Summary

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The symptoms of Complexification are:

• Poor readability might indicate overly complex code, but further investigation is necessary to determine if complex code is the root cause of the poor readability.

• The performance of extra computation that is undetectable to the end user.

• Use of an algorithm primarily because it was the most recently learned.

• The emergence of bugs caused by the overly complex interactions between objects or other code units.

To prevent Complexification:

• K.I.S.S., or Keep It Simple, Stupid

• Know or learn what algorithms will work for the problem.

• Start with the simplest or most well known algorithm, and only add complexity as necessary.

• If the option is available, choose the best programming language implementing the algorithm.

• Test how difficult it is to explain the algorithm, preferably to a colleague not working on the associated problem.

• Perform refactoring early and often to reduce the complexity of interactions between code units.

To cure the effects of Complexification:

• Do not be afraid to refactor to a less optimal but more general solution as long as the general solution still meets the requirements.

• Determine the least restrictive requirements that still solve the problem, and then choose the simplest algorithm that meets these requirements.

• Clean up code after simplifying to remove dead code and incorrect comments.

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