💡 All articles

• Start cleaning your Legacy codebase with The Daily Refactoring Hour

  Building the habit of small refactorings as you go will make a difference in the long run.

• Identify who to ask for help with Knowledge Maps

  Learn to draw a Knowledge Map of your codebase within minutes, and find out who owns what!

• Quickly improve code readability with Proximity Refactorings

  Here's a technique that leverages how your brain works to make any code easier to work with.

• The key points of Software Design X-Rays

  This book is a gold mine. Yet, it's not a famous one. Here's my summary of its salient points that can help you deal with large codebases.

• 7 techniques to regain control of your Legacy codebase

  Working with Legacy Code is no fun… unless you know how to approach it and get your changes done, safely.

• If you mock, are you even testing?

  Is this the real code? Is this just fantasy? Let's discuss the problem with unit testing Legacy Code and an approach you can take.

• Convince managers to address Tech Debt with Enclosure Diagrams

  How to come up with a plan that will resonate with non-technical people, in 7 concrete steps.

• Demine your codebase in 30min with Exploratory Refactoring

  When you're stuck trying to understand some code, it pays off to spend some time with a different approach.

• 7 practices you should follow for a successful code handover

  Code handovers are critical moments in the lifetime of a project. Make the most out of it with these advice.

• Reveal the structure of long methods with an online Word Counter

  You don't need fancy tools to start making a dent on a scary method. Simply take a step back.

• A quick way to add tests when code has database or HTTP calls

  You need to fix a bug, but you can't spend a week on it? Here's a technique to isolate problematic side-effects and write tests within minutes.

• Bring Legacy Code under tests by handling global variables

  What's the best way to deal with these annoying global variables? Make them explicit.

• Earn future maintainers esteem by writing simple ADRs

  With Legacy Code, there is never any good documentation. Hopefully, there's a simple way for you to stop that trend.

• Is it fine to use "AND" in a function name?

  Finding a better name for a function is hard, especially when people have contradictory opinions on what a good name looks like…

• 5 talks on Legacy Code: The Legacy of SoCraTes, 1st edition

  Tips and advice on dealing with Legacy Code from 5 great speakers at this remote conference I organized for the community.

• Focus refactoring on what matters with Hotspots Analysis

  Here's a way to prioritize refactoring when you have to deal with a large, unmaintainable codebase.

• Don't make Clean Code harder to maintain, use the Rule of Three

  If you worry that following clean code practices create more code to maintain, here's a way out.

• Are functions that simply call another function a bad design choice?

  Let's see how you end up with these while trying to refactor Legacy Code and what you can do about that.

• What is wrong with boolean parameters?

  And 4 ways to fix their usage in Legacy Code.

• 5 coding exercises to practice refactoring Legacy Code

  Feeling overwhelmed by your legacy codebase? These katas will help you learn how to tackle it.

• Dive into an unfamiliar codebase from its edges

  Do you feel paralyzed, wondering how to approach a legacy codebase? Try to start from the system edges.

• The key points of Working Effectively with Legacy Code

  This book is a reference. Here's my summary of its salient points so you understand why it's so recommended.

• 5 arguments to make managers care about technical debt

  If you think that management wouldn't let you refactor Legacy Code, use these 5 arguments to convince them.

• Avoid rewriting a legacy system from scratch, by strangling it

  When an application becomes impossible to maintain, a rewrite is very tempting. But it could make things worse.

• Is it up to the newer developer to pay back others' technical debt?

  And what you can do about it if you find yourself in such situation.

• Use the Mikado Method to do safe changes in a complex codebase

  When a codebase is large and complex, it's risky to big changes. Here's a structured way to approach the problem.

• 3 steps to add tests on existing code when you have short deadlines

  Here's a recipe you can follow when you want to add tests on Legacy Code, but you don't have much time to do so.

• What is Legacy Code? Is it code without tests?

  Here's a useful definition of "Legacy Code" you can refer to.

Written by Nicolas Carlo who lives and works in Montreal, Canada 🍁
He founded the Software Crafters Montreal community which cares about building maintainable softwares.