Refactor Metric

Definition

The Refactor Metric is the percentage of code in a PR that is modified (not new or deleted).

Why is This Metric Useful?

• Indicates time spent improving existing code.

How to Use it?

• Monitor refactoring efforts to manage technical debt.

Examples for Context

• Frequent refactoring efforts improved system performance over time.

Data Sources

• Repository diff data.

Calculation

• (Lines modified / Total lines changed) * 100.

Tunable Configurations

• Identification of refactoring by patterns (e.g., renaming variables).

Benchmarking Guidance

• Healthy teams spend 20-40% of changes on refactoring.

Error Margins and Limitations

• Refactor-heavy PRs may delay feature delivery.

Stakeholder Use Cases

• Developers: Justify time spent on improving code quality.
• Managers: Track technical debt reduction.