moai-workflow-ddd

Refactor legacy code without changing behavior by using an ANALYZE-PRESERVE-IMPROVE cycle that keeps observable behavior and API contracts stable while restructuring. This approach relies on characterization testing and incremental transformation to validate equivalence throughout the process.

The best way to reduce technical debt safely is through behavior-preserving refactoring that emphasizes characterization tests, snapshots, and incremental changes. This ensures structure improves without altering functionality or breaking existing consumers.

Yes, you can modernize legacy code and perform API migration without breaking existing consumers by preserving API contracts during refactoring. The process applies incremental transformation and continuous validation to ensure outputs and side effects remain unchanged.

Characterization testing works during code refactoring by capturing the current outputs and side effects of existing code before changes are made. These tests serve as a safety net to validate equivalence continuously as incremental transformations are applied.

You need behavior-preserving refactoring for tangled dependencies when technical debt makes safe modification difficult and structure must improve without changing functionality. It applies to projects requiring lower coupling, cleaner boundaries, and module reorganization.

Yes, this refactoring approach works for duplicated business logic in fragile modules by reorganizing them into smaller, clearer components. It maintains the same outputs and side effects while improving the overall code structure through incremental validation.