Code Churn: How it Relates to Refactoring and Technical Debt

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Code churn is a measure or indication of how often a file changes. It typically refers to how often developers throw out code (such as a function, file, or class) within the first 2-3 weeks of writing. Excessive or irregular code churn may indicate that a developer is struggling and would benefit from extra support such as mentoring or pair programming. It may also indicate internal team problems with communication where a high volume output is perceived as highly rewarded, at the expense of more decisive, efficient code writing.