EP 48 : Refactoring in C#

Refactoring in C# is the process of restructuring and improving the internal structure of your code without altering its external behavior.

The goal is to enhance :

• Efficiency
• Code readability
• Maintainability

When should we refactor the code

These are some situations when we should refactor the code

• Refactor when the code becomes hard to read or understand
• When you see a code smell its time to refactor
• Refactor when fixing bugs ( if you feel need of it)
• Refactor the code when better performance is your concern. Although it should be kept in mind while developing first time.
• Integrate refactoring when dealing with legacy code to modernize and align it with current coding standards and practices

Important : Make sure that your all test cases pass after refactoring the code

Common refactoring techniques

Here are some common refactoring techniques in C#:

1/ Create a new method to encapsulate a portion of existing code

If you have a lengthy code block performing a specific task within a method, you can extract that block into a separate method with a meaningful name.

Suppose we have this code :

It can be replaced with this :

2/ Improve code clarity by giving variables more descriptive and meaningful names

If a variable has a vague or misleading name, renaming it can improve code clarity

3/ Replace hard-coded numerical values with named constants

If you have a constant value used in multiple places, define it as a named constant to enhance code readability and maintainability.

4/ Group related parameters into a single object to simplify method signatures

If a method has multiple parameters that logically belong together, create a parameter object to make the method more cohesive.

5/ Replace conditional statements with polymorphic behavior through inheritance and interfaces

If you have a series of conditional statements that determine the behavior of an object, consider using polymorphism for a more extensible and maintainable solution.

6/ Replace a class hierarchy with composition to achieve greater flexibility and maintainability

Instead of using deep class hierarchies, favor composition to assemble behavior from smaller, more focused components.

7/ Define an interface based on the public methods of a class to promote loose coupling and flexibility

If multiple classes share similar behavior, extract an interface to enable polymorphism and interchangeability.

8/ Give appropriate variable names in lengthy expressions for better understanding

In this refactoring, we break down the complex expression into more manageable parts.

Happy Refactoring :)

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