RE: refactoring when using CVS

[Greg A. Woods]

[ On Thursday, February 21, 2002 at 12:59:06 (-0800), Noel Yap wrote: ]
> Subject: RE: refactoring when using CVS
>
> AFAIK, XP promotes "Refactor early, refactor often." 
> If so, and given Greg's premise that refactorisation
> should be rare and well-thought-out, then CVS isn't
> good for within an XP environment.

Hmmm... but in an eXtreme Pogramming environment you won't be checking
things into CVS until they bloody well work now will you!

I.e. refactor early, get it right, then check it in.

When doing XP you'll probably only want to be using something like CVS
to maintain already developed code, not to track every daily nuance of
your initial development effort on new code.  XP has other ways to deal
with change management during the initial authoring of a program or some
component of a larger program -- indeed that's one of the main reasons
for doing things the XP way in the first place!

If you're using XP methods for maintenance of existing code then you'd
damn well better skip the refactoring step or you'll only cause yourself
(and your partner) some MAJOR headaches!  (regardless of what the
refactoring may or may not affect the file structure!)

Refactoring code during mainenance must only be done with extreme care
and a good deal of planning.  XP or no XP.  CVS or no CVS.

-- 
                                                                Greg A. Woods

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