This cop checks that the ABC size of methods is not higher than the configured maximum. The ABC size is based on assignments, branches (method calls), and conditions. See http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?AbcMetric

This cop checks if the length of a method exceeds some maximum value. Comment lines can optionally be ignored. The maximum allowed length is configurable.

This cop checks that the cyclomatic complexity of methods is not higher than the configured maximum. The cyclomatic complexity is the number of linearly independent paths through a method. The algorithm counts decision points and adds one.

An if statement (or unless or ?:) increases the complexity by one. An else branch does not, since it doesn't add a decision point. The && operator (or keyword and) can be converted to a nested if statement, and ||/or is shorthand for a sequence of ifs, so they also add one. Loops can be said to have an exit condition, so they add one.

This cop tries to produce a complexity score that's a measure of the complexity the reader experiences when looking at a method. For that reason it considers when nodes as something that doesn't add as much complexity as an if or a &&. Except if it's one of those special case/when constructs where there's no expression after case. Then the cop treats it as an if/elsif/elsif... and lets all the when nodes count. In contrast to the CyclomaticComplexity cop, this cop considers else nodes as adding complexity.

Example:

def my_method                   # 1
  if cond                       # 1
    case var                    # 2 (0.8 + 4 * 0.2, rounded)
    when 1 then func_one
    when 2 then func_two
    when 3 then func_three
    when 4..10 then func_other
    end
  else                          # 1
    do_something until a && b   # 2
  end                           # ===
end                             # 7 complexity points

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 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 can check for array literals made up of word-like strings, that are not using the %w() syntax.

Alternatively, it can check for uses of the %w() syntax, in projects which do not want to include that syntax.

Configuration option: MinSize If set, arrays with fewer elements than this value will not trigger the cop. For example, a MinSize of 3 will not enforce a style on an array of 2 or fewer elements.

Example: EnforcedStyle: percent (default)

# good
%w[foo bar baz]

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

Example: EnforcedStyle: brackets

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

# bad
%w[foo bar baz]

This cop checks for the presence of superfluous parentheses around the condition of if/unless/while/until.

Example:

# bad
x += 1 while (x < 10)
foo unless (bar || baz)

if (x > 10)
elsif (x < 3)
end

# good
x += 1 while x < 10
foo unless bar || baz

if x > 10
elsif x < 3
end

This cop enforces consistent use of Object#is_a? or Object#kind_of?.

Example: EnforcedStyle: is_a? (default)

# bad
var.kind_of?(Date)
var.kind_of?(Integer)

# good
var.is_a?(Date)
var.is_a?(Integer)

Example: EnforcedStyle: kind_of?

# bad
var.is_a?(Time)
var.is_a?(String)

# good
var.kind_of?(Time)
var.kind_of?(String)

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

Example: EnforcedStyle: empty_lines

# good

module Foo

  def bar
    # ...
  end

end

Example: EnforcedStyle: emptylinesexcept_namespace

# good

module Foo
  module Bar

    # ...

  end
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: emptylinesspecial

# good
module Foo

  def bar; end

end

Example: EnforcedStyle: noemptylines (default)

# good

module Foo
  def bar
    # ...
  end
end

Check for uses of braces or do/end around single line or multi-line blocks.

Example: EnforcedStyle: linecountbased (default)

# bad - single line block
items.each do |item| item / 5 end

# good - single line block
items.each { |item| item / 5 }

# bad - multi-line block
things.map { |thing|
  something = thing.some_method
  process(something)
}

# good - multi-line block
things.map do |thing|
  something = thing.some_method
  process(something)
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: semantic

# Prefer `do...end` over `{...}` for procedural blocks.

# return value is used/assigned
# bad
foo = map do |x|
  x
end
puts (map do |x|
  x
end)

# return value is not used out of scope
# good
map do |x|
  x
end

# Prefer `{...}` over `do...end` for functional blocks.

# return value is not used out of scope
# bad
each { |x|
  x
}

# return value is used/assigned
# good
foo = map { |x|
  x
}
map { |x|
  x
}.inspect

Example: EnforcedStyle: bracesforchaining

# bad
words.each do |word|
  word.flip.flop
end.join("-")

# good
words.each { |word|
  word.flip.flop
}.join("-")

This cop checks for the presence of parentheses around ternary conditions. It is configurable to enforce inclusion or omission of parentheses using EnforcedStyle. Omission is only enforced when removing the parentheses won't cause a different behavior.

Example: EnforcedStyle: requirenoparentheses (default)

# bad
foo = (bar?) ? a : b
foo = (bar.baz?) ? a : b
foo = (bar && baz) ? a : b

# good
foo = bar? ? a : b
foo = bar.baz? ? a : b
foo = bar && baz ? a : b

Example: EnforcedStyle: require_parentheses

# bad
foo = bar? ? a : b
foo = bar.baz? ? a : b
foo = bar && baz ? a : b

# good
foo = (bar?) ? a : b
foo = (bar.baz?) ? a : b
foo = (bar && baz) ? a : b

Example: EnforcedStyle: requireparentheseswhen_complex

# bad
foo = (bar?) ? a : b
foo = (bar.baz?) ? a : b
foo = bar && baz ? a : b

# good
foo = bar? ? a : b
foo = bar.baz? ? a : b
foo = (bar && baz) ? a : b

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

Example: EnforcedStyle: empty_lines

# good

module Foo

  def bar
    # ...
  end

end

Example: EnforcedStyle: emptylinesexcept_namespace

# good

module Foo
  module Bar

    # ...

  end
end

Example: EnforcedStyle: emptylinesspecial

# good
module Foo

  def bar; end

end

Example: EnforcedStyle: noemptylines (default)

# good

module Foo
  def bar
    # ...
  end
end

This cop checks for missing top-level documentation of classes and modules. Classes with no body are exempt from the check and so are namespace modules - modules that have nothing in their bodies except classes, other modules, or constant definitions.

The documentation requirement is annulled if the class or module has a "#:nodoc:" comment next to it. Likewise, "#:nodoc: all" does the same for all its children.

Example:

# bad
class Person
  # ...
end

# good
# Description/Explanation of Person class
class Person
  # ...
end

This cop checks for the presence of parentheses around ternary conditions. It is configurable to enforce inclusion or omission of parentheses using EnforcedStyle. Omission is only enforced when removing the parentheses won't cause a different behavior.

Example: EnforcedStyle: requirenoparentheses (default)

# bad
foo = (bar?) ? a : b
foo = (bar.baz?) ? a : b
foo = (bar && baz) ? a : b

# good
foo = bar? ? a : b
foo = bar.baz? ? a : b
foo = bar && baz ? a : b

Example: EnforcedStyle: require_parentheses

# bad
foo = bar? ? a : b
foo = bar.baz? ? a : b
foo = bar && baz ? a : b

# good
foo = (bar?) ? a : b
foo = (bar.baz?) ? a : b
foo = (bar && baz) ? a : b

Example: EnforcedStyle: requireparentheseswhen_complex

# bad
foo = (bar?) ? a : b
foo = (bar.baz?) ? a : b
foo = bar && baz ? a : b

# good
foo = bar? ? a : b
foo = bar.baz? ? a : b
foo = (bar && baz) ? a : b