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Refactoring Prediction Using Multi-Label Classification Approach

delete2025-01-01
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OA
AI
A
Amal Alazba
M
Muna Al‐Razgan
A
Abeer Alarainy
A
Aljawharah AlMuaythir
A
Arwa Abolkhair
A
Aljohara Alyousef
DOI:10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3625188delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Refactoring is the process of restructuring existing source code to improve its internal structure without altering its external behavior. Refactoring is essential to maintaining software quality; however, its manual application is labor-intensive, and existing automated techniques often fall short by relying on binary classification, neglecting the co-occurrence of multiple refactoring needs. This study addresses this gap by proposing and evaluating multi-label machine learning models capable of predicting combinations from 20 distinct refactoring operations across class, method, and variable granularities. We systematically investigate three multi-label learning strategies (Label Powerset, Classifier Chains, and Binary Relevance) integrated with five base classifiers: Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, Decision Tree, and Artificial Neural Network. Experiments are conducted using 10-fold cross-validation on a real-world dataset, with relevant feature selection techniques applied. Results indicate that variable-level metrics yield the highest predictive performance, with the Label Powerset strategy combined with Random Forest achieving a Jaccard accuracy of 95.30%. These findings highlight the efficacy of multi-label learning in modeling complex, real-world refactoring scenarios, providing a robust foundation for enhancing automated refactoring tools and advancing software maintenance practices.
Keywords:
Deep learning
ensemble methods
machine learning
multi-label learning
problem transformation
random forest
refactoring prediction
software maintenance
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Journal

IEEE Access cover
IEEE Access
IF:
3.6
Papers:
9.8W
Citations:
29.4W

Organization

K
King Saud University
Scholars:
3.4W
Papers: 3.8W
Citations: 815