# Complexity Guardrails

> Keep cyclomatic complexity low; flatten control flow, extract helpers, and prefer table-driven/strategy patterns over large switches

- Skill: `noartem/complexity-guardrails` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add noartem/complexity-guardrails`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/noartem/complexity-guardrails/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: noartem (https://skillmd.com/u/noartem)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/noartem/complexity-guardrails

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# Complexity Guardrails

Design to keep complexity low from day one.

## Targets

- Cyclomatic complexity per function ≤ 7 (start splitting at 5)
- Function length ≤ 80 lines (aim for ≤ 30)
- One responsibility per function; one axis of variation per module

## Tactics

- Use early returns and guard clauses; avoid deep nesting
- Extract branch bodies into named helpers
- Replace long if/else/switch with tables (maps) or strategies
- Separate phases: parse → validate → normalize → act

## Signs to refactor now

- Hard-to-test code paths
- Repeated conditionals with subtle differences
- Mixed concerns (IO, validation, transformation) in one method