Code Complexity

Definitions

1. The degree to which code is difficult to understand, reason about, test, or modify due to branching, coupling, state, or structural depth. High code complexity raises defect rates and slows future changes even when the code still technically works today.

   In plain English: How hard code is to understand and safely change.

   Example: "The function's code complexity had grown so high that adding one more edge case risked breaking unrelated paths in ways nobody could predict."

Related Terms

• Style Guide
• Tidy
• WTF per Minute
• Code Analysis
• Code Cleanup
• Code Design
• Code Documentation
• Code Health