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

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 cop checks for redundant uses of self.

The usage of self is only needed when:

• Sending a message to same object with zero arguments in presence of a method name clash with an argument or a local variable.

• Calling an attribute writer to prevent an local variable assignment.

Note, with using explicit self you can only send messages with public or protected scope, you cannot send private messages this way.

Note we allow uses of self with operators because it would be awkward otherwise.

Example:

# bad
def foo(bar)
  self.baz
end

# good
def foo(bar)
  self.bar  # Resolves name clash with the argument.
end

def foo
  bar = 1
  self.bar  # Resolves name clash with the local variable.
end

def foo
  %w[x y z].select do |bar|
    self.bar == bar  # Resolves name clash with argument of the block.
  end
end

This cop makes sure that all numbered variables use the configured style, snakecase, normalcase or noninteger, for their numbering.

Example: EnforcedStyle: snake_case

# bad

variable1 = 1

# good

variable_1 = 1

Example: EnforcedStyle: normalcase (default)

# bad

variable_1 = 1

# good

variable1 = 1

Example: EnforcedStyle: non_integer

# bad

variable1 = 1

variable_1 = 1

# good

variableone = 1

variable_one = 1

This cop checks for redundant return expressions.

Example:

def test
  return something
end

def test
  one
  two
  three
  return something
end

It should be extended to handle methods whose body is if/else or a case expression with a default branch.

This cop makes sure that predicates are named properly.

Example:

# bad
def is_even?(value)
end

# good
def even?(value)
end

# bad
def has_value?
end

# good
def value?
end

This cops checks if empty lines around the bodies of classes match the configuration.

Example: EnforcedStyle: empty_lines

# good

class Foo

  def bar
    # ...
  end

end

Example: EnforcedStyle: emptylinesexcept_namespace

# good

class Foo
  class Bar

    # ...

  end
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: emptylinesspecial

# good
class Foo

  def bar; end

end

Example: EnforcedStyle: noemptylines (default)

# good

class Foo
  def bar
    # ...
  end
end

This cops checks for inconsistent indentation.

Example:

class A
  def test
    puts 'hello'
     puts 'world'
  end
end

Checks for spaces inside ordinary round parentheses.

Example:

# bad
f( 3)
g = (a + 3 )

# good
f(3)
g = (a + 3)

This cop checks whether comments have a leading space after the # denoting the start of the comment. The leading space is not required for some RDoc special syntax, like #++, #--, #:nodoc, =begin- and =end comments, "shebang" directives, or rackup options.

Example:

# bad
#Some comment

# good
# Some comment

This cop checks whether comments have a leading space after the # denoting the start of the comment. The leading space is not required for some RDoc special syntax, like #++, #--, #:nodoc, =begin- and =end comments, "shebang" directives, or rackup options.

Example:

# bad
#Some comment

# good
# Some comment