Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code

Refactoring is Martin Fowler's 1999 classic on improving the design of working code without changing what it does. Fowler explains why and when to refactor, how to spot "code smells" that signal deeper problems, and how automated tests make change safe. Most of the book is a catalog of refactorings, each with a name, motivation, step-by-step mechanics and Java examples. The book helped make refactoring a standard part of everyday software development.

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David Heinemeier Hansson: “Refactoring: The fundamental before/after book. Here's some code that could be better, here's how to make it better.”