Understanding refactoring

Refactoring is a disciplined, systematic process of improving the design of an existing code base without changing its external behavior. It’s a fundamental aspect of everyday coding, a practice integral to the iterative and incremental nature of software development. The concept is universally applicable, and not bound to any specific programming language, framework, or paradigm. Whether you’re writing in JavaScript, Python, or any other language, and whether you’re using React, Angular, or a homegrown framework, refactoring is crucial to maintaining a healthy code base.

The term “refactoring” was first introduced by William Opdyke and Ralph Johnson in a 1990 paper titled Refactoring: An Aid in Designing Application Frameworks and Evolving Object-Oriented Systems; however, the concept and practice of refactoring have roots in earlier practices in software engineering. The art of refactoring gained significant prominence...