Refactoring

Refactoring improves the internal design of working software while preserving its intended behavior. Examples include extracting functions, renaming concepts, simplifying conditionals, separating responsibilities, and replacing duplication with clearer abstractions.

Safe refactoring

Use fast automated tests, make small reversible changes, and separate structural cleanup from behavior changes when possible. A refactor should make the next change easier, not merely move code around.

Trade-offs

Refactoring has opportunity cost. The highest-value work removes friction in frequently changed or risky areas; broad rewrites without a concrete delivery or reliability benefit often create more risk than they remove.