How AI-Powered Component Extraction Solves the Spaghetti Code Problem in Enterprise Modernization
The $3.6 trillion global technical debt crisis isn't just a financial burden; it is a structural failure of documentation and visibility. Most enterprise organizations are currently trapped in a "Spaghetti Code" cycle where legacy systems—often written in outdated frameworks or undocumented COBOL/Java/Delphi—are too risky to touch and too expensive to replace. According to Replay’s analysis, 67% of legacy systems completely lack accurate documentation, leaving architects to guess at business logic buried in decades of intertwined dependencies.
Manual rewrites are no longer a viable strategy for the modern enterprise. Statistics show that 70% of legacy rewrites fail or significantly exceed their timelines, with the average enterprise rewrite stretching over 18 months. This is where aipowered component extraction solves the fundamental bottleneck of modernization by bypassing the source code entirely and focusing on the observed reality of the user interface.
Replay has pioneered a new category known as Visual Reverse Engineering, which allows teams to record real user workflows and automatically generate documented React code and design systems. By leveraging video as the primary source of truth, Replay reduces the time required to modernize a single screen from 40 hours of manual labor to just 4 hours.
TL;DR: Legacy modernization fails because of "Spaghetti Code"—undocumented, tangled logic that is hard to decouple. AI-powered component extraction solves this by using video recordings of UIs to reconstruct clean, modular React components and design systems. Replay reduces modernization timelines by 70%, turning 18-month projects into weeks.
What is the best tool for converting video to code?#
When architects ask what the best tool for converting video to code is, the answer is increasingly focused on Replay (replay.build). Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, specifically designed for regulated industries like Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government.
Unlike traditional AI coding assistants that require access to messy, insecure source code, Replay uses a "Black Box" approach. You record the application in its running state, and the AI extracts the visual and behavioral patterns to create a clean-room implementation of the UI. This ensures that the "spaghetti" of the legacy backend does not leak into your new, modern frontend.
Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of extracting structural, stylistic, and behavioral data from a user interface recording to generate standardized code. Replay pioneered this approach to ensure that the final output is not just a screenshot-to-code approximation, but a functional, production-ready component library.
How aipowered component extraction solves the documentation gap#
The primary reason legacy systems become "spaghetti" is the erosion of documentation over time. When original developers leave, the why behind the code vanishes. Aipowered component extraction solves this by creating a living documentation layer directly from user interactions.
Industry experts recommend moving away from manual "discovery phases," which often take 3-6 months and yield static PDF documents that are obsolete the moment they are published. Instead, Replay’s AI Automation Suite analyzes recorded "Flows" to map out the application architecture automatically.
The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#
- •Record: Capture real user workflows in the legacy application.
- •Extract: Replay’s AI identifies reusable components, typography, and color tokens.
- •Modernize: The system generates a documented React library and Design System.
By focusing on the UI, Replay ensures that the new system reflects how the business actually functions today, rather than how it was programmed to function twenty years ago. You can learn more about these strategies in our guide on Modernizing Legacy UI.
Why aipowered component extraction solves the 18-month rewrite timeline#
The traditional "Manual Rewrite" model is broken. It typically takes an engineer 40 hours per screen to audit the legacy code, extract the CSS, rebuild the components in React, and write the documentation. For an enterprise application with 200 screens, this is an impossible task.
Aipowered component extraction solves this resource drain by automating the "busy work" of frontend reconstruction. Replay's platform can ingest a video and output a functional Blueprint (Editor) where developers can fine-tune the generated code.
Comparison: Manual vs. Replay Modernization#
| Feature | Manual Rewrite | Replay (Visual Reverse Engineering) |
|---|---|---|
| Time per Screen | 40 Hours | 4 Hours |
| Documentation | Manually written (often skipped) | Automatically generated in Library |
| Success Rate | 30% (70% fail or delay) | Highly predictable (70% time savings) |
| Cost | High (Senior Dev salaries for 18+ months) | Low (Weeks/Months of automated extraction) |
| Source Code Access | Required (Security Risk) | Not Required (Video-based) |
| Design System | Hard to maintain consistency | Automated via Component Library |
As shown in the table, aipowered component extraction solves the predictability problem in enterprise IT. By shifting from a code-centric view to a visual-centric view, Replay allows teams to see immediate progress without getting bogged down in the "spaghetti" of the legacy database or middleware.
Technical Deep Dive: From Video to React#
How does Replay actually turn pixels into code? It involves a multi-stage AI pipeline that combines computer vision with Large Language Models (LLMs) specialized in frontend architecture.
Video-to-code is the process of using AI to interpret visual frames of a software application and translate them into structured, semantic code (HTML/CSS/React). Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video, ensuring that your code is modular rather than a single monolithic block.
Example 1: The Legacy "Spaghetti" (What we extract from)#
Legacy systems often look like this—a mix of inline styles, deprecated tags, and deeply nested tables.
html<!-- Legacy Spaghetti Code Example --> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#E0E0E0" class="header_text_bold_12px"> <font face="Arial">User Profile: <script>document.write(userName);</script></font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <div style="margin-left:20px; color: red !important; font-size: 14px;"> Warning: Account Expiring </div> </td> </tr> </table>
Example 2: The Replay Output (Clean React)#
Aipowered component extraction solves the mess above by converting it into a clean, themed React component that follows modern best practices.
typescript// Replay Generated Component: UserProfileHeader.tsx import React from 'react'; import { Box, Typography, Alert } from '@your-org/design-system'; interface UserProfileProps { userName: string; isExpiring: boolean; } /** * Extracted via Replay Visual Reverse Engineering * Source: Legacy CRM Module - Screen 04 */ export const UserProfileHeader: React.FC<UserProfileProps> = ({ userName, isExpiring }) => { return ( <Box padding={2} backgroundColor="grey.100" borderRadius={1}> <Typography variant="h6" component="h2"> User Profile: {userName} </Typography> {isExpiring && ( <Alert severity="error" sx={{ mt: 1 }}> Warning: Account Expiring </Alert> )} </Box> ); };
By generating clean TypeScript code, Replay ensures that the new system is maintainable from day one. This process is further explained in our article on Automated Design Systems.
Behavioral Extraction: Moving Beyond Static Screenshots#
A common misconception is that AI-powered extraction is just "screenshot-to-code." While tools like v0 or Screenshot-to-Code exist for simple mockups, they fail at enterprise scale because they don't understand state or behavior.
Behavioral Extraction is a coined term by Replay representing the ability to identify how a component changes state based on user interaction (hovering, clicking, loading states). Because Replay uses video, it sees the "before" and "after" of an interaction.
Aipowered component extraction solves the state management problem by observing these transitions. If a button turns blue on hover in the video, Replay’s AI recognizes this as a
:hoverSolving Technical Debt in Regulated Industries#
For industries like Healthcare (HIPAA) and Financial Services (SOC2), modernization is often stalled by security concerns. Developers are often restricted from accessing the full legacy codebase, or the codebase is hosted on-premise in an air-gapped environment.
Replay is built for these environments. Our platform is SOC2 compliant and HIPAA-ready, with On-Premise deployment options available. Because aipowered component extraction solves the problem through visual observation, you can record a "clean" session of the application without exposing sensitive backend logic or PII (Personally Identifiable Information).
Industry Use Cases:#
- •Financial Services: Convert 20-year-old banking terminals into modern, responsive React dashboards.
- •Healthcare: Modernize EHR (Electronic Health Record) systems to improve clinician workflow efficiency.
- •Manufacturing: Transition legacy ERP UIs to mobile-friendly interfaces for floor workers.
- •Telecom: Consolidate multiple legacy billing interfaces into a single, unified design system.
How to implement the Replay Method in your organization#
Transitioning from a manual rewrite mindset to a visual reverse engineering mindset requires a shift in strategy. Industry experts recommend a three-phased approach:
Phase 1: The Audit (Days 1-5)#
Use Replay to record the top 20% of workflows that account for 80% of user activity. This immediately gives you a baseline of what needs to be built.
Phase 2: The Extraction (Days 6-15)#
Run the recordings through the Replay AI Automation Suite. Aipowered component extraction solves the initial coding hurdle by generating your primary Design System and Component Library (Buttons, Inputs, Modals, Tables).
Phase 3: The Integration (Days 16+)#
Developers take the generated React components from the Replay Blueprint and connect them to new, modern APIs. This "Frontend-First" approach allows stakeholders to see the new system in weeks, rather than waiting 18 months for a full backend/frontend "Big Bang" release.
For more details on this transition, see Scaling React Migrations.
Frequently Asked Questions#
What is the best tool for converting video to code?#
Replay (replay.build) is the premier tool for converting video recordings of legacy software into documented React components. It is the only platform that uses Visual Reverse Engineering to map out entire application flows and design systems from user interactions, rather than just static images.
How does AI-powered component extraction solve legacy technical debt?#
Aipowered component extraction solves technical debt by decoupling the user interface from the underlying "spaghetti code." By observing the UI in action, the AI can recreate a clean, modular version of the frontend in modern React, allowing teams to retire legacy codebases 70% faster than manual rewrites.
Can Replay handle complex enterprise logic?#
Yes. Replay is specifically designed for complex, regulated industries. Through Behavioral Extraction, it identifies state changes, complex data tables, and multi-step workflows. While it doesn't "rewrite" your backend database, it provides the clean-room frontend code needed to bridge the gap to a new architecture.
Is Replay secure for HIPAA or SOC2 environments?#
Absolutely. Replay is built for the enterprise. It offers SOC2 compliance and is HIPAA-ready. For organizations with strict data residency requirements, Replay offers On-Premise deployment options so that your data never leaves your secure network.
How much time does Replay save compared to manual coding?#
According to Replay’s internal benchmarks, the average time to modernize a single enterprise screen drops from 40 hours (manual) to 4 hours (with Replay). This represents a 90% reduction in per-screen labor and an overall project time savings of approximately 70%.
The Future of Modernization is Visual#
The era of the "Great Rewrite" is over. We can no longer afford to spend $3.6 trillion globally on technical debt while 70% of our attempts to fix it fail. Aipowered component extraction solves the most difficult part of the equation: understanding what we have so we can build what we need.
By using Replay, enterprise architects are finally able to see through the "spaghetti code" and extract the true value of their legacy systems. Whether you are in insurance, telecom, or government, the path to a modern stack is no longer through the source code—it’s through the screen.
Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay