---
id: wiki-2026-0508-cyclomatic-complexity
title: Cyclomatic Complexity
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [McCabe Complexity, Cyclomatic Number, 순환 복잡도]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.92
verification_status: applied
tags: [code-quality, metrics, static-analysis, mccabe]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack:
  language: python
  framework: ruff
---

# Cyclomatic Complexity

## 매 한 줄
> **"매 function 의 linearly independent path 수"**. Thomas McCabe (1976) 가 정의. 매 control-flow graph 매 `M = E − N + 2P` (edges − nodes + 2×components). 2026 현재 ruff, eslint, SonarQube 매 default 로 측정; high CC ↔ test difficulty + bug rate correlation 매 empirical.

## 매 핵심

### 매 계산
- 각 decision point (if, for, while, case, &&, ||, ternary, catch) 마다 +1.
- Base 1 (single path) + decisions.
- Function 1 → straight-line.
- Function 10+ → moderate.
- Function 20+ → complex, refactor 권장.
- Function 50+ → 매 unmaintainable.

### 매 의미
- **Test path 수** lower bound.
- **Reading difficulty** proxy.
- **Bug density correlation** — 매 empirical study.
- **NOT** measure of correctness, performance, design quality.

### 매 응용
1. CI gate — `max-complexity: 10` lint rule.
2. Code review — high-CC function 매 split 요청.
3. Refactoring target prioritization.
4. Legacy modernization metric.

## 💻 패턴

### CC 계산 example (Python)
```python
def classify(score):           # base 1
    if score >= 90:            # +1
        return 'A'
    elif score >= 80:          # +1
        return 'B'
    elif score >= 70:          # +1
        return 'C'
    else:
        return 'F'
# CC = 4
```

### Lint config (ruff, 2026)
```toml
# pyproject.toml
[tool.ruff.lint]
select = ["C90"]  # mccabe

[tool.ruff.lint.mccabe]
max-complexity = 10
```

### ESLint
```json
{
  "rules": {
    "complexity": ["error", { "max": 10 }]
  }
}
```

### Refactor: replace conditional with polymorphism
```typescript
// before — CC 5
function area(shape: Shape): number {
  if (shape.kind === 'circle') return Math.PI * shape.r ** 2;
  if (shape.kind === 'square') return shape.s ** 2;
  if (shape.kind === 'rect') return shape.w * shape.h;
  if (shape.kind === 'triangle') return 0.5 * shape.b * shape.h;
  throw new Error('unknown');
}

// after — CC 1 per class
abstract class Shape { abstract area(): number; }
class Circle extends Shape { area() { return Math.PI * this.r ** 2; } }
class Square extends Shape { area() { return this.s ** 2; } }
```

### Refactor: guard clauses (early return)
```python
# before — CC 4
def process(user):
    if user is not None:
        if user.active:
            if user.has_permission:
                do_work(user)

# after — CC 4 still, but readability ↑
def process(user):
    if user is None: return
    if not user.active: return
    if not user.has_permission: return
    do_work(user)
```

### Refactor: table dispatch
```python
# before — CC 6
def handle(event_type, payload):
    if event_type == 'created': return on_created(payload)
    elif event_type == 'updated': return on_updated(payload)
    elif event_type == 'deleted': return on_deleted(payload)
    # ...

# after — CC 2
HANDLERS = {'created': on_created, 'updated': on_updated, 'deleted': on_deleted}
def handle(event_type, payload):
    handler = HANDLERS.get(event_type)
    if not handler: raise ValueError(event_type)
    return handler(payload)
```

### radon (Python CLI)
```bash
$ radon cc -s -a app/
app/service.py
    F 42:0 process_order - C (12)
    F 88:0 validate     - A (3)
Average complexity: B (6.2)
```

## 매 결정 기준
| 상황 | Approach |
|---|---|
| New code | CC ≤ 10 hard limit |
| Legacy refactor | CC > 15 → split 우선 |
| Pure data transform | higher CC OK if linear (case/match) |
| State machine | use explicit FSM library |

**기본값**: max-complexity 10 in lint config; warn at 8.

## 🔗 Graph
- 부모: [[Static Analysis]]
- 응용: [[Refactoring_Best_Practices|Refactoring]] · [[Code Review]] · [[CI Gates]]
- Adjacent: [[Test Coverage]] · [[SOLID]] (Single Responsibility)

## 🤖 LLM 활용
**언제**: high-CC function 매 refactor 제안 (split, polymorphism, table dispatch).
**언제 X**: pure metric calculation (deterministic tool 가 더 빠름).

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **CC 만 보고 quality 판단**: linear case dispatch 매 high CC 지만 매 simple.
- **Hard limit 무조건 enforcement**: 매 split 의 split 매 fragmentation.
- **CC ↓ 위해 boolean parameter 추가**: flag argument anti-pattern.
- **Cognitive complexity 무시**: 매 nesting depth, recursion 매 더 중요할 수도.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- Verified (McCabe 1976 *A Complexity Measure*, ruff/SonarQube docs 2026).
- 신뢰도 A.

## 🕓 Changelog
| 날짜 | 변경 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 |
| 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — full content with refactoring patterns |