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Glite Dictionary
💻 To improve code 💻 A code change
refactor

refactor

1 6.9
A change to computer code that makes it cleaner and easier to understand without changing what it does
  • noun
  • /ˌriːˈfæktər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : refactorización
  • The latest project update included a significant refactor that improved the maintainability of the software systems.

I said this many times during my brief internship was that you need refactors before features.

Examples

  • This might make sense for C or OCaml, but is utterly dumb for ActionScript (or Java), where you typically compile a directory of related files and refactor stuff into new files a lot.

    Blog text (8)

  • Consider that you have a refactor branch and your colleague, Mark, has a refactor branch.

    Blog text (14)

  • Between each of these steps, refactor to remove duplication and simplify the code.

    Blog text (20)

  • Lots of cut-and-pasting going on, and it needs a really good cleanup and refactor.

    Blog text (32)

  • Anything that can improve the speed of the test, edit, compile, test, refactor, compile, test loop.

    Blog text (10)

  • If you use it with a shared repository, the bookmarks would instead be named refactor and refactor@default, since the default remote repository is called default in Mercurial.

    Blog text (14)

  • During the team meeting, we discussed the need for a refactor to enhance the readability of our code without changing its functionality.

  • To increase efficiency, the developers proposed implementing a refactor to streamline the existing code base.

Synonyms

modification
vsrefactor
137 3.9

Changing something to make it better or more suitable

keeps external behavior unchanged instead of changing how it works or appears
refinement
vsrefactor
15 4.4

A small change that makes something better or more precise

keeps external behavior unchanged while applying small internal tweaks for improvement
simplification
vsrefactor
13 3.6

Making something less complicated so it is easier to understand

keeps external behavior unchanged while restructuring internals for clarity and maintainability
reconfiguration
vsrefactor
5 5.6

A change in the way things are arranged to make them work better

keeps external behavior unchanged while altering internal arrangement or organization
reworking
vsrefactor
4 3.9

A new version of a book or film with changes

keeps external behavior unchanged rather than producing a functionally different new version
recodification
vsrefactor
  • Specialized
8.3

Rewriting program instructions to make a program faster or easier to fix

keeps external behavior unchanged while improving internal code structure and clarity
revising
vsrefactor
2.9

The act of changing writing to make it clearer

keeps observable behavior the same rather than changing functionality

How Extensive

rewrite
  • Specialized
3 7.2
retargeting
  • Specialized
7.2
refactor
  • Specialized
1 6.9
patch
  • Specialized
75 3.8
tweak
28 3.9

Surface Forms

refactor singular
refactors plural

Morphology

refactor = factor (semi-transparent) = re + factor

The prefix 're-' suggests doing something again, but 'refactor' in software has a specialized meaning not immediately clear from 'factor'.

Etymology

Refactor as a noun names a change to code and comes from re- 'again' + factor 'part', so a refactor is a change to the code's parts that makes the code clearer or easier to maintain without changing how it behaves.