Towards Language Independent Semi-automated Tool For Software Refactoring

Abstract

Sophisticated software development need more concern on maintenance phase as it has the highest cost associated with compare to other phases. One main reason for the situation is lack of readability as it decreases when programs get larger and developed by more than single person. Proposed solution for this issue is the source code refactoring and automating this process independent of the developed language is the main goal of this research. A metamodel has been created out of the candidate source code with a help of a language dependent constrains deVnition Vle. language Vle is converted into tokenizer. Out put tokens of the tokenizer is being used by the metamodel builder to create the metamodel. Refactoring procedure is performed by locating the anomalies in side the source code named code smells. DeVnitions for this structures are deVned inside a seperate Vle and refactoring engine uses this Vle to perform refactoring process on top of the metamodel. output can be use by the user and can make modiVcations to the source code manually to remove the issues. Proposed solution is intended not only typical programmer but for some special knowledge possessed users who needs more Wexible outcome out of the automated refactoring procedure. Evaluation has concluded that even though system has not perfect as the scope is too wide, results of the research yielded a initiate solution which can be improved as future works.