Inappropriate coding practices - Cyclomatic complexity
Need
Enhance maintainability and security of the code
Context
• Usage of Elixir (v1.11+) for building scalable and fault-tolerant applications
• Usage of Phoenix Framework for building web applications with Elixir
Description
1. Non compliant code
defmodule Unsafe do
def complex_function(a, b, c, d) do
if a do
if b do
if c do
if d do
IO.puts 'abcd'
IO.puts 'abc'...In this code, the function `complex_function` has a high cyclomatic complexity due to multiple nested if-else statements. High cyclomatic complexity makes the code difficult to read, maintain, and test. It could also increase the probability of bugs or vulnerabilities, as it's harder to understand all possible execution paths.
2. Steps
• Decompose the function into smaller, simpler functions
• Replace nested if-else statements with cleaner control structures, like pattern matching
3. Secure code example
defmodule Safe do
def simple_function(a, b, c, d) do
cond do
a && b && c && d -> IO.puts 'abcd'
a && b && c -> IO.puts 'abc'
a && b -> IO.puts 'ab'
a -> IO.puts 'a'
end...In this revised code, the function `simple_function` is much easier to read and understand. It uses the `cond` statement to clearly show the different conditions and their outcomes. This reduces the cyclomatic complexity and makes the function easier to test and maintain.