What I’ve learned from 12 years of code migrations

This is my twelfth year (!) of working on code migrations. And let me tell you, I've seen things. There's a lot of code out there - in every language imaginable, in every form possible.  The lesson I've learned repeatedly is - a successful migration is a a carefully and thoughtfully planned project.

So let's dive into the world of code migrations, a journey that's as essential as it is challenging. Imagine you're about to move from an old, beloved home (your current codebase) to a sleek, new penthouse (a more modern platform or technology). Just like moving houses, migrating code requires meticulous planning, careful packing (or coding!), and adapting to a new environment.

The Essentials of Code Migration

Begin with the End in Mind: Before you even pack your first box, know what you want your new home to look like. In code migration, this means understanding your target architecture and how it benefits your project. What features does the new environment offer? How can your application take advantage of these?

Inventory Time: Just as you'd catalog your belongings, take stock of your code. What components are essential? What can be refurbished, and what's better off donated (or refactored)?

Choose Your Strategy: Some prefer to move all at once, while others move room by room. Similarly, decide if you're going for a complete migration in one go or a staged approach, upgrading parts of your application over time. Each has its merits and challenges, so weigh them carefully.

Packing and Unpacking: This is the nitty-gritty of migration. Prepare your code for the move by ensuring it's clean, well-documented, and modular. Once at the new place, you'll need to unpack (integrate) it into the new environment, making adjustments as needed for it to fit perfectly.

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3: Just as you'd ensure all your appliances work in your new home, thoroughly test your application in its new environment. Unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance testing are your best friends here.

Welcome Home: Finally, once everything's moved in and working as expected, it's time to go live. But the job isn't done yet; monitor your application closely for any issues that might arise and be ready to make quick fixes.

Remember, migration is not just about moving things from point A to B. It's an opportunity to declutter, to reassess what's truly valuable, and to make enhancements that were perhaps not possible before. Whether it's adding new features, improving performance, or enhancing scalability, use this transition as a chance to advance your application.

And most importantly, stay adaptable. Just like moving homes, unexpected challenges will arise. Keeping a flexible mindset will help you navigate these hurdles more effectively.

So, whether you're migrating from VB to .NET or embarking on any other code migration journey, these practices are your roadmap to a successful transition. 

In upcoming posts, I'll start to dive into some of these areas in more detail; plus I'll get into more specifics on .NET code migrations.

Editor's Note: GAP does TONS of code migrations and we have a bunch of tools and a foolproof methodology to get your code modernized. Give us a shoutout if you need help.