---
title: Cognitive Complexity
description: "**Impact area** Scalability **Severity** Medium **Affected element** Apex Class ## Rule ID SF-COGN-COMPLEX ## Impact Methods that are highly complex are difficult to read and more costly to maintain.  Remediation Avoid structures that allow multiple statements to be readably shorthanded…"
url: "https://community-staging.qualityclouds.com/qcdocs/qcr/rules/cognitive-complexity/"
updated: "2025-03-21"
category: PMD Rules
---

# Cognitive Complexity

**Impact area**

Scalability

**Severity**

Medium

**Affected element**

Apex Class

## Rule ID

SF-COGN-COMPLEX

## Impact

Methods that are highly complex are difficult to read and more costly to maintain. 

Remediation

Avoid structures that allow multiple statements to be readably shorthanded into one. Avoid breaks in the linear flow of the code. Avoid nested flow-breaking structures.

### Time to fix

30 min

## References

This rule is linked to [CognitiveComplexity](https://pmd.github.io/pmd/pmd_rules_apex_design.html#cognitivecomplexityy)