Refactoring in a large code base

[Marko Rauhamaa]

Chris Angelico <rosuav at gmail.com>:

> Alright. Can you rewrite all of those modules in three months?

The point is not to rewrite modules except as a fallback for a
hopelessly badly written module.

> And then there's the language itself. The cpython/Python directory has
> 58 .c files, many of which are closely tied to each other.

Putting modularization in place after the spaghetti has been created is
very hard. It can be done, though, and good things come out of the
effort.

> I don't agree with everything Joel says, but seriously, do not waste
> your time with a full rewrite - even in theory. And I can say this
> from hard experience on both sides.

As long as you are happy with your code base, you don't have to change
everything just for an abstract principle.

However, as a matter of rule, older code bases have been bloated till
they can barely be maintained. That's when the management starts to
listen to new ideas. Better late than never.

> Would it have been better to throw the code away and start over?

Again, modularization doesn't entail rewriting -- it simply makes
localized rewriting a practical option for desperate situations.

> So how can you rewrite *any* large project in three months?

Let go of the rewriting already.


Marko