Category: Refactoring-Kata

Mars Rover – Refactoring Kata

On several occasions, I have used the Mars Rover challenge to train developers on the TDD principles. This time, I am using it as a refactoring Kata!

On my GitHub repository, I submitted the initial code that covers all the cases except the edge ones. But, the code I’ve written is in bad shape.

How to solve this Kata?

To solve this kata, you have two tasks to do. Firstly, you need to refactor the code and ensure it follows the clean code principles. Secondly, you need to write code that covers the edge cases for the Mars Rover.

Note: Before proceeding, make sure to fork the repository to your own Github account.

Task 1: Code Refactoring

  1. Start by writing unit tests to cover all the cases of this challenge. This is an important step to ensure that the refactoring doesn’t break your code. In total, you should write around 12 unit tests to have good coverage of the code.
  2. Now it’s time to refactor the existing code. While doing that:
    1. Think of the design patterns that might help improve the code
    2. Apply some of the S.O.L.I.D principles to have clean classes and methods

Task 2: Missing Features

There is a missing feature with my code. Currently, the rover can move out of the plateau if given the wrong commands. It’s your task to write the code that handles this case. The rover’s position should not be modified if the next spot is outside the plateau.

Finally…

This kata is relatively easy, but, I think it is a good first step into the world of code refactoring and writing tests for existing code.

Looking forward to your feedback…

References & Links