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

CyclomaticComplexity

Since: 0.1

Complexity is determined by the number of decision points in a method plus one for the method entry. The decision points are 'if', 'while', 'for', and 'case labels'. Generally, 1-4 is low complexity, 5-7 indicates moderate complexity, 8-10 is high complexity, and 11+ is very high complexity.

Example

// Cyclomatic Complexity = 11
class Foo {
1   public function example() {
2       if ($a == $b) {
3           if ($a1 == $b1) {
                fiddle();
4           } elseif ($a2 == $b2) {
                fiddle();
            } else {
                fiddle();
            }
5       } elseif ($c == $d) {
6           while ($c == $d) {
                fiddle();
            }
7        } elseif ($e == $f) {
8           for ($n = 0; $n < $h; $n++) {
                fiddle();
            }
        } else {
            switch ($z) {
9               case 1:
                    fiddle();
                    break;
10              case 2:
                    fiddle();
                    break;
11              case 3:
                    fiddle();
                    break;
                default:
                    fiddle();
                    break;
            }
        }
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/codesize.html#cyclomaticcomplexity

BooleanArgumentFlag

Since: 1.4.0

A boolean flag argument is a reliable indicator for a violation of the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP). You can fix this problem by extracting the logic in the boolean flag into its own class or method.

Example

class Foo {
    public function bar($flag = true) {
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#booleanargumentflag

MissingImport

Since: 2.7.0

Importing all external classes in a file through use statements makes them clearly visible.

Example

function make() {
    return new \stdClass();
}

Source http://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#MissingImport

MissingImport

Since: 2.7.0

Importing all external classes in a file through use statements makes them clearly visible.

Example

function make() {
    return new \stdClass();
}

Source http://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#MissingImport

StaticAccess

Since: 1.4.0

Static access causes unexchangeable dependencies to other classes and leads to hard to test code. Avoid using static access at all costs and instead inject dependencies through the constructor. The only case when static access is acceptable is when used for factory methods.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar()
    {
        Bar::baz();
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#staticaccess

ElseExpression

Since: 1.4.0

An if expression with an else branch is basically not necessary. You can rewrite the conditions in a way that the else clause is not necessary and the code becomes simpler to read. To achieve this, use early return statements, though you may need to split the code it several smaller methods. For very simple assignments you could also use the ternary operations.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar($flag)
    {
        if ($flag) {
            // one branch
        } else {
            // another branch
        }
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#elseexpression

ElseExpression

Since: 1.4.0

An if expression with an else branch is basically not necessary. You can rewrite the conditions in a way that the else clause is not necessary and the code becomes simpler to read. To achieve this, use early return statements, though you may need to split the code it several smaller methods. For very simple assignments you could also use the ternary operations.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar($flag)
    {
        if ($flag) {
            // one branch
        } else {
            // another branch
        }
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#elseexpression

IfStatementAssignment

Since: 2.7.0

Assignments in if clauses and the like are considered a code smell. Assignments in PHP return the right operand as their result. In many cases, this is an expected behavior, but can lead to many difficult to spot bugs, especially when the right operand could result in zero, null or an empty string and the like.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar($flag)
    {
        if ($foo = 'bar') { // possible typo
            // ...
        }
        if ($baz = 0) { // always false
            // ...
        }
    }
}

Source http://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#ifstatementassignment

StaticAccess

Since: 1.4.0

Static access causes unexchangeable dependencies to other classes and leads to hard to test code. Avoid using static access at all costs and instead inject dependencies through the constructor. The only case when static access is acceptable is when used for factory methods.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar()
    {
        Bar::baz();
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#staticaccess

ElseExpression

Since: 1.4.0

An if expression with an else branch is basically not necessary. You can rewrite the conditions in a way that the else clause is not necessary and the code becomes simpler to read. To achieve this, use early return statements, though you may need to split the code it several smaller methods. For very simple assignments you could also use the ternary operations.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar($flag)
    {
        if ($flag) {
            // one branch
        } else {
            // another branch
        }
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#elseexpression

ElseExpression

Since: 1.4.0

An if expression with an else branch is basically not necessary. You can rewrite the conditions in a way that the else clause is not necessary and the code becomes simpler to read. To achieve this, use early return statements, though you may need to split the code it several smaller methods. For very simple assignments you could also use the ternary operations.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar($flag)
    {
        if ($flag) {
            // one branch
        } else {
            // another branch
        }
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#elseexpression

StaticAccess

Since: 1.4.0

Static access causes unexchangeable dependencies to other classes and leads to hard to test code. Avoid using static access at all costs and instead inject dependencies through the constructor. The only case when static access is acceptable is when used for factory methods.

Example

class Foo
{
    public function bar()
    {
        Bar::baz();
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/cleancode.html#staticaccess

UnusedFormalParameter

Since: 0.2

Avoid passing parameters to methods or constructors and then not using those parameters.

Example

class Foo
{
    private function bar($howdy)
    {
        // $howdy is not used
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/unusedcode.html#unusedformalparameter

UnusedFormalParameter

Since: 0.2

Avoid passing parameters to methods or constructors and then not using those parameters.

Example

class Foo
{
    private function bar($howdy)
    {
        // $howdy is not used
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/unusedcode.html#unusedformalparameter

UnusedFormalParameter

Since: 0.2

Avoid passing parameters to methods or constructors and then not using those parameters.

Example

class Foo
{
    private function bar($howdy)
    {
        // $howdy is not used
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/unusedcode.html#unusedformalparameter

LongVariable

Since: 0.2

Detects when a field, formal or local variable is declared with a long name.

Example

class Something {
    protected $reallyLongIntName = -3; // VIOLATION - Field
    public static function main( array $interestingArgumentsList[] ) { // VIOLATION - Formal
        $otherReallyLongName = -5; // VIOLATION - Local
        for ($interestingIntIndex = 0; // VIOLATION - For
             $interestingIntIndex < 10;
             $interestingIntIndex++ ) {
        }
    }
}

Source https://phpmd.org/rules/naming.html#longvariable

CamelCaseClassName

Since: 0.2

It is considered best practice to use the CamelCase notation to name classes.

Example

class class_name {
}

Source

CamelCaseMethodName

Since: 0.2

It is considered best practice to use the camelCase notation to name methods.

Example

class ClassName {
    public function get_name() {
    }
}

Source

CamelCaseMethodName

Since: 0.2

It is considered best practice to use the camelCase notation to name methods.

Example

class ClassName {
    public function get_name() {
    }
}

Source

CamelCaseMethodName

Since: 0.2

It is considered best practice to use the camelCase notation to name methods.

Example

class ClassName {
    public function get_name() {
    }
}

Source

CamelCaseMethodName

Since: 0.2

It is considered best practice to use the camelCase notation to name methods.

Example

class ClassName {
    public function get_name() {
    }
}

Source

CamelCaseMethodName

Since: 0.2

It is considered best practice to use the camelCase notation to name methods.

Example

class ClassName {
    public function get_name() {
    }
}

Source

CamelCaseMethodName

Since: 0.2

It is considered best practice to use the camelCase notation to name methods.

Example

class ClassName {
    public function get_name() {
    }
}

Source