Refactoring Tools: Fitness for Purpose

Refactoring is the process of changing software's structure while preserving its external behavior. Refactoring tools can improve the speed and accuracy with which developers create and maintain software-but only if they are used. In practice, tools are not used as much as they could be; this s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE software 2008-09, Vol.25 (5), p.38-44
Main Authors: Murphy-Hill, E., Black, A.P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Applied sciences
Boxes
Computer programs
Computer science
control theory
systems
Developers
Exact sciences and technology
Fitness
History
Inheritances
Java
keywords: refactoring
Preserving
Product design
Programmers
Programming languages
Programming profession
Software
software development
Software engineering
Software maintenance
software tools
Software utilities
Streaming media
Success factors
Tactics
Writing
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Description
Summary:Refactoring is the process of changing software's structure while preserving its external behavior. Refactoring tools can improve the speed and accuracy with which developers create and maintain software-but only if they are used. In practice, tools are not used as much as they could be; this seems to be because sometimes they do not align with the refactoring tactic preferred by most programmers, a tactic the authors call "floss refactoring." They propose five principles that characterize successful floss-refactoring tools - principles that can help programmers to choose the most appropriate refactoring tools and also help toolsmiths to design tools that fit the programmer's purpose.
ISSN:0740-7459
1937-4194
DOI:10.1109/MS.2008.123