

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 today’s fast-paced development environment, where speed of software delivery is crucial, code refactoring has become an integral part of maintaining high-quality applications. In this context, the use of design patterns becomes an effective strategy for improving code structure. In this article, we’ll focus on the role of design patterns in the refactoring process, introduce popular patterns, and discuss how their application can impact the readability, flexibility, and maintenance of code.
Design Patterns and Refactoring
Design patterns are proven solutions for common problems in software design. While their primary goal is to provide flexibility and code reusability, they are also an excellent tool in the refactoring process. Applying patterns not only improves the structure of the code but also facilitates the understanding of its logic, positively affecting maintenance and development of applications.
Creational patterns in refactoring
Creational patterns are classic design solutions focusing on how objects are created in object-oriented programming. In the context of refactoring, creational patterns can be used to enhance code structure through more efficient creation and management of objects in an application. Refactoring with creational patterns involves using these patterns to improve code quality and flexibility when creating new objects or class instances. Let’s look at a few examples.
- Singleton: This design pattern limits the instance of a given class to one object and provides a global access point to it. In refactoring, it can help control class instances and eliminate redundant objects.
- Abstract factory: This pattern allows the creation of families of related objects without specifying their concrete classes. In refactoring, it can be used to simplify the object creation process and increase code flexibility.
- Builder: This pattern allows the construction of complex objects step by step. Used in refactoring, it can facilitate the creation process of objects with complex structures by separating the construction process from the actual object.
Structural patterns in refactoring
Structural patterns focus on relationships between objects and classes in an application. In refactoring, using structural patterns aims to improve code structure through more flexible and efficient management of object relationships. The most commonly used structural patterns include:
- Adapter: The Adapter pattern enables cooperation between two classes with different interfaces. In refactoring, it can be used for gradual adaptation of class interfaces, eliminating unwanted dependencies.
- Bridge: The Bridge pattern separates abstraction from its implementation, allowing independent modifications of both. In refactoring, it can be applied to separate abstraction from specific implementations, facilitating later modifications.
- Composite: The Composite pattern allows uniform treatment of both individual objects and their groups. In refactoring, it can help uniformly treat complex structures and individual elements.
Practical example of using a design pattern in code refactoring
Now let’s analyze a practical case of applying a design pattern in code refactoring. Suppose we have an application using the Singleton pattern, but its implementation is not aligned with best practices:
public class Singleton {
private static Singleton instance;
private Singleton() {}
public static Singleton getInstance() {
if (instance == null) {
instance = new Singleton();
}
return instance;
}
}
Refactoring may involve the use of "Lazy Initialization" to improve performance:
public class Singleton {
private static Singleton instance;
private Singleton() {}
public static synchronized Singleton getInstance() {
if (instance == null) {
instance = new Singleton();
}
return instance;
}
}
Such changes eliminate the problem of multithreading and improve the application’s performance.
Refactoring code based on design patterns is an effective strategy for improving the structure, readability, and flexibility of software. Design patterns not only help solve specific design problems but also facilitate maintenance, development, and scaling of applications.
If you are interested in code refactoring based on design patterns, we encourage you to take advantage of Codema’s services. Our team of experienced specialists will help you improve the structure, readability, and flexibility of your software.
To begin the code refactoring process, please fill out the contact form on our website. Don’t hesitate – contact us and start improving the quality of your software today!
