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
Refactoring Legacy Code – What is it About?
Legacy code often represents a heritage of the past, functioning but posing challenges in maintenance, scalability, and adaptation to modern standards. Refactoring legacy code becomes a key tool for improving the quality, understandability, and flexibility of old code. In this article, we’ll look at the challenges associated with refactoring legacy code.
What is Legacy Code?
Legacy code refers to code that was written using older technologies, often before the introduction of more modern programming practices. It is characterized by a lack of current standards, difficult understandability, and possible limitations in adapting to new requirements. Legacy code is not always bad; it is often essential for the operation of key systems. However, maintaining and developing it can be challenging.
Challenges Associated with Legacy Code – What Are They?
Legacy code refers to older IT systems or applications that are often difficult to understand, develop, or maintain due to their age, the technology in which they were written, or limitations in code structure.
- Lack of Documentation – Many older systems suffer from a lack of sufficient documentation. Developers are forced to analyze the code itself, which makes understanding the logic difficult.
- Dependencies on Outdated Technologies – Legacy code often relies on outdated technologies, making maintenance increasingly difficult in the face of evolving IT industry.
- Lack of Unit Tests – Older applications often lack appropriate unit tests, increasing the risk of introducing errors with each modification.
- Difficulty in Scaling – As a company grows and the scale of operations increases, older systems may prove insufficient in the context of modern business requirements.
Refactoring Legacy Code is Possible
Refactoring legacy code involves making changes that improve its structure and readability while not affecting its functionality. It is a method of reducing technical debt and improving the quality of an older system’s code, enabling more efficient management and development of applications.
Tools to Aid in Refactoring Legacy Code
Continuous searches are conducted for more effective methods of refactoring legacy code. At least several tools are suggested in this area, including:
- SonarQube – This tool analyzes code quality, identifies problems, and suggests fixes. Ideal for monitoring the progress of refactoring.
- Git – Version control system allows tracking of changes made, creating branches for experimentation, and easy rollback of unsuccessful refactoring attempts.
- Jenkins – An automation tool that can be configured to automatically test code after changes are made.
- Visual Studio Code with Refactoring Add-ons – A very popular tool among developers, offering refactoring features such as renaming, method extraction, or eliminating duplicate code.
The above shows that refactoring legacy code is a process requiring carefulness, analysis, and planning. Although legacy code can be challenging, effective refactoring brings several benefits, such as increased readability, flexibility, and adaptation to modern standards. It’s worth contacting experts at Codema to learn more about this refactoring service.
