Readability: add concrete measurables (function length, nesting depth)#10
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mshykov wants to merge 1 commit into
Open
Readability: add concrete measurables (function length, nesting depth)#10mshykov wants to merge 1 commit into
mshykov wants to merge 1 commit into
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The Readability section currently asks open-ended questions
('Can the readability of the code be improved by smaller
methods?'). For reviewers calibrating on a new codebase, two
concrete numeric heuristics speed up the 'is this a smell?'
judgment:
- Functions / methods over ~50 lines: a long-standing rule of
thumb (mentioned in Code Complete, used by Google's style
guide, common in linters like SonarQube). Not a hard cutoff —
the 'if so, can they be decomposed' framing keeps the question
open-ended like the rest of the section.
- Nesting deeper than 3 levels: similarly common as a cyclomatic-
complexity proxy. Pairs naturally with the smaller-methods
question.
Both phrased as questions, not statements, to match the
section's existing tone. Inserted next to the related
'smaller methods' question.
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What
Adds two checklist questions to the Readability section providing concrete numeric heuristics alongside the existing open-ended ones.
Why
The Readability section asks valuable open questions ("Can the readability be improved by smaller methods?") but provides no calibration anchor for a reviewer new to a codebase. Two widely-used heuristics fill that gap:
Both are phrased as questions ("If so, can it be decomposed?") matching the section's existing tone — soft heuristics, not hard cutoffs.
Diff
Inserted next to the related "smaller methods" question for proximity.
Opening as draft so you can request changes before I mark it ready.