Re: Refactoring
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2003 05:05:55 GMT
Message-ID: <SE8Ma.8547$BM.2801881_at_newssrv26.news.prodigy.com>
"Juan Pardillos" <sicotom_at_eresmas.com> wrote in message
news:6278687.0306301503.9fe330c_at_posting.google.com...
> Hi everybody,
>
> can anybody tell me what's the meaning of "refactoring" applied to the
> field of databases? Is it maybe to apply old strategies to solve new
> needs?
Refactoring is a general appoach in which disorganized code is evolved into a workable state through gradual and steady application of discipled development. The specific strategies and "refactorings" that have been developed in the world of procedural coding are, IMHO, not directly relevant to database design. However, the general concept of refactoring is relevant.
The need to refactor databases is by no means new. Bad database designs have been around for a long time.
Refactoring a database is much harder than refactoring code, because database structures tend to have global dependancies in code, which makes any change likely to cause errors. This is especially true in a poorly design database. In theory, it is possible to refactor, but in practice I've let a lot of sleeping dogs lie.
The price of bad database design is more code and less flexibility. If you can eliminate database design flaws without introducing errors, you get a big payoff in the long run. Of course, as Keynes said, "In the long run we're all dead."
Good luck!
Paul Received on Tue Jul 01 2003 - 07:05:55 CEST