refactor
ree-FAK-ter
Definition
To restructure or rewrite existing computer code to improve its efficiency, maintainability, or design without altering its external behavior or function.
Etymology
The term is a combination of the prefix 're-' (meaning again) and 'factor' (from the Latin 'facere', meaning to make or do). In computer science, it originated in the 1990s to describe the process of decomposing or rearranging program logic to improve structure.
In the news
The article mentions that researchers are beginning to use AI to refactor scientific code, allowing them to modernize or optimize legacy software workflows. This is significant because researchers must still verify that the code remains physically and numerically valid after these changes.
What Can You Do With 50,000 GPUs?
Read the full article ↗USC Viterbi School of Engineering