Cognitive Complexity

Cognitive Complexity is a measure of how difficult a unit of code is to intuitively understand. Unlike Cyclomatic Complexity, which determines how difficult your code will be to test, Cognitive Complexity tells you how difficult your code will be to read and comprehend.

A method's cognitive complexity is based on a few simple rules:

• Code is not considered more complex when it uses shorthand that the language provides for collapsing multiple statements into one
• Code is considered more complex for each "break in the linear flow of the code"
• Code is considered more complex when "flow breaking structures are nested"

Further reading

• Cognitive Complexity docs
• Cognitive Complexity: A new way of measuring understandability

This cops checks the indentation of the here document bodies. The bodies are indented one step. In Ruby 2.3 or newer, squiggly heredocs (<<~) should be used. If you use the older rubies, you should introduce some library to your project (e.g. ActiveSupport, Powerpack or Unindent). Note: When Metrics/LineLength's AllowHeredoc is false(not default), this cop does not add any offenses for long here documents to avoid Metrics/LineLength's offenses.

Example:

# bad
<<-RUBY
something
RUBY

# good
# When EnforcedStyle is squiggly, bad code is auto-corrected to the
# following code.
<<~RUBY
  something
RUBY

# good
# When EnforcedStyle is active_support, bad code is auto-corrected to
# the following code.
<<-RUBY.strip_heredoc
  something
RUBY

Use a guard clause instead of wrapping the code inside a conditional expression

Example:

# bad
def test
  if something
    work
  end
end

# good
def test
  return unless something
  work
end

# also good
def test
  work if something
end

# bad
if something
  raise 'exception'
else
  ok
end

# good
raise 'exception' if something
ok

This cop checks for the use of YAML class methods which have potential security issues leading to remote code execution when loading from an untrusted source.

Example:

# bad
YAML.load("--- foo")

# good
YAML.safe_load("--- foo")
YAML.dump("foo")

This cop can check for array literals made up of symbols that are not using the %i() syntax.

Alternatively, it checks for symbol arrays using the %i() syntax on projects which do not want to use that syntax.

Configuration option: MinSize If set, arrays with fewer elements than this value will not trigger the cop. For example, a MinSize of3` will not enforce a style on an array of 2 or fewer elements.

Example: EnforcedStyle: percent (default)

# good
%i[foo bar baz]

# bad
[:foo, :bar, :baz]

Example: EnforcedStyle: brackets

# good
[:foo, :bar, :baz]

# bad
%i[foo bar baz]

This cop checks that the closing brace in a method call is either on the same line as the last method argument, or a new line.

When using the symmetrical (default) style:

If a method call's opening brace is on the same line as the first argument of the call, then the closing brace should be on the same line as the last argument of the call.

If an method call's opening brace is on the line above the first argument of the call, then the closing brace should be on the line below the last argument of the call.

When using the new_line style:

The closing brace of a multi-line method call must be on the line after the last argument of the call.

When using the same_line style:

The closing brace of a multi-line method call must be on the same line as the last argument of the call.

Example:

# symmetrical: bad
  # new_line: good
  # same_line: bad
  foo(a,
    b
  )

  # symmetrical: bad
  # new_line: bad
  # same_line: good
  foo(
    a,
    b)

  # symmetrical: good
  # new_line: bad
  # same_line: good
  foo(a,
    b)

  # symmetrical: good
  # new_line: good
  # same_line: bad
  foo(
    a,
    b
  )

This cop checks for rescuing StandardError. There are two supported styles implicit and explicit. This cop will not register an offense if any error other than StandardError is specified.

Example: EnforcedStyle: implicit

# `implicit` will enforce using `rescue` instead of
# `rescue StandardError`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: explicit (default)

# `explicit` will enforce using `rescue StandardError`
# instead of `rescue`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

This cop checks for rescuing StandardError. There are two supported styles implicit and explicit. This cop will not register an offense if any error other than StandardError is specified.

Example: EnforcedStyle: implicit

# `implicit` will enforce using `rescue` instead of
# `rescue StandardError`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: explicit (default)

# `explicit` will enforce using `rescue StandardError`
# instead of `rescue`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

This cop checks for rescuing StandardError. There are two supported styles implicit and explicit. This cop will not register an offense if any error other than StandardError is specified.

Example: EnforcedStyle: implicit

# `implicit` will enforce using `rescue` instead of
# `rescue StandardError`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: explicit (default)

# `explicit` will enforce using `rescue StandardError`
# instead of `rescue`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

This cop checks for rescuing StandardError. There are two supported styles implicit and explicit. This cop will not register an offense if any error other than StandardError is specified.

Example: EnforcedStyle: implicit

# `implicit` will enforce using `rescue` instead of
# `rescue StandardError`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: explicit (default)

# `explicit` will enforce using `rescue StandardError`
# instead of `rescue`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

Use a guard clause instead of wrapping the code inside a conditional expression

Example:

# bad
def test
  if something
    work
  end
end

# good
def test
  return unless something
  work
end

# also good
def test
  work if something
end

# bad
if something
  raise 'exception'
else
  ok
end

# good
raise 'exception' if something
ok

Use a guard clause instead of wrapping the code inside a conditional expression

Example:

# bad
def test
  if something
    work
  end
end

# good
def test
  return unless something
  work
end

# also good
def test
  work if something
end

# bad
if something
  raise 'exception'
else
  ok
end

# good
raise 'exception' if something
ok

This cop checks that the closing brace in a method call is either on the same line as the last method argument, or a new line.

When using the symmetrical (default) style:

If a method call's opening brace is on the same line as the first argument of the call, then the closing brace should be on the same line as the last argument of the call.

If an method call's opening brace is on the line above the first argument of the call, then the closing brace should be on the line below the last argument of the call.

When using the new_line style:

The closing brace of a multi-line method call must be on the line after the last argument of the call.

When using the same_line style:

The closing brace of a multi-line method call must be on the same line as the last argument of the call.

Example:

# symmetrical: bad
  # new_line: good
  # same_line: bad
  foo(a,
    b
  )

  # symmetrical: bad
  # new_line: bad
  # same_line: good
  foo(
    a,
    b)

  # symmetrical: good
  # new_line: bad
  # same_line: good
  foo(a,
    b)

  # symmetrical: good
  # new_line: good
  # same_line: bad
  foo(
    a,
    b
  )

This cop checks that the closing brace in a method call is either on the same line as the last method argument, or a new line.

When using the symmetrical (default) style:

If a method call's opening brace is on the same line as the first argument of the call, then the closing brace should be on the same line as the last argument of the call.

If an method call's opening brace is on the line above the first argument of the call, then the closing brace should be on the line below the last argument of the call.

When using the new_line style:

The closing brace of a multi-line method call must be on the line after the last argument of the call.

When using the same_line style:

The closing brace of a multi-line method call must be on the same line as the last argument of the call.

Example:

# symmetrical: bad
  # new_line: good
  # same_line: bad
  foo(a,
    b
  )

  # symmetrical: bad
  # new_line: bad
  # same_line: good
  foo(
    a,
    b)

  # symmetrical: good
  # new_line: bad
  # same_line: good
  foo(a,
    b)

  # symmetrical: good
  # new_line: good
  # same_line: bad
  foo(
    a,
    b
  )

Use a guard clause instead of wrapping the code inside a conditional expression

Example:

# bad
def test
  if something
    work
  end
end

# good
def test
  return unless something
  work
end

# also good
def test
  work if something
end

# bad
if something
  raise 'exception'
else
  ok
end

# good
raise 'exception' if something
ok

Use a guard clause instead of wrapping the code inside a conditional expression

Example:

# bad
def test
  if something
    work
  end
end

# good
def test
  return unless something
  work
end

# also good
def test
  work if something
end

# bad
if something
  raise 'exception'
else
  ok
end

# good
raise 'exception' if something
ok

This cop checks for rescuing StandardError. There are two supported styles implicit and explicit. This cop will not register an offense if any error other than StandardError is specified.

Example: EnforcedStyle: implicit

# `implicit` will enforce using `rescue` instead of
# `rescue StandardError`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: explicit (default)

# `explicit` will enforce using `rescue StandardError`
# instead of `rescue`.

# bad
begin
  foo
rescue
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue OtherError
  bar
end

# good
begin
  foo
rescue StandardError, SecurityError
  bar
end

This cop checks for shadowed arguments.

Example:

# bad

do_something do |foo|
  foo = 42
  puts foo
end

def do_something(foo)
  foo = 42
  puts foo
end

Example:

# good

do_something do |foo|
  foo = foo + 42
  puts foo
end

def do_something(foo)
  foo = foo + 42
  puts foo
end

def do_something(foo)
  puts foo
end