In everyday language, the words “complex” and “complicated” are largely synonymous. But in development circles, software complexity is more specifically concerned with the extent to which a system is difficult to comprehend, modify and test, and not the complication inherent in the function it is designed to fulfil. Two systems equivalent in functionality can therefore differ greatly in their software complexity.

The learned committees responsible for functional safety and security standards are unanimous in their distaste for complexity. For example, IEC 61508 and its derivatives include clauses related to Low Complexity Software and require that evidence of low complexity is presented as part of the certification process. From a security perspective, one of SEI CERT’s “top 10” secure coding practices is to “keep it simple” and hence avoid complexity.

Typically, this is addressed by solely focusing on cyclomatic complexity – but is that the correct approach when other categories of complexity are equally applicable?

This webinar will discuss why the avoidance of complexity features so highly in the standards, how it is enumerated, and how it can be minimized. It will review and compare the merits of McCabe’s cyclomatic complexity and other complexity metrics. And will reflect on whether each of those metrics can best be interpreted as a comparator, or as an absolute measure.