Agile Glossary 101: Refactoring
- Oct 2, 2023
- 1 min read
What is Refactoring?
Refactoring is the process of restructuring existing code without changing its external behavior. This makes the code easier to understand, maintain, or extend. Refactoring can also help to improve the performance of a code base, reduce technical debt and make the software more reliable. It is an ongoing process of improvement, which should be done frequently to keep the code healthy.
What is the Purpose of Refactoring?
Refactoring aims to improve existing code’s readability, maintainability, and extensibility. Refactoring allows developers to do this without having to rewrite the code from scratch. By restructuring existing code, developers can make it easier for other developers to understand and work with the code. In addition, by improving the structure
of the code, developers can make adding new features
and increasing performance easier.
How is Refactoring Done?
Refactoring is done by breaking down the existing code into its parts, exploring how these parts interact with each other, and making changes to improve the overall structure of the code. This can involve restructuring methods and classes, renaming variables, reformatting a file, removing unnecessary complexity, or reducing repetition in the code. Refactoring is a continuous process and should be done regularly to maintain the code base’s health.
Benefits of Refactoring
The main benefit of refactoring is that it can improve the readability and maintainability of code, making it easier for other developers to understand and work with it. Additionally, refactoring can improve the performance of the code, reduce technical debt and make the software more reliable. Making these improvements can save time and money in the long run.
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