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Your advice only works if the "large chunk" of code isn't a large chunk of code lol. If you can safely refactor a subset of the code without the full context th
by BigJono 3y ago
Your advice only works if the "large chunk" of code isn't a large chunk of code lol. If you can safely refactor a subset of the code without the full context then of course you'd do that. But if there's a big enough chunk of code that people can't load it into their brain RAM before making a change, it'll just get bigger and bigger as more people tack on drive by changes. If you're past that point, it's time to ctrl-A delete specifically so you can apply Chesterton's Fence on future refactors.
- layer8 3y agoIn my experience it's always possible to proceed in small increments, and that's the safe way to go. Not being able to load a big chunk into your "brain RAM" is actually an important reason for only doing incremental refactors. It doesn’t mean you stop and leave it in some intermediate state. It also doesn’t mean "drive-by changes". It's a coordinated, planned-out and continued effort.