Towards a Theory for Source Code Rejuvenation
Walter Lucas · 2024
The evolution of programming languages introduces both opportunities and challenges for developers. With frequent releases, legacy systems risk becoming outdated, leading to increased maintenance burdens. To address this, developers might benefit from software migration techniques like source code rejuvenation, which offer pathways for adapting to new language features. Despite the benefits, practitioners confront various challenges in rejuvenating legacy code. This study aims to fill the gap in understanding developers’ motivations, challenges, and practices in source code rejuvenation, employing a constructivist-grounded theory approach based on interviews with 23 professional developers.