Refactoring cross-project code duplication in an industrial software product line: A case study from RDW
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Code duplication across projects is a common challenge in Software Product Line (SPL) development, impacting maintainability and efficiency. This paper reports on an applied research project conducted within RDW aimed at addressing cross-project code duplication in a multi-application SPL environment.To investigate the impact of refactoring cross-project duplicated code on maintainability, code reuse and technical debt within the RDW’s Electronic Services System, comprising 62 applications, An action research approach was used, focusing on two applications to identify, refactor and package duplicated features into reusable components. Tools like SonarQube were employed to detect and quantify duplication. The refactoring was evaluated through metrics like code duplication reduction and developer feedback.The refactoring effort led to the removal of 1958 lines of duplicated code, improving code reuse by 33%. Efficiency gains were observed in the second application due to the experience from the first intervention, reducing the time required for code maintenance and updates.This study demonstrates that systematically addressing cross-project code duplication in SPLs improves maintainability and reduces technical debt. Key lessons include the importance of early duplication identification, systematic refactoring and use of automated tools. Recommendations for practitioners focus on creating reusable components and integrating code quality checks across project boundaries.
Source: Journal of Systems and Software
Authors: Jesper van der Zwaag, Frank Driesens, Bouwe Postma, Andrea Capiluppi
Institutions: Netherlands Vehicle Authority, University of Groningen
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,820
OpenAlex ID: W4411137450