Refactor
A change to internal code structure that preserves its intended external behavior.
Plain English
Improve how the code is organized without changing what users get.
In context
Refactoring reduces complexity or improves clarity while keeping the observable contract stable.
Example
“Let's refactor this parser before adding another format.”
When you'll hear this
- code review
- maintenance
- planning
Common misunderstanding
A refactor is not supposed to introduce a new user-facing feature.
Also known as
code refactoring
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
