If this material is helpful, please leave a comment and support us to continue.
Table of Contents
Refactoring, a crucial element of agile development methodologies such as Scrum, centers around altering the structure of the code without altering its external behavior. The primary goal is to facilitate maintainability, enhance readability, and enable easier addition of new features. While it’s essential in the development process, it becomes even more crucial for those aspiring to get certified as an Advanced Certified Scrum Developer (A-CSD).
Refactoring is essentially editing or reconstructing the code to make it more efficient, cleaner, and easier to comprehend, without altering its function. Often when a codebase is large, complex, or legacy, it becomes challenging to maintain it or understand it without an ample amount of time and resources. This is where refactoring steps in to optimize the code, making it easy to maintain.
In the context of the Scrum framework, refactoring usually takes place in short iterations or sprints, following the principles of Test-Driven Development (TDD). This defines a cycle of first creating a test case, then refactoring until your code passes the test.
Let’s delve into a typical approach that could be used to refactor a system effectively.
The first step is to identify code fragments that require refactoring. Code smells, which are essentially patterns in the code that indicate possible issues, can help in identifying such fragments. Examples of code smells include duplication, long methods, large classes, and switch statements. Let’s consider we have identified a ‘Long Method’ code smell for refactoring.
def calculate_total_price(quantity, price_per_unit, discount, tax):
total = quantity * price_per_unit
total = total – (total * discount / 100)
total = total + (total * tax / 100)
return total
In the above exemplary code, a method is performing multiple operations to calculate the total price. It’s a perfect candidate for refactoring as it breaches the single responsibility principle.
Before modifying the code base, make sure you have tests that cover the part of the codebase you want to refactor. This enables you to validate that the behavior of the program hasn’t changed after refactoring. In our above example, you can create tests that provide different inputs to the `calculate_total_price()` method and validate the output against expected values.
Now that you’re confident with your safety net of tests, you can now start refactoring the code. In our example, we could better structure the code by breaking down the long method into smaller methods, each handling a single operation.
def calculate_price_before_discount(quantity, price_per_unit):
return quantity * price_per_unit
def apply_discount(total, discount):
return total – (total * discount / 100)
def apply_tax(total, tax):
return total + (total * tax / 100)
def calculate_total_price(quantity, price_per_unit, discount, tax):
total = calculate_price_before_discount(quantity, price_per_unit)
total = apply_discount(total, discount)
total = apply_tax(total, tax)
return total
Upon refactoring the code, rerun your tests again. If all tests pass successfully, you can be confident that your refactoring has not altered the expected behavior of the system.
Refactoring is not a one-off process. As the software evolves and changes, there is constant need for refactoring.
By refactoring, we can derive several tangible benefits for the maintainability of the system.
Remember, continual refactoring is a shared responsibility among all team members and is crucial in developing a highly efficient and maintainable system. As the saying goes: “Leave the code better than you found it.”
Answer: True
Explanation: Refactoring aims to improve the internal structure of the code, such as readability or reduce complexity, without altering its external behavior or functionality.
Answer: D. Adding new features to the system
Explanation: Refactoring is about improving the design of existing code, not adding new features. While adding new features might be a part of system enhancement or upgrade, it is not part of the refactoring process.
Answer: False
Explanation: On the contrary, refactoring improves the maintainability of a system. It reduces the complexity of the code, makes it cleaner and easier to understand, which ultimately increases maintainability.
Answer: B. Deleting unnecessary code
Explanation: Removing unnecessary or dead code is a refactoring technique that helps in reducing the complexity and increasing the maintainability of a system.
Answer: True
Explanation: Automated testing is key to refactoring as it ensures the behavior of the system remains the same after changes have been made.
Answer: C. Decreases project cost
Explanation: By making the system more efficient and easier to understand, refactoring tends to decrease project cost in the long run by reducing the effort for maintenance.
Answer: True
Explanation: Code duplication increases complexity and decreases maintainability. Therefore, refactoring often includes efforts to minimize or eliminate code duplication.
Answer: D. Making the system behave differently
Explanation: Refactoring aims to improve the internal structure of the code without altering its external behavior.
Answer: B. Automated testing
Explanation: Automated testing should be the first step in refactoring to guarantee that the changes do not break the system.
Answer: False
Explanation: While refactoring can sometimes lead to the improvement in performance, the primary goal of refactoring is to improve the understandability and maintainability of the code.
Answer: D. Make small refactoring steps as soon as the need is identified
Explanation: This principle means that instead of waiting for the codebase to accumulate much technical debt, it’s beneficial to make small improvements as and when they are identified.
40 Replies to “demonstrate at least one approach to refactor a system for maintainability.”
This blog post is a must-read for any developer!
This blog provides valuable insights. Regular refactoring ensures that technical debt is kept low.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s all about sustainable development practices.
Really good information, thank you.
Who else finds TDD effective for maintaining code quality?
I do. TDD ensures that new features don’t break existing functionality.
In my projects, I’ve used code reviews as a way to ensure maintainability. They help catch issues early on.
Yes, pair programming can also be a great way to enhance code quality.
Code reviews are vital. They also help in knowledge sharing across the team.
I totally agree. One approach that works well for me is the use of design patterns. Anyone else?
Absolutely, design patterns like Singleton and Factory can help make the code more understandable and easier to maintain.
Yes, and they’re also great for reducing code duplication!
Fantastic blog post!
Didn’t find it very useful.
One technique I’ve found useful is breaking down big classes into smaller, more manageable ones. Thoughts?
That’s a good practice. It aligns well with the Single Responsibility Principle, making the code a lot easier to test and maintain.
Definitely! It helps in isolating issues faster when they arise.
Great read. Having a robust CI/CD pipeline helps maintainability as well.
CI/CD can catch issues early, making it easier to maintain and refactor the codebase.
Not every refactoring method works out of the box in every system.
True. It’s important to evaluate the context and choose the best refactoring strategy.
Spending time on code hygiene is always worth it.
Absolutely! It’s time well-invested in the long run.
Great post! Refactoring for maintainability is crucial in a Scrum environment.
Insightful article, thanks!
Thanks for the insightful article!
Class decomposition is crucial for maintainability.
Agreed, following the principle of high cohesion and low coupling is a good strategy.
Grateful for the insights shared here.
Applying the SOLID principles can significantly enhance the maintainability of a system.
Yes, SOLID principles are fundamental for creating easily maintainable and scalable systems.
Refactoring continuously during the sprint is key. Who else does this?
True. It helps prevent the buildup of technical debt over time.
Great info, thanks for sharing!
Wonderful post! Really enjoyed reading it.
We should also consider automated testing to help with maintainability.
Automated tests act as a safety net, especially beneficial when refactoring.
Appreciate the post. Clean code is easier to refactor for future needs.
I appreciate the perspective on maintainability.
Thanks for sharing such detailed information.