The Art of Refactoring

Refactoring is often misunderstood as simply “cleaning up code.” True refactoring implies improving the internal structure of code without altering its external behavior.

Identifying Code Smells

Before you can refactor, you must identify areas that need it. Look for:

1. Duplicated Code: The most common smell. If you see the same logic in three places, it’s time to extract it.
2. Long Methods: Keep methods short and focused on a single task.
3. Large Classes: Classes that try to do too much become unmaintainable.

Refactoring should be a continuous process, not a scheduled event.