Database refactoring

Database Refactoring is a process of improving existing database in small steps just in time (JIT). Database Refactoring is a core practice of Evolutionary Database Design. Database Refactoring does not change the way data is interpreted or used and does not fix bugs or add new functionality. Every single refactoring to a database leaves the system in a working state, thus not causing maintenance lags, provided the meaningful data exists in the production environment.

See also

• Test-driven development
• Unit testing
• Refactoring
• Comparison of office suites

An example of database refactoring would be splitting an aggregate table into two different tables in the process of Database normalization

External links

• Presentation at InfoQ.com by Scott Ambler on database refactoring

Further reading

• Ambler, Sadalage, "Refactoring databases: Evolutionary database design", Addison-Wesley 2006, ISBN 978-0321293534
• Ambler, The Process of Database Refactoring.
• Ambler, Catalog of Database Refactorings.