complexity-reducer

name	complexity-reducer
description	Techniques and patterns for reducing code complexity while maintaining functionality.
category	refactoring
version	1

Complexity Reducer

Purpose

Identify and eliminate unnecessary complexity in code.

Complexity Indicators

Cognitive Complexity

• Nested conditionals > 3 levels
• Multiple boolean operators in one condition
• Recursion without clear base case
• Switch statements with > 5 cases

Cyclomatic Complexity

• Functions with > 10 decision points
• Deep inheritance chains
• Excessive use of polymorphism for simple cases

Essential vs Accidental Complexity

• Essential: Domain complexity (keep)
• Accidental: Code structure complexity (reduce)

Reduction Patterns

1. Extract Method

• Split large functions into smaller, named functions
• Each function should do ONE thing

2. Replace Conditional with Polymorphism

• When same condition appears in multiple places
• Strategy pattern for algorithms

3. Decompose Conditional

• Extract condition to well-named function
• Extract then/else branches to separate functions

4. Consolidate Conditional

• Multiple conditions leading to same result

Metrics Target

• Cyclomatic complexity < 10 per function
• Functions < 50 lines
• Nesting depth < 3