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10 mistakes to avoid during refactoring

18 June 2024

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Study conducted as a part of the implementation of the project: “Entering American, British and Swedish markets with a comprehensive service of computer programs renovation (refactoring) by Codema”, No. POPW.Ol.02.00-06-0069/22. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme Eastern Poland 2014-2020.
EU funding for the project: 851,663.82 PLN


In our programming practice, we’ve experienced how crucial the process of code refactoring is in software development. We’ve realized that it aims not only to improve readability and efficiency but also to elevate the overall quality of the code. However, during this process, we encountered certain errors that can lead to unintended and often negative consequences. It’s worth analytically presenting them here.

Common mistakes during code refactoring:

  1. Lack of tests – skipping tests, especially automated unit and integration tests, before starting refactoring is a serious error. Tests are essential to ensure that refactoring does not introduce new errors.
  2. Too large changes – attempting to make too many changes at once can lead to errors and make it difficult to understand the impact of these changes on the entire system. It is better to refactor gradually.
  3. Neglecting documentation – not updating documentation along with changes in the code can lead to inconsistencies and misinformation within the team.
  4. Ignoring business context – refactoring that focuses solely on the code, ignoring the business context and user requirements, can lead to the loss of important functionalities or the introduction of unnecessary changes.
  5. Excessive optimization – optimizing code without a real need or data confirming its necessity (premature optimization) can lead to increased complexity and maintenance difficulties.
  6. Unconsidered interface changes – changes in public interfaces that affect other parts of the system or external API users should be carried out cautiously and with due consideration.
  7. Lack of team communication – refactoring requires good communication within the team, especially when changes involve parts of the code that more than one person is working on. Lack of communication can lead to code conflicts and duplication of work.
  8. Keeping old code “Just in case” – keeping old code fragments in comments “just in case” leads to clutter and can cause confusion as to which part of the code is current.
  9. Ignoring performance – during refactoring, attention should also be paid to performance. Changes that significantly reduce system performance can be more harmful than the original problems.
  10. Refactoring without a specific reason – refactoring carried out without a clear purpose or specific need is risky and can lead to unnecessary changes, increasing code complexity.

In the future, the catalog of errors during code refactoring may evolve even further. Of course, the continuous development of technology and programming methodologies will surely influence the evolution of the catalog of errors that can occur during code refactoring. Therefore, the list – the catalog of the above 10 errors is certainly not closed. Future changes in the industry may introduce new challenges and threats that will require attention during the code refinement process. The introduction of new programming languages, tools, or frameworks may cause new errors related to the integration of new technologies with existing code. Increasing use of the cloud and microservices may introduce new challenges related to refactoring in a distributed environment and managing multiple microservices. The development of new threats and challenges related to security, such as cyber attacks, may result in the need to consider security aspects during the refactoring process. Increased use of automation in the software development process may introduce errors related to automation tools and the need to adapt refactoring to these processes. The evolution of architectural patterns may pose new challenges related to their application during refactoring and the need to adapt them to new trends.

In summary, it is reasonable to state that the evolution of technology and changes in the way software is developed will influence the catalog of errors during code refactoring. Therefore, it is important for developers – as we do at Codemie – to remain flexible, follow the latest trends, and take appropriate actions to avoid new pitfalls that may arise in the future. Proper awareness, education, and adaptation to the changing programming environment will be key to avoiding new errors during code refactoring.

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