Have you got critical code paths that make up core functionalities of the business that…

  • Developers avoid changing unless it is absolutely necessary
  • When a change is necessary, it is hacked out. Devs avoid improvements because, well, improvements aren’t absolutely necessary (see point #1)
  • Devs raise PRs with revamps or improvements but they never get merged

If you can relate to some or all of these statements, code probably has grown into a fragile, hundred or thousand line behemoth. Attempts at improving it have probably back-fired and developers now fear changing it. Yes, you might have a legacy code problem.

There is a silver lining though. As they (sort of) say: one man’s legacy code is another man’s opportunity to refactor. I relish making legacy code habitable again.

By making it possible to deploy changes in small batches, building a safety net of automated tests and enabling devs to refactor in safe, tiny steps, core systems can once again keep up with the business as it evolves.

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Legacy code humor