Identifying refactoring opportunities using logic meta programming

Abstract

Abstract-In this paper, we show how automated support can be provided for identifying refactoring opportunities, e.g., when an application's design should be refactored and which refactoring(s) in particular should be applied. Such support is achieved by using the technique of logic meta programming to detect so-called bad smells and by defining a framework that uses this information to propose adequate refactorings. We report on some initial but promising experiments that were applied using the proposed techniques.

Improving the Precision of Fowler's Definitions of Bad Smells

“…However, they only demonstrate this approach for two Bad Smells and do not apply them for other Bad Smells. We have adopted a similar pattern-based approach to Tourwe and Mens [10] This section presents an overview of our pattern-based definitions. We first describe our approach to defining pattern-based Bad Smell.…”

“…Previous pattern based approaches first translate source code file into a meta-model [9], and then define Bad Smells as particular structures in this meta-model. One recent study by Tourwe and Mens [10] describes how to define Bad Smells using a pattern based approach and detect them using a Logic Meta Programming language SOUL. They suggest that this is a better approach to identifying Bad Smells.…”

Ranking Refactoring Patterns Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process

“…Tourwe and Mens (Tourwe and Mens, 2003) use logic meta programming to identify refactoring opportunities in a software design and propose the application of refactoring patterns. Their approach can be used together with ours to improve the results by focusing on the refactoring patterns that improve most the set of quality attributes selected by the developers.…”

Towards Automating Source-Consistent UML Refactorings

“…In order to automatically suggest (and possibly execute) refactorings based on a set of detected code smells, a UML tool should present a metamodel that is adequate for describing such code smells and exchanging them with a detector [19,20]. Consistency Maintenance between Model and Code Since source code is considered as the primary software artifact in today's refactoring tools, refactoring implementations are by no means integrated with the repository of UML tools.…”

“…Roberts extended this work by augmenting the refactoring definitions with postconditions and showing how refactorings can be composed [24]. Tourwé and Mens use logic metaprogramming to integrate code smells in an automatic refactoring tool [19]. Prolog-like logic rules are used to detect bad smells in the program code and to suggest refactorings that can be used to remove these smells.…”