Computing Cyclomatic Complexity with Cubic Flowgraphs

Yongming Tang, Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus
Ali H. Dogru, Middle East Technical University
Franz J. Kurfess, Concordia University
Murat M. Tanik, University of Alabama - Birmingham

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1011210102797.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Franz Kurfess was affiliated with Concordia University - Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Currently, August 2008, he is Professor of Computer Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

Abstract

Two new methods for the computation of cyclomatic complexity especially for decomposable representations are introduced. Building software by integration is a developing paradigm, especially enabled by the emerging component technologies. Decomposition of the design for a top-down approach is a prerequisite for this paradigm. Cubic flowgraphs are instrumental in providing formalisms for decomposition and integration. Cyclomatic complexity analysis of a design representation that is decomposable is the goal of this research. In addition to introducing cyclomatic complexity computation using cubic flowgraphs, preservation of cyclomatic complexity in the decomposition of the cubic flowgraph is also presented.