Java | Ndepend

| Metric | Description | Java Relevance | |--------|-------------|----------------| | | Number of independent paths through a method | Works directly on bytecode (if debug symbols present, maps to source) | | Depth of Inheritance Tree (DIT) | How deep a class is in the hierarchy | Java single inheritance, but interfaces matter—NDepend counts both | | Afferent Coupling (Ca) | Number of types that depend on this type | Understands Java package visibility | | Efferent Coupling (Ce) | Number of types this type depends on | Includes JDK classes (configurable) | | LCOM (Lack of Cohesion of Methods) | Measures how related methods are via fields | Works with Java instance fields | | Normalized Distance from Main Sequence (D) | Abstractness + Instability balance | Applies to packages, useful for layered architectures |

1. Introduction: The Challenge of Java Code Quality Java is a mature, enterprise-grade language. However, even with best practices like SOLID principles, design patterns, and CI/CD pipelines, large Java codebases inevitably decay. Dependencies become tangled, technical debt accumulates, and architectural rules are violated—often silently. ndepend java

: Yes, strongly consider NDepend. It fills a gap that no other Java tool handles well: architectural rule enforcement, technical debt quantification, and deep dependency analysis at scale . | Metric | Description | Java Relevance |