Code Complexity Management

Context (Input)

•PHPInsights checks fail (make phpinsights returns errors)
•Cyclomatic complexity exceeds thresholds
•Code quality score drops below 100%
•Architecture score falls below 100%
•Style score drops below 100%
•Complexity score falls below 93%
•Adding new features that increase complexity
•Refactoring existing code for better maintainability

Task (Function)

Maintain exceptional code quality standards using PHPInsights while preserving hexagonal architecture, DDD patterns, and CQRS design.

Success Criteria:

•make phpinsights passes without errors
•Code quality: 100%
•Complexity: ≥ 94%
•Architecture: 100%
•Style: 100%

Protected Quality Thresholds

CRITICAL: These thresholds in phpinsights.php must NEVER be lowered:

php

'requirements' => [
    'min-quality' => 100,      // Code quality
    'min-complexity' => 94,    // Cyclomatic complexity
    'min-architecture' => 100, // Architecture compliance
    'min-style' => 100,        // Coding style
],

Policy: If PHPInsights fails, fix the code - NEVER lower these thresholds.

⚠️ CRITICAL POLICY: NEVER CHANGE CONFIG

code

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║  When PHPInsights fails, you MUST FIX THE CODE.               ║
║  NEVER lower thresholds in phpinsights.php.                   ║
║                                                               ║
║  ❌ FORBIDDEN: Changing config to pass checks                 ║
║  ✅ REQUIRED:  Refactoring code to meet standards             ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Quick Start Workflow

Step 1: Identify Complex Classes

bash

# Find top 20 most complex classes
make analyze-complexity

# Find top 10 classes
make analyze-complexity N=10

# Export as JSON for tracking
make analyze-complexity-json N=20 > complexity-report.json

Output shows:

•CCN (Cyclomatic Complexity): > 15 is critical
•WMC (Weighted Method Count): Sum of all method complexities
•Avg Complexity: CCN ÷ Methods (target: < 5)
•Max Complexity: Highest complexity of any single method
•Maintainability Index: 0-100 (target: > 65)

See: reference/analysis-tools.md

Step 2: Run PHPInsights

bash

make phpinsights

Step 3: Identify Failing Metric

code

❌ [COMPLEXITY] 93.5 pts (target: 94%)
✗ Method `CustomerCommandHandler::handle` has cyclomatic complexity of 12

Step 4: Apply Refactoring Strategy

See: refactoring-strategies.md for proven patterns:

•Extract Methods
•Strategy Pattern
•Early Returns
•Functional Composition

Step 5: Verify Improvements

bash

make phpinsights

Repeat until all scores meet thresholds.

Quick Fix Guide by Issue Type

Cyclomatic Complexity Too High

Problem: Method has too many decision points (if/else/switch/loops)

Identify hotspots:

bash

make analyze-complexity N=10

Solutions:

•Extract methods: Break complex method into smaller private methods
•Strategy pattern: Replace conditionals with polymorphism
•Early returns: Reduce nesting with guard clauses
•Command pattern: Separate command handling logic

See: refactoring-strategies.md for DDD/CQRS-specific patterns

Architecture Violations

Problem: Layer dependencies violated (e.g., Domain depending on Infrastructure)

Solutions:

•Review layer boundaries: Domain → Application → Infrastructure
•Use interfaces: Define contracts in Domain, implement in Infrastructure
•Dependency injection: Inject dependencies through constructors
•Repository pattern: Keep data access in Infrastructure layer

See: deptrac-fixer skill for fixing architectural violations

Style Issues

Problem: Code doesn't meet PSR-12 or Symfony coding standards

Solution:

bash

# Auto-fix most style issues
make phpcsfixer

# Re-run PHPInsights to verify
make phpinsights

Line Length > 100 Characters

Problem: Lines exceed configured limit

Solutions:

•Break long method calls into multiple lines
•Extract complex expressions into variables
•Use named parameters (PHP 8+)
•Refactor long argument lists into DTOs

See: reference/project-configuration.md

Constraints (Parameters)

NEVER

•Lower quality thresholds in phpinsights.php
•Lower thresholds in phpinsights-tests.php
•Skip PHPInsights checks to "save time"
•Disable sniffs without understanding impact
•Ignore architecture violations
•Put business logic in Application layer (belongs in Domain)

ALWAYS

•Fix code to meet standards (not config to meet code)
•Run make phpinsights after refactoring
•Maintain hexagonal architecture while reducing complexity
•Keep Domain layer pure (no framework dependencies)
•Use make analyze-complexity to find hotspots
•Run make ci before committing
•Preserve test coverage while refactoring

Format (Output)

Expected PHPInsights Output

code

[CODE] 100.0 pts       ✅ Target: 100%
[COMPLEXITY] 94.0 pts  ✅ Target: 94%
[ARCHITECTURE] 100 pts ✅ Target: 100%
[STYLE] 100.0 pts      ✅ Target: 100%

Expected CI Output

code

✅ CI checks successfully passed!

Verification Checklist

After refactoring:

• make phpinsights passes without errors
• Code quality: 100%
• Complexity: ≥ 94%
• Architecture: 100%
• Style: 100%
• No layer boundary violations (make deptrac passes)
• All tests still pass (make all-tests)
• Test coverage maintained
• Code remains aligned with hexagonal architecture

Related Skills

•quality-standards - Overview of all protected quality thresholds
•implementing-ddd-architecture - Proper layer separation and patterns
•deptrac-fixer - Fix architectural violations
•ci-workflow - Run comprehensive CI checks
•testing-workflow - Maintain test coverage during refactoring

Quick Commands

bash

# Find complex classes
make analyze-complexity N=10

# Run PHPInsights
make phpinsights

# Find complex methods with PHPMD
make phpmd

# Auto-fix style issues
make phpcsfixer

# Validate architecture
make deptrac

# Run all tests
make all-tests

# Full CI check
make ci

Reference Documentation

For detailed patterns, strategies, and troubleshooting:

•⚡ Quick Start Guide - Fast-track workflow for immediate action
•🔧 Analysis Tools - Complete guide to complexity analysis commands
•📚 Refactoring Strategies - Modern PHP patterns with real-world examples
•📊 Complexity Metrics - Understanding what each metric means
•🛠️ Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
•📈 Monitoring - Track improvements over time
•⚙️ Project Configuration - Project-specific settings and patterns

Priority Order for Fixes

When facing multiple issues:

•CRITICAL (Complexity > 15): Immediate refactoring required
•HIGH (Architecture violations): Breaks hexagonal/DDD boundaries
•MEDIUM (Complexity 10-15): Plan refactoring
•LOW (Style issues): Quick fixes, often auto-fixable

External Resources

•PHPInsights Documentation: https://phpinsights.com/
•Project Architecture: See CLAUDE.md for hexagonal/DDD/CQRS patterns
•CodelyTV DDD: Inspiration for architecture patterns