1. What is Cyclomatic Complexity?

Cyclomatic Complexity is a software metric used to measure the complexity of a program. It quantifies the number of linearly independent paths through a program's source code.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Cyclomatic Complexity formula:

Where:

• \( V \) — Cyclomatic complexity
• \( E \) — Number of edges in the control flow graph
• \( N \) — Number of nodes in the control flow graph

Explanation: The formula calculates the number of independent paths through a program by analyzing its control flow graph.

3. Importance of Cyclomatic Complexity

Details: Cyclomatic Complexity helps in determining the maintainability and testability of code. Lower values indicate simpler, more maintainable code.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of edges and nodes from your program's control flow graph. Both values must be non-negative integers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a good Cyclomatic Complexity value?
A: Generally, values 1-10 indicate simple code, 11-20 moderately complex, 21-50 complex, and >50 unmaintainable code.

Q2: How is this different from cognitive complexity?
A: Cognitive complexity measures how hard code is to understand, while cyclomatic complexity measures the number of paths.

Q3: When should I refactor based on this metric?
A: Consider refactoring when complexity exceeds 10-15, depending on your team's standards and the criticality of the code.

Q4: Can this be calculated automatically?
A: Yes, most static analysis tools can calculate it directly from source code without needing to count edges and nodes manually.

Q5: Does this apply to all programming languages?
A: Yes, the concept applies to all procedural and object-oriented languages, though interpretation may vary slightly.