Description

Refactoring should be done in a series of small changes, each making the code better than earlier without breaking the functionality.

Here is a list of things that make refactoring done the right way.

  • Refactoring should make code cleaner than earlier.
  • Refactoring should not add new functionality to the existing code.
  • Refactoring should not break the existing functionality.
  • Refactoring should not break the existing test cases.

Refactoring should make code cleaner than earlier

  • Refactoring with small changes and testing after each change, otherwise, the refactoring makes the code messier than it was before.
  • Never include multiple changes into a single commit.
  • However, there may be instances where improving the code becomes a disaster, which can happen with extremely sloppy code.

Refactoring should not add new functionality to the existing code

  • Refactor a piece of code in small chunks and test after each change to make sure nothing is broken.
  • Never mix any new features while refactoring the code.

Refactoring should not break the existing functionality

  • Refactoring must improve the code quality and readability but should not change the functionality.
  • Not just functionality, but performance should also be taken care of.

Refactoring should not break the existing test cases

  • Always run the tests after each step of refactoring.
  • All the tests must be passed, in case of any failures, fix them and proceed.
  • Write new tests, update existing tests, or even delete the tests as needed, but make sure the tests are covering enough code.

Overall

We now know how to refactor a piece of code in software development.

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