Code Quality Rules¶

High-quality code is not just about correctness; it’s also about clarity, maintainability, and avoiding common pitfalls. These rules target issues that can lead to bugs, reduce readability, or create unnecessary clutter.

Magic Numbers¶

QUALITY_MAGIC_NUMBERS

Rule ID: QUALITY_MAGIC_NUMBERS Error

Forbids the use of unnamed, "magic" numbers in code. All numeric literals (except for simple cases like 0, 1, -1) should be defined as named constants to explain their meaning.

Examples:

✅ Correct

❌ Incorrect (Lint Error)

namespace Network {
    constexpr int kDefaultPort = 8080;
    constexpr int kMaxConnections = 100;
    constexpr double kTimeoutSeconds = 30.0;
}

void Connect() {
    if (connection.port() == Network::kDefaultPort) {
        // ...
    }
}

void SetTimeout(double seconds) {
    if (seconds > Network::kTimeoutSeconds) {
        // ...
    }
}

const int buffer_size = 1024;      // Power of 2s allowed
if (count > 100) {                  // 1, 100, 1000 Allowed
    ResizeBuffer(2048);             // Power of 2s allowed
}

// What do these numbers mean?
void Connect() {
    if (connection.port() == 8080) { // Magic number
        // ...
    }
}

void SetTimeout(double seconds) {
    if (seconds > 30.0) { // No Variable
        // ...
    }
}

Summary¶

Focusing on code quality leads to a more robust and maintainable system:

Name your numbers: Avoid magic numbers by defining named constants.