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

Rule: no-shadowed-variable

Disallows shadowing variable declarations.

Rationale

When a variable in a local scope and a variable in the containing scope have the same name, shadowing occurs. Shadowing makes it impossible to access the variable in the containing scope and obscures to what value an identifier actually refers. Compare the following snippets:

const a = 'no shadow';
function print() {
    console.log(a);
}
print(); // logs 'no shadow'.

const a = 'no shadow';
function print() {
    const a = 'shadow'; // TSLint will complain here.
    console.log(a);
}
print(); // logs 'shadow'.

ESLint has an equivalent rule. For more background information, refer to this MDN closure doc.

Config

You can optionally pass an object to disable checking for certain kinds of declarations. Possible keys are "class", "enum", "function", "import", "interface", "namespace", "typeAlias" and "typeParameter". You can also pass "underscore" to ignore variable names that begin with _. Just set the value to false for the check you want to disable. All checks default to true, i.e. are enabled by default. Note that you cannot disable variables and parameters.

The option "temporalDeadZone" defaults to true which shows errors when shadowing block scoped declarations in their temporal dead zone. When set to false parameters, classes, enums and variables declared with let or const are not considered shadowed if the shadowing occurs within their temporal dead zone.

The following example shows how the "temporalDeadZone" option changes the linting result:

function fn(value) {
    if (value) {
        const tmp = value; // no error on this line if "temporalDeadZone" is false
        return tmp;
    }
    let tmp = undefined;
    if (!value) {
        const tmp = value; // this line always contains an error
        return tmp;
    }
}

Examples

"no-shadowed-variable": true

"no-shadowed-variable": true,[object Object]

Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "class": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "enum": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "function": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "import": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "interface": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "namespace": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "typeAlias": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "typeParameter": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "temporalDeadZone": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "underscore": {
      "type": "boolean"
    }
  }
}

For more information see this page.

Rule: no-conditional-assignment

Disallows any type of assignment in conditionals.

This applies to do-while, for, if, and while statements and conditional (ternary) expressions.

Rationale

Assignments in conditionals are often typos: for example if (var1 = var2) instead of if (var1 == var2). They also can be an indicator of overly clever code which decreases maintainability.

Config

Not configurable.

Examples

"no-conditional-assignment": true

For more information see this page.

Rule: semicolon

Enforces consistent semicolon usage at the end of every statement.

Notes

• Has Fix

Config

One of the following arguments must be provided:

• "always" enforces semicolons at the end of every statement.
• "never" disallows semicolons at the end of every statement except for when they are necessary.

The following arguments may be optionally provided:

• "ignore-interfaces" skips checking semicolons at the end of interface members.
• "ignore-bound-class-methods" skips checking semicolons at the end of bound class methods.
• "strict-bound-class-methods" disables any special handling of bound class methods and treats them as any other assignment. This option overrides "ignore-bound-class-methods".

Examples

"semicolon": true,always

"semicolon": true,never

"semicolon": true,always,ignore-interfaces

"semicolon": true,always,ignore-bound-class-methods

Schema

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": [
    {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "always",
        "never"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "ignore-interfaces"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "additionalItems": false
}

For more information see this page.

Rule: no-shadowed-variable

Disallows shadowing variable declarations.

Rationale

When a variable in a local scope and a variable in the containing scope have the same name, shadowing occurs. Shadowing makes it impossible to access the variable in the containing scope and obscures to what value an identifier actually refers. Compare the following snippets:

const a = 'no shadow';
function print() {
    console.log(a);
}
print(); // logs 'no shadow'.

const a = 'no shadow';
function print() {
    const a = 'shadow'; // TSLint will complain here.
    console.log(a);
}
print(); // logs 'shadow'.

ESLint has an equivalent rule. For more background information, refer to this MDN closure doc.

Config

You can optionally pass an object to disable checking for certain kinds of declarations. Possible keys are "class", "enum", "function", "import", "interface", "namespace", "typeAlias" and "typeParameter". You can also pass "underscore" to ignore variable names that begin with _. Just set the value to false for the check you want to disable. All checks default to true, i.e. are enabled by default. Note that you cannot disable variables and parameters.

The option "temporalDeadZone" defaults to true which shows errors when shadowing block scoped declarations in their temporal dead zone. When set to false parameters, classes, enums and variables declared with let or const are not considered shadowed if the shadowing occurs within their temporal dead zone.

The following example shows how the "temporalDeadZone" option changes the linting result:

function fn(value) {
    if (value) {
        const tmp = value; // no error on this line if "temporalDeadZone" is false
        return tmp;
    }
    let tmp = undefined;
    if (!value) {
        const tmp = value; // this line always contains an error
        return tmp;
    }
}

Examples

"no-shadowed-variable": true

"no-shadowed-variable": true,[object Object]

Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "class": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "enum": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "function": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "import": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "interface": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "namespace": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "typeAlias": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "typeParameter": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "temporalDeadZone": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "underscore": {
      "type": "boolean"
    }
  }
}

For more information see this page.

Rule: no-unused-expression

Disallows unused expression statements.

Unused expressions are expression statements which are not assignments or function calls (and thus usually no-ops).

Rationale

Detects potential errors where an assignment or function call was intended.

Config

Three arguments may be optionally provided:

• allow-fast-null-checks allows to use logical operators to perform fast null checks and perform method or function calls for side effects (e.g. e && e.preventDefault()).
• allow-new allows 'new' expressions for side effects (e.g. new ModifyGlobalState();.
• allow-tagged-template allows tagged templates for side effects (e.g. this.add\foo`;`.

Examples

"no-unused-expression": true

"no-unused-expression": true,allow-fast-null-checks

Schema

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": {
    "type": "string",
    "enum": [
      "allow-fast-null-checks",
      "allow-new",
      "allow-tagged-template"
    ]
  },
  "minLength": 0,
  "maxLength": 3
}

For more information see this page.

Rule: semicolon

Enforces consistent semicolon usage at the end of every statement.

Notes

• Has Fix

Config

One of the following arguments must be provided:

• "always" enforces semicolons at the end of every statement.
• "never" disallows semicolons at the end of every statement except for when they are necessary.

The following arguments may be optionally provided:

• "ignore-interfaces" skips checking semicolons at the end of interface members.
• "ignore-bound-class-methods" skips checking semicolons at the end of bound class methods.
• "strict-bound-class-methods" disables any special handling of bound class methods and treats them as any other assignment. This option overrides "ignore-bound-class-methods".

Examples

"semicolon": true,always

"semicolon": true,never

"semicolon": true,always,ignore-interfaces

"semicolon": true,always,ignore-bound-class-methods

Schema

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": [
    {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "always",
        "never"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "ignore-interfaces"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "additionalItems": false
}

For more information see this page.

Rule: no-unused-expression

Disallows unused expression statements.

Unused expressions are expression statements which are not assignments or function calls (and thus usually no-ops).

Rationale

Detects potential errors where an assignment or function call was intended.

Config

Three arguments may be optionally provided:

• allow-fast-null-checks allows to use logical operators to perform fast null checks and perform method or function calls for side effects (e.g. e && e.preventDefault()).
• allow-new allows 'new' expressions for side effects (e.g. new ModifyGlobalState();.
• allow-tagged-template allows tagged templates for side effects (e.g. this.add\foo`;`.

Examples

"no-unused-expression": true

"no-unused-expression": true,allow-fast-null-checks

Schema

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": {
    "type": "string",
    "enum": [
      "allow-fast-null-checks",
      "allow-new",
      "allow-tagged-template"
    ]
  },
  "minLength": 0,
  "maxLength": 3
}

For more information see this page.

Rule: no-unused-expression

Disallows unused expression statements.

Unused expressions are expression statements which are not assignments or function calls (and thus usually no-ops).

Rationale

Detects potential errors where an assignment or function call was intended.

Config

Three arguments may be optionally provided:

• allow-fast-null-checks allows to use logical operators to perform fast null checks and perform method or function calls for side effects (e.g. e && e.preventDefault()).
• allow-new allows 'new' expressions for side effects (e.g. new ModifyGlobalState();.
• allow-tagged-template allows tagged templates for side effects (e.g. this.add\foo`;`.

Examples

"no-unused-expression": true

"no-unused-expression": true,allow-fast-null-checks

Schema

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": {
    "type": "string",
    "enum": [
      "allow-fast-null-checks",
      "allow-new",
      "allow-tagged-template"
    ]
  },
  "minLength": 0,
  "maxLength": 3
}

For more information see this page.

Rule: semicolon

Enforces consistent semicolon usage at the end of every statement.

Notes

• Has Fix

Config

One of the following arguments must be provided:

• "always" enforces semicolons at the end of every statement.
• "never" disallows semicolons at the end of every statement except for when they are necessary.

The following arguments may be optionally provided:

• "ignore-interfaces" skips checking semicolons at the end of interface members.
• "ignore-bound-class-methods" skips checking semicolons at the end of bound class methods.
• "strict-bound-class-methods" disables any special handling of bound class methods and treats them as any other assignment. This option overrides "ignore-bound-class-methods".

Examples

"semicolon": true,always

"semicolon": true,never

"semicolon": true,always,ignore-interfaces

"semicolon": true,always,ignore-bound-class-methods

Schema

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": [
    {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "always",
        "never"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "ignore-interfaces"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "additionalItems": false
}

For more information see this page.