Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

refactoring
     
         Improving a computer {program}
        by reorganising its internal structure without altering its
        external behaviour.
     
        When software developers add new features to a program, the
        code degrades because the original program was not designed
        with the extra features in mind.
     
        This problem could be solved by either rewriting the existing
        code or working around the problems which arise when adding
        the new features.  Redesigning a program is extra work, but
        not doing so would create a program which is more complicated
        than it needs to be.  Refactoring is a collection of
        techniques which have been designed to provide an alternative
        to the two situations mentioned above.
     
        The techniques enable programmers to restructure code so
        that the design of a program is clearer.  It also allows
        programmers to extract {reusable components}, streamline a
        program, and make additions to the program easier to
        implement.
     
        Refactoring is usually done by renaming {methods}, moving
        {fields} from one {class} to another, and moving code into a
        separate method.
     
        Although it is done using small and simple steps,
        refactoring a program will vastly improve its design and
        structure, making it easier to maintain and leading to
        more robust code.
     
        {"Refactoring, Reuse & Reality" by Bill Opdyke
        (http://st-www.cs.uiuc.edu/users/opdyke/wfo.990201.refac.html)}.
     
        {"Refactoring, a first example" by Martin Fowler
       
     (http://www.aw.com/cseng/titles/0-201-89542-0/vidrefact/vidrefact.html)}.
     
        (2001-05-02)