Title: Code smells and refactoring: a tertiary systematic literature review

Authors: Abhishilpa Nandini; Randeep Singh; Amit Rathee

Addresses: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IEC University, Baddi Solan HP, 173205, India ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IEC University, Baddi Solan HP, 173205, India ' Department of Computer Science, Government College, Barota, 131301, Sonipat (HR), India

Abstract: Software systems with code smells are difficult to maintain and evolve, and this impaired quality raises question marks on their future sustainability. Researchers have spent decades studying refactoring and code smells, which are key factors behind this problem. In lieu of the fact that the literature contains a huge collection of research publications that keeps evolving with time, dealing with code smell and refactoring activities is a challenge. Therefore, this paper targets a tertiary systematic literature survey. It aims at defining code smell and refactoring in general, identifying and analysing various tools and techniques available for code smell along with refactoring, identifying standard datasets available in the literature for the research community, and determining actively tackled code smells. This review paper considers 280 primary research publications collected from leading databases. The presented observations and recommendations are crucial for academic researchers as well as industry professionals.

Keywords: software quality; code smells; refactoring; refactoring tools; tertiary study; systematic literature survey; review; maintenance; quality decay; software sustainability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSE.2024.135914

International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, 2024 Vol.14 No.1, pp.83 - 143

Received: 22 Oct 2022
Accepted: 09 Jan 2023
Published online: 09 Jan 2024 *

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