Optimized Refactoring Mechanisms to Improve Quality Characteristics in Object-Oriented Systems

Abdullah Almogahed; Hairulnizam Mahdin; Mazni Omar; Nur Haryani Zakaria; Ghulam Muhammad; Zulfiqar Ali

doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3313186

IEEE Access (Jan 2023)

Optimized Refactoring Mechanisms to Improve Quality Characteristics in Object-Oriented Systems

Abdullah Almogahed,
Hairulnizam Mahdin,
Mazni Omar,
Nur Haryani Zakaria,
Ghulam Muhammad,
Zulfiqar Ali

Affiliations

Abdullah Almogahed: ORCiD; Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
Hairulnizam Mahdin: ORCiD; Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
Mazni Omar: ORCiD; School of Computing, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia
Nur Haryani Zakaria: ORCiD; School of Computing, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia
Ghulam Muhammad: ORCiD; Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer and Information Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Zulfiqar Ali: School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, U.K

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3313186
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11
pp. 99143 – 99158

Abstract

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Refactoring has emerged as a predominant approach to augmenting software product quality. However, empirical evidence suggests that not all dimensions of software quality experience unending enhancements through refactoring. Current scholarly explorations reveal significant variances in the impacts of diverse refactoring methods, with potential adverse effects and contradictions surfacing concerning software quality. Consequently, such disparities render the advantages of refactoring contentious, culminating in challenges for software developers in the selection of optimal refactoring methods to ameliorate software quality. Existing literature lacks an in-depth exploration of the reasons behind the contrasting impacts of refactoring methods on quality enhancement or the development of refined protocols for employing these techniques. Therefore, this research aims to explore, identify, and fine-tune the utilization mechanisms of refactoring methods, empowering software developers to make informed choices for the enhancement of object-oriented systems’ quality attributes. Ten commonly employed refactoring methods were singled out for this investigation, each executed independently across five case studies varying in scale (small, medium, and large). The Quality Model for Object-Oriented Design (QMOOD) was employed as the evaluation tool to ascertain the influence of refactoring techniques on quality attributes. The research outcomes denote that the multifarious impacts of refactoring methods on quality attributes are attributed to distinct usage mechanisms of the techniques. These insights assist software practitioners in discerning the optimal utilization of refactoring methods to ameliorate software quality, taking their mechanisms into account. Moreover, these outcomes furnish industry experts with prescriptive guidelines for employing refactoring methods to elevate the quality of object-oriented systems, predicated on the suitable mechanism.

Published in IEEE Access

ISSN: 2169-3536 (Online)
Publisher: IEEE
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
Website: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=6287639

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