Written by Stanley Conklin on 2022-06-16. Posted in IT Management / Software Engineering Practices

Code Refactoring Techniques Every Software Engineer Needs to Know

Are you a software engineer looking to improve your coding skills? If so, then you need to know about code refactoring. Refactoring is the process of improving the structure of your code without changing its functionality. As a result, it can make your code more readable and easier to maintain.

This blog post will share some essential refactoring techniques every software engineer needs to know. Whether you’re new to coding or have been doing it for years, these tips will help you write better code. So let’s get started!

Why code refactoring is important for software developers

Code refactoring is improving the structure or quality of code without changing its functionality. It is usually done to make the code more readable, maintainable, or extensible. Refactoring can also help improve performance or address security issues.

There are many benefits to refactoring code, especially for software developers. For one, it can make the code more understandable and easier to work with. This can be a huge time-saver when tracking bugs or adding new features. Additionally, well-refactored code is typically more robust and less likely to break when changes are made. Finally, refactoring can improve the overall design of a codebase, making it simpler and more maintainable in the long run.

Overall, code refactoring is an important process for any software developer to be familiar with. By taking the time to refactor code regularly, developers can save themselves a lot of time and headaches.

Improve the quality of your code with these refactoring techniques

Code refactoring is improving the structure or design of existing code without changing its functionality. It’s a common practice among developers and can help make your code more readable, maintainable, and reusable.

Many different techniques can be used for code refactoring, and the best one to use will often depend on the specific situation. Here are some of the most common and useful code refactoring techniques:

1. Extract Method

Extracting methods is a great way to improve the readability and maintainability of your code. It involves taking a code section and moving it into its own separate method. This can be especially helpful if you have a long or complex method that is difficult to understand.

2. Inline Method

Inlining methods are the opposite of extracting methods. It involves taking a method and moving its code into the caller method. This can be helpful if you have a short or simple method called frequently.

3. Rename Variable

Renaming variables is a simple but often overlooked refactoring technique. It can help make your code more readable and easier to understand. Sometimes, all it takes is changing the name of a variable from something like “temp” to something more descriptive like “currentTemperature.”

4. Extract Interface

Extracting interfaces is a great way to improve the design of your code. It involves taking a class and creating a new interface containing that class’s public methods. This can be helpful if you have a complex class with many methods or want to create an abstraction layer.

5. Replace Conditional with Polymorphism

Replace conditional with polymorphism is a refactoring technique that can help improve the design of your code. It involves replacing a code section with a polymorphism that uses conditionals (if/else or switch). This can be helpful if you have complex code that is difficult to understand or maintain.

6. Move Method

Moving methods is a great way to improve the organization of your code. It involves taking a method and moving it to a different class. This can be helpful if you have a method that is logically related to another class or if you want to improve the encapsulation of your code.

7. Encapsulate Field

Encapsulating fields is a great way to improve the design of your code. It involves taking a public field and making it private. This can be helpful if you have a field used by other classes or if you want to prevent other classes from directly accessing the data in the field.

8. Replace Magic Number with Constant

Replace magic numbers with constant is a refactoring technique that can help improve the readability of your code. It involves replacing a “magic number” (a hard-coded number) with a named constant. This can be helpful if you have a number used frequently or if the meaning of the number is unclear.

9. Split Variable

Splitting variables is a refactoring technique that can help improve the readability and maintainability of your code. It involves splitting a single variable into two or more variables. This can be helpful if you have a complex expression or want to make your code more readable.

10. Combine Variable

Combining variables is the opposite of splitting variables. It involves taking two or more variables and combining them into a single variable. This can be helpful if you have multiple variables that are logically related or if you want to reduce the number of variables in your code.