CSC/ECE 517 Fall 2013/ch1 1w07 d: Difference between revisions
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In general, complexity is a measure of the number of branches and paths in the code. | In general, complexity is a measure of the number of branches and paths in the code. | ||
Cyclomatic complexity, in particular, is a popular metric for measuring such complexity. In its simplest form, it can be thought of as adding 1 to the number of decision points within the code. <ref></ref> | Cyclomatic complexity, in particular, is a popular metric for measuring such complexity. In its simplest form, it can be thought of as adding 1 to the number of decision points within the code. <ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/13212/Code-Metrics-Code-Smells-and-Refactoring-in-Practi}}</ref> | ||
<pre> | <pre> | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 15:04, 18 September 2013
Background
The practice of code refactoring deals with changing the content or structure of code without changing the code's function in its execution. Code refactoring has become a standard programming practice, as it potentially promotes readability, extensibility, and reusability of code.
Whether done through an IDE or by hand, large-scale code projects can prove tedious to refactor. If minimal non-functional benefits are achieved through refactoring, time is wasted. Furthermore, if not done properly, code refactoring can actually break the functionality of the code.
Metrics
There are a variety of metrics that are used to quantify the merits of refactoring.
Complexity
In general, complexity is a measure of the number of branches and paths in the code.
Cyclomatic complexity, in particular, is a popular metric for measuring such complexity. In its simplest form, it can be thought of as adding 1 to the number of decision points within the code. <ref></ref>
public void makeDecision(condition) {
if(condition a) {
choose(a);
}
else {
choose(b);
}
}
In this example, there are two decision points, so the cyclomatic complexity is 2+1=3.