Cover and modify, some tips for R package development
I’ve recently been dealing with legacy code refactoring both in theory and in practice: while I’m continuing some work on the igraph R package, I’ve started reading Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers, that had been in my to-read pile for months. In this post, I’ll summarize some ideas from both the book and my work. “Cover and modify” with “characterization tests” When you start modifying your rusty code, how do you ensure you do not break existing and important behaviour inadvertently?