recode

Definition

To rewrite existing code, usually because the original developer has left the company and their work was held together with duct tape and prayers. It's the software equivalent of renovation—you think it'll be quick, but you end up gutting everything and questioning your career choices. Sometimes done to improve efficiency, more often done because nobody understands what the hell the original code was supposed to do.

Example Usage

The team spent three sprints recoding the authentication system after discovering the previous version stored passwords in plain text with a comment that said 'TODO: fix later.'

Source: Software development terminology

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