Refactoring using AI | Improve Code Quality with CodeScene Ace | AI Coding Assistant

CodeScene - Next Generation Code Analysis
4 Mar 202405:09

TLDRCodeScene, an AI coding assistant, introduces a new feature to automatically refactor unhealthy code, demonstrated with a Svelte JavaScript project. It identifies code smells and offers automated refactoring using Gen-AI, which can be reviewed and applied to improve code health. The tool also fact-checks AI suggestions, ensuring semantic equality and simplification of complex methods, ultimately enhancing the codebase's overall quality.

Takeaways

  • 🔍 CodeScene is adept at identifying low-quality code and prioritizing it based on its impact.
  • 🚀 The new feature of CodeScene allows for the automatic refactoring of unhealthy code to improve its quality.
  • 🌟 A demonstration using a Svelte JavaScript project with over 100K lines of code showcases the tool in action.
  • 🔎 CodeScene highlights hotspots where the code health has declined, indicating areas that are harder to understand.
  • 🛠️ The process begins by identifying a refactoring candidate, such as the 'runtime.js' file with a drop in code health score.
  • 📝 Planning for refactoring involves using the CodeScene extension in VS Code to address identified code smells.
  • 🤖 CodeScene uses Gen-AI to suggest automated refactoring options, which can be reviewed and applied by the developer.
  • 🔄 The automated refactoring by CodeScene is unique as it includes a fact-checking step to ensure semantic equivalence.
  • 👀 Developers are encouraged to inspect the refactored code through 'diff' comparison and preview the changes before applying them.
  • 📉 CodeScene can also address more complex issues like the 'Bumpy Road' pattern and high cyclomatic complexity in methods.
  • 📈 After refactoring, CodeScene allows tracking the impact on code health, as seen with the improvement in a hotspot within the Svelte codebase.
  • 🛑 The VS Code extension of CodeScene provides an overview of code health and a summary of available automated refactorings and code reviews.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of CodeScene's new feature?

    -The main purpose of CodeScene's new feature is to automatically refactor unhealthy code to improve its quality and maintainability.

  • How does CodeScene identify poor quality code?

    -CodeScene identifies poor quality code by analyzing the codebase and highlighting areas with health issues, particularly those that are harder to understand than before.

  • What is a 'hotspot' in the context of CodeScene?

    -In the context of CodeScene, a 'hotspot' refers to areas in the codebase that have a higher likelihood of containing bugs or are more challenging to maintain due to their complexity or declining code health.

  • What does CodeScene use to plan and execute refactoring?

    -CodeScene uses its VS Code extension to plan and execute refactoring, identifying code smells and suggesting automated refactoring options.

  • How does CodeScene ensure the refactoring process maintains the original code semantics?

    -CodeScene ensures the refactoring process maintains the original code semantics by fact-checking the AI-generated refactoring suggestions and recommending a detailed review before applying the changes.

  • What is a 'code smell' in software development?

    -A 'code smell' in software development refers to a hint or indication that a part of the codebase may have a problem that requires refactoring to improve its quality and readability.

  • What is the 'Bumpy Road' pattern in the context of CodeScene?

    -The 'Bumpy Road' pattern in CodeScene refers to code with multiple chunks of nested logic that is hard to understand and maintain.

  • How does CodeScene assist in simplifying complex methods?

    -CodeScene assists in simplifying complex methods by suggesting automated refactoring options that reduce cyclomatic complexity, eliminate unnecessary branches, and improve the overall structure of the code.

  • What is the significance of 'fact-checking' in CodeScene's automated refactoring?

    -The significance of 'fact-checking' in CodeScene's automated refactoring is to ensure that the refactored code remains semantically equal to the original, confirming that the refactoring has improved the code without altering its intended behavior.

  • How can developers track the impact of their refactoring efforts using CodeScene?

    -Developers can track the impact of their refactoring efforts using CodeScene by reviewing the code health trends and hotspot improvements, which provide insights into whether the refactoring has objectively improved the code quality.

  • What additional guidance does CodeScene provide for further code improvements?

    -CodeScene provides a summary of auto-refactoring capabilities and additional code reviews that guide developers towards other potential improvements, helping them to further enhance the code health.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ CodeScene's Automated Refactoring Feature

CodeScene introduces a new feature that not only identifies poor quality code but also automatically refactors it to improve future code health. The demonstration uses a Svelte JavaScript project with over 100K lines of code, highlighting hotspots with declining code health. The process begins by selecting a refactoring candidate, 'runtime.js', which has seen a drop in health score. CodeScene's VS code extension is then utilized to identify and refactor code smells such as 'Complex Conditional' using Gen-AI technology. Developers can review and apply the suggested changes, effectively removing code smells and improving code health.

🔍 Refactoring Complex Code with CodeScene

This section delves into a more intricate refactoring scenario with a function named 'extract_identifiers', which has multiple code smells including the 'Bumpy Road' pattern and a high cyclomatic complexity. CodeScene suggests an automated refactoring that simplifies the logic by reducing nested if-statements. The tool emphasizes the importance of a developer's review of the refactored code, ensuring semantic equality and improved readability. The automated refactoring is distinguished by its fact-checking feature, which provides a detailed review before applying changes.

📈 Tracking Refactoring Impact and Further Improvements

After refactoring, CodeScene allows developers to track the impact of their changes by revisiting the Svelte codebase and observing improvements in code health. The tool identifies a specific hotspot that has improved and shows the refactored file 'runtime.js' aligning with the set refactoring goals. The trend analysis confirms the reversal of a negative trend, showcasing a significant improvement in critical code areas. CodeScene's VS code extension also provides an overall code health assessment and a summary of available automated refactorings and code reviews to guide further enhancements.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Refactoring

Refactoring refers to the process of restructuring existing computer code without changing its external behavior to improve nonfunctional attributes of the software. In the context of the video, refactoring is used to enhance code quality by making it easier to understand and maintain. For instance, the script mentions that CodeScene can automatically refactor unhealthy code, such as the 'runtime.js' file, which had declined in code health.

💡CodeScene

CodeScene is a tool that uses AI to analyze and improve code quality. It identifies poor quality code and prioritizes it based on impact. The video demonstrates how CodeScene can be used to plan and execute refactoring, as well as to review and apply changes to improve code health. It is also used to fact-check the AI's refactoring suggestions, ensuring that the changes are semantically correct and beneficial.

💡AI Coding Assistant

An AI Coding Assistant is a software tool that uses artificial intelligence to assist in coding tasks. In the video, the AI Coding Assistant is integrated with CodeScene and is shown to automatically refactor code and suggest improvements. It is a key component in the demonstration of how unhealthy code can be identified and improved using advanced technology.

💡Svelte

Svelte is a framework and set of tools for building web applications. In the script, a Svelte JavaScript project with over 100K lines of code is used as an example to demonstrate the capabilities of CodeScene in identifying and refactoring code health issues. The project's large size and complexity make it a suitable case study for showcasing the tool's effectiveness.

💡Code Health

Code health refers to the quality and maintainability of the source code of a software project. It is an important aspect of software development as it affects the ease with which developers can understand, modify, and debug the code. The video script discusses how CodeScene identifies code health issues, such as hotspots with declining health, and assists in improving them through refactoring.

💡Hotspots

In the context of the video, hotspots are areas of the codebase that are particularly complex or have a history of frequent changes, which can lead to a decline in code health. The script mentions that CodeScene identifies hotspots with declining code health, signaling areas that need attention and potential refactoring.

💡Code Smells

Code smells are indications in the source code that suggest deeper problems that might not be immediately apparent. They are often symptoms of poor design or code that is hard to maintain. The video script provides examples of code smells such as 'Complex Conditional' and 'Bumpy Road pattern', which CodeScene identifies and assists in refactoring to improve code quality.

💡Automated Refactoring

Automated refactoring is the process of applying changes to the code automatically, often guided by AI or predefined rules, to improve its structure and quality. The script demonstrates how CodeScene can perform automated refactoring using Gen-AI, allowing developers to review and apply changes with the click of a button, as seen with the 'runtime.js' file.

💡Gen-AI

Gen-AI, or General Artificial Intelligence, refers to AI systems that can perform any intellectual task that a human being can. In the video, Gen-AI is used by CodeScene to perform automated refactoring, suggesting changes to the code that improve its health and maintain its original functionality.

💡Cyclomatic Complexity

Cyclomatic complexity is a metric used in software engineering to indicate the complexity of a program. It measures the number of linearly independent paths through a program's source code. The script mentions that the 'extract_identifiers' function has high cyclomatic complexity, indicating a complex method that could benefit from refactoring to simplify its structure.

💡Semantically Equal

Semantically equal refers to the property of two pieces of code that perform the same function or operation, even if they are written differently. The video script emphasizes that CodeScene's refactoring process ensures that the code remains semantically equal to the original, meaning the refactored code behaves the same way as before, but with improved readability and maintainability.

Highlights

CodeScene introduces an AI-powered feature to automatically refactor unhealthy code.

The demo uses a Svelte JavaScript project with over 100K lines of code.

CodeScene identifies hotspots with declining code health, indicating increased complexity and reduced understandability.

The 'runtime.js' file is selected as a refactoring candidate due to its significant decline in code health.

CodeScene's VS Code extension is used to plan and execute refactoring.

The extension identifies specific code smells such as 'Complex Conditional'.

Automated refactoring with Gen-AI is available for immediate code improvement.

Developers can review and apply the refactored code if they are satisfied with the changes.

A more complex case is presented with the 'extract_identifiers' function, showing multiple nested logic and high cyclomatic complexity.

CodeScene's automated refactoring is differentiated by its fact-checking process, ensuring semantic equality and code simplification.

Developers are encouraged to inspect the refactored code through a detailed review and 'diff' comparison.

Previewing the refactored code allows developers to see structural improvements before applying changes.

The 'auto-refactor' feature simplifies complex methods, making them easier to understand and maintain.

Fact-checking ensures that refactoring maintains the original semantics of the code.

After refactoring, CodeScene tracks the impact, showing objective improvements in code health.

The Svelte codebase demonstrates a reversal of negative trends and significant improvement in critical code areas.

CodeScene's VS Code extension provides an overview of code health and a summary of available automated refactorings.

There are 20 automated refactorings and 5 additional code reviews available to guide developers towards further improvements.

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