Automated Refactoring Suggestions Using the Results of Code Analysis Tools

Abstract

Abstract-Static analysis tools are used for the detection of errors and other problems on source code level. The detected problems related to the internal structure of a software can be removed by source code transformations called refactorings. To automate such source code transformations, refactoring tools are available. In modern integrated development environments, there is a gap between the static analysis tools and the refactoring tools. This paper presents an automated approach for the improvement of the internal quality of software by using the results of code analysis tools to call a refactoring tool to remove detected problems. The approach is generic, thus allowing the combination of arbitrary tools. As a proof of concept, this approach is implemented as a plug-in for the integrated development environment Eclipse.

Automated refactorings in Java using IntelliJ IDEA to extract and propogate constants

“…The static analysis tools make the developer aware of compile-time errors, and can also scan for code-smells that are candidates of poor design or poor coding practices. However, these inspection tools coupled with the refactoring tools suffer from a lack of support for the mapping of design flaws to the appropriate refactorings, and the lack of formal models to support design-based refactorings [3,8,16,19].…”

“…This tool is involved with the identification and analysis stage of refactoring, as well as the solution analysis stage and the reorganization of code stage. Another tool covering the refactoring lifecycle, AddFix, mapped the results of static analysis code tools to refactorings in Eclipse [19]. This was done in a flexible manner so that most static analysis plugins for Eclipse could be connected to any Eclipse plugins that provided refactorings.…”

“…of refactoring tools. Prior study examining the refactoring tools for Java development [5,6,7,8,9,10,16,19] reinforced the fact that automation of mundane tasks, strategies for error recovery, customization abilities, and lack of support for the entire refactoring lifecycle still remain as some of the pitfalls associated with refactoring tools.…”