
You can check out other built-in automated refactoring in IDEs as it solves one of the major concerns in code development: refactoring shortcuts.
Involve Your Testing and QA Team
As refactoring can have a big impact on the application and even the functionalities of the application, it is important to involve and let your testing and QA team know what you are doing and what you are planning to do.
If the project has many features and the code is extensive, it is best to make sure that everyone is on the same page to prevent any kind of issues from occurring.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things that you have to consider when you are doing a code refactoring project. You should make sure that you have a good plan and a timeline and that you are able to incorporate these five best practices into your refactoring project so that you will be able to have a good and effective result.
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