How to check code cyclomatic complexity in Android studio?

Introduction

Code cyclomatic complexity is a metric that measures the complexity of a program. It is calculated based on the number of decision points in the code. A higher cyclomatic complexity indicates a more complex program, which can be more difficult to test and maintain.

Understanding Cyclomatic Complexity

Cyclomatic complexity is a widely accepted metric for quantifying the complexity of a program’s control flow. It represents the number of linearly independent paths through the code. Essentially, it signifies how many different execution paths exist in your function.

Why Is Cyclomatic Complexity Important?

• Testability: Higher complexity makes thorough testing more challenging as the number of possible execution paths increases.
• Maintainability: Complex code is difficult to understand and modify, potentially leading to errors and inconsistencies.
• Reliability: Complex code is more prone to bugs, especially during modifications.

Checking Code Cyclomatic Complexity in Android Studio

Using the “Analyze” Feature

1. Open your Android Studio project.
2. Navigate to the code file you want to analyze.
3. Right-click inside the code editor and select “Analyze” -> “Analyze Code…”
4. In the “Analyze Code” dialog, select the “Code Style” profile from the “Code Inspection Profiles” dropdown.
5. Click “OK” to start the analysis.

Android Studio will now scan your code and display any issues found in the “Inspection Results” window. You can filter the results by “Cyclomatic Complexity” to see the complexity of individual methods.

Using the “Code Inspection” Plugin

1. Install the “Code Inspection” plugin from the Android Studio plugins marketplace.
2. Open your Android Studio project.
3. Navigate to the code file you want to analyze.
4. Click on the “Code Inspection” icon in the toolbar (usually a small light bulb).
5. In the “Code Inspection” window, select “Cyclomatic Complexity” from the “Inspections” list.
6. Click “Run Inspection” to analyze the code.

The “Code Inspection” plugin will highlight any methods with high cyclomatic complexity directly in your code editor.

Interpreting Cyclomatic Complexity Results

Guidelines for Acceptable Complexity

There are no universally agreed-upon limits for acceptable cyclomatic complexity. However, a commonly used guideline is to aim for a complexity score of less than 10. If a method exceeds this limit, it might be a sign that it needs to be refactored into smaller, more manageable units.

Understanding the Results

The results of the cyclomatic complexity analysis will typically highlight methods that exceed a certain complexity threshold. You can then examine these methods to identify potential areas for improvement.

For example, you might consider refactoring a complex method into smaller, more focused methods, or restructuring the code to reduce the number of conditional statements.

Example

Consider the following code snippet:

public class Example {
  public int calculateSum(int a, int b, int c) {
    if (a > 0 && b > 0 && c > 0) {
      return a + b + c;
    } else if (a < 0 && b < 0 && c < 0) {
      return a - b - c;
    } else {
      return 0;
    }
  }
}

The "calculateSum" method has a cyclomatic complexity of 3. This is because it has three different decision points (the two "if" statements and the "else" statement).

Conclusion

By understanding and utilizing tools to measure cyclomatic complexity, you can gain valuable insights into the complexity of your Android codebase. This allows you to proactively identify potential areas for refactoring, ultimately leading to cleaner, more maintainable, and less error-prone code. Remember, optimizing for lower cyclomatic complexity is a continuous process and a crucial aspect of good software development practices.