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Complexity and Maintainability Relationship

publish date: 2026/06/24 21:18:38.704946 UTC

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What did early research on the relationship between program complexity and maintainability find?

Complexity only affects maintenance cost in embedded systems, never in business systems

The more complex a system or component, the more expensive it is to maintain

Complexity has no measurable relationship to maintenance cost at all

Simpler systems are always more expensive to maintain than complex ones

Correct Answer

The more complex a system or component, the more expensive it is to maintain

Explanation

Early research on program complexity and maintainability found that the more complex a system or component, the more expensive it is to maintain. This insight suggests that replacing complex components with simpler alternatives can help reduce future maintenance costs.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 10th edition

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Maintenance Prediction