About
Exploring Solution Spaces, Keith Ray's blog on Software development and other topics.
Send comments to:
keithray@mac.com
| For Agile Training, eLearning, or Coaching contact: |
| Industrial Logic, Inc. |
| 866-540-8336 (toll free) |
| 510-540-8336 (Berkeley, California) |
| Links |
| xpminifaq |
| Résumé |
| “Adopting XP” Article 2002 (pdf) |
| “ Refactoring” Article 2006 |
| AYE Conference |
| Lucien W. Dupont |
| Elisabeth Hendrickson |
| Johanna Rothman's Managing Product Development |
| Brian Marick's Exploration Through Example |
| Esther Derby's Insights You Can Use |
| Laurent Bossavit's Incipient(thoughts) |
| Dale Emery's Conversations with Dale |
| Martin Fowler's Bliki |
| Creating Passionate Users |
Archives
Subscribe
RSS Exploring Solution Spaces XML
2007.Apr.09 Mon
Refactoring is like Steering a Car
Won't continual merciless refactoring slow the team down?
This question is like asking, "Isn't all that messing with steering wheel going to slow your car down? Why don't you just pick a direction for your car, lock your steering wheel in place, and stick to it?"
Refactoring takes care of unplanned as well planned design changes. Unplanned changes may include noticing duplicated code or other code smells. Planned changes include those changes necessary to implement a new story or feature. Similarly, in driving, we have unplanned course changes, such as avoiding accidents, slow drivers, potholes, and pedestrians, and planned course changes.
Like all analogies, there's a nugget of truth here, but don't take the analogy too far.