Refactoring effects on software quality analyzed using code metrics
Evaluation of Software Quality Through Refactoring Commit-Impact Analysis
Software Engineering
Summary
Code changes can affect how good or bad a software program is. To understand this, the authors studied software projects from GitHub to see what happens to code quality before and after special changes called refactorings. They checked things like code size, complexity, and how many problem spots appear. Their study helps show how refactoring can improve or change software quality using measurable signs.
What this means in practice
- •For software development teams: Assess the impact of refactoring on code quality to better plan maintenance and improve reliability.
- •For software quality assurance teams: Use code metrics before and after refactorings to prioritize testing efforts on areas with higher defect risk.
Authors
Md Safayat Hossen, Sheikh Moonwara Anjum Monisha, Shadid Intisar Quasem
Abstract
The aim of this study is to conduct an empirical analysis of the correlation between code modifications and software quality. This will be achieved by examining the effects of changes made before and after each refactoring commit, using software metrics such as size, complexity, code smells, vulnerability, and bug detection. The objective is to conduct static code analysis on open-source software from GitHub repositories using various repository mining and static code analysis tools. Our approach involves formulating research-based questions and utilizing the specified tools to obtain results that will enable us to resolve the case study. The obtained results have been summarised and further analyzed using tables and graphs to achieve the objective.