Code Changes

Understanding Codebase Contributions and Removals

Overview
Tracking codebase contributions and removals is a powerful way to gain insights into positive refactoring and contributor seniority. By analyzing these metrics, you can assess whether your team is effectively managing the codebase, whether they’re improving the quality of the software over time, and how different contributors—particularly senior and junior engineers—are influencing the project.

What Does This Metric Measure?

The Codebase Contributions and Removals metric calculates the net change in your codebase by measuring the difference between lines of code created and lines removed over a given period.

• Contributions refer to lines of code added to the project.

• Removals refer to lines of code deleted or refactored.

In the early stages of a project, code creation—especially for boilerplate or critical features—tends to spike. However, as the project progresses, refactoring becomes more important. Refactoring often results in code removals or minimal changes with no significant effect on the total codebase.

It’s common for senior engineers to drive refactoring efforts. However, if junior engineers are actively contributing to refactoring tasks, it can indicate an increase in their seniority and overall skill development.

How Is This Metric Calculated?

The data is calculated by subtracting the lines removed from the lines added on a daily basis.

• +1 indicates that all lines touched on that day were added.

• -1 indicates that all lines touched were removed.

• 0 indicates an equal number of lines added and removed, or no code activity for that day.

For days with no code activity, the metric will also display a 0.

What Questions Can This Data Help Answer?

This metric can help answer several key questions about the project’s codebase and development patterns:

1. How can the net lines calculation help assess productivity and efficiency?
   By evaluating whether the team is focusing on new code creation or ongoing refactoring, you can assess their efficiency in improving or maintaining the codebase.

2. Can we identify correlations between code activity and product milestones?
   For example, does an increase in code contributions correlate with feature releases or bug fixes? Identifying such patterns can inform your release strategies.

3. Are developers adding or removing more from the codebase?
   Understanding whether developers are primarily contributing new features or removing/refactoring old code can highlight project health and the nature of ongoing work.

4. Does the code activity align with the expected work patterns?
   Are engineers focusing on feature development, or are there unexpected shifts in the amount of refactoring or code removal?

Key Takeaways from This Data

• Anticipate codebase growth when the team is creating new functionality. New features and functionality will naturally expand the codebase.

• Minimal code expansion should be expected if the team is primarily maintaining the existing software, adding small fixes, or improving minor features.

• Codebase contraction is common when the team is focused on refactoring or reworking parts of the application, which leads to code removals.

What to Do with Significant Additions or Removals

• If there are significant increases or decreases in code contributions (such as large additions or removals), it’s important to follow up and understand the underlying causes.

  • For example, check if a significant refactor was initiated by senior engineers or if it was a product milestone, like a feature release or critical bug fix.

  • Ensure that such changes align with the team’s expected work patterns and overall goals.

Conclusion

Monitoring codebase contributions and removals is a valuable practice to ensure the team is effectively maintaining and improving the project. This metric not only helps gauge developer productivity but also provides insight into their growth and experience level over time. By tracking these changes, you can make informed decisions about resource allocation, refactoring efforts, and team development.