arborist-metrics

Arborist

Multi-language code complexity metrics powered by tree-sitter.

Arborist computes cognitive complexity (SonarSource), cyclomatic complexity (McCabe), and source lines of code (SLOC) for functions and methods across 12 programming languages – all from a single, embeddable Rust library.

Supported Languages

Language	Feature flag	Extensions	Default
Rust	rust	.rs	Yes
Python	python	.py, .pyi	Yes
JavaScript	javascript	.js, .jsx, .mjs, .cjs	Yes
TypeScript	typescript	.ts, .tsx, .mts, .cts	Yes
Java	java	.java	Yes
Go	go	.go	Yes
C#	csharp	.cs	Opt-in
C++	cpp	.cpp, .cc, .cxx, .hpp, .hxx, .hh	Opt-in
C	c	.c, .h	Opt-in
PHP	php	.php	Opt-in
Kotlin	kotlin	.kt, .kts	Opt-in
Swift	swift	.swift	Opt-in

Feature Flags

Arborist uses Cargo feature flags to control which tree-sitter grammars are compiled. Each language is an independent, optional feature that pulls in its corresponding tree-sitter grammar crate.

To enable all 12 languages, use features = ["all"].

Tiers

• Tier 1 (default): Rust, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, Go – the most mature tree-sitter grammars. Enabled automatically unless you set default-features = false.
• Tier 2 (opt-in): C#, C++, C, PHP, Kotlin, Swift – require enabling their feature flag explicitly or using the all composite feature.

Individual features

Feature flag	Language	Tier	tree-sitter crate
rust	Rust	1	tree-sitter-rust
python	Python	1	tree-sitter-python
javascript	JavaScript	1	tree-sitter-javascript
typescript	TypeScript	1	tree-sitter-typescript
java	Java	1	tree-sitter-java
go	Go	1	tree-sitter-go
csharp	C#	2	tree-sitter-c-sharp
cpp	C++	2	tree-sitter-cpp
c	C	2	tree-sitter-c
php	PHP	2	tree-sitter-php
kotlin	Kotlin	2	tree-sitter-kotlin-ng
swift	Swift	2	tree-sitter-swift

Composite features

Feature	Expands to
default	rust, python, javascript, typescript, java, go
all	All 12 languages (default + csharp, cpp, c, php, kotlin, swift)

Compile-time note: Each grammar adds compile time and binary size. Use default-features = false with only the languages you need for minimal builds, or all when you need broad language coverage.

Installation

Add to your Cargo.toml:

# Default features (Tier 1): Rust, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, Go
[dependencies]
arborist-metrics = "0.1"

Select specific languages to reduce compile time:

[dependencies]
arborist-metrics = { version = "0.1", default-features = false, features = ["rust", "python"] }

Enable all 12 languages:

[dependencies]
arborist-metrics = { version = "0.1", features = ["all"] }

Quick Start

Analyze a file

use arborist::{analyze_file, FileReport};

fn main() -> Result<(), arborist::ArboristError> {
    let report: FileReport = analyze_file("src/main.rs")?;

    println!("File: {} ({:?})", report.path, report.language);
    println!("Total cognitive: {}, SLOC: {}", report.file_cognitive, report.file_sloc);

    for func in &report.functions {
        println!("  {} (lines {}-{}): cognitive={}, cyclomatic={}, sloc={}",
            func.name, func.start_line, func.end_line,
            func.cognitive, func.cyclomatic, func.sloc);
    }

    Ok(())
}

Analyze source code from memory

use arborist::{analyze_source, Language};

let source = r#"
def hello(name):
    if name:
        print(f"Hello, {name}!")
    else:
        print("Hello, world!")
"#;

let report = analyze_source(source, Language::Python)?;
// report.functions[0].cognitive == 2 (if + else)
# Ok::<(), arborist::ArboristError>(())

Configure thresholds

use arborist::{analyze_file_with_config, AnalysisConfig};

let config = AnalysisConfig {
    cognitive_threshold: Some(8),
    ..Default::default()
};

let report = analyze_file_with_config("src/complex.rs", &config)?;

for func in &report.functions {
    if func.exceeds_threshold == Some(true) {
        eprintln!("WARNING: {} has cognitive complexity {} (threshold: 8)",
            func.name, func.cognitive);
    }
}
# Ok::<(), arborist::ArboristError>(())

Serialize to JSON

let report = arborist::analyze_file("src/main.rs")?;
let json = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&report)?;
println!("{}", json);
# Ok::<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>>(())

Metrics

Cognitive Complexity

Follows the SonarSource specification by G. Ann Campbell. Measures how difficult code is to understand:

• +1 for each control flow break (if, for, while, match, catch, etc.)
• Nesting penalty: nested control flow adds the current nesting depth
• Boolean operator sequences: one increment per operator switch (&& to ||)
• Flat else if: does not increase nesting
• +1 for recursive calls and lambda/closure nesting

Cyclomatic Complexity

Standard McCabe cyclomatic complexity (base 1 + decision points). Measures the number of linearly independent paths through a function.

SLOC

Physical source lines of code, excluding blank lines and comment-only lines.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Follow TDD: write fixtures and failing tests before implementation
4. Run cargo clippy -- -D warnings and cargo test --all-features
5. Submit a pull request

Adding a new language

1. Create src/languages/<lang>.rs implementing the LanguageProfile trait
2. Add the grammar crate as an optional dependency in Cargo.toml
3. Add a feature flag and wire up detection in src/languages/mod.rs
4. Create 6 test fixtures in tests/fixtures/<lang>/
5. Write integration tests

Built with AI · Powered by StrayMark

Arborist is an experiment in disciplined AI-assisted development. The implementation — tree-sitter integration, the 177-test suite, all 12 language profiles — was built largely by AI agents under human direction.

To make that velocity sustainable, we use StrayMark: a CLI for cognitive discipline in AI-assisted engineering. It turned every architectural choice into an AIDEC record, every implementation block into an AILOG, and the test plan into a TES — all under .straymark/, append-only and audit-ready. The governance artifacts emerged alongside the code, not as homework after.

StrayMark is built by Strange Days Tech — the same team behind Arborist. It is the tool we made to solve our own problem.

License

Licensed under either of:

• MIT License
• Apache License, Version 2.0

at your option.

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Copyright

Arborist is © 2026 Strange Days Tech S.A.S. de C.V. — original author and intellectual-property holder of the source code.

The library is released under the dual MIT / Apache-2.0 license above; this notice records authorship and does not modify those license terms. Each source file carries an SPDX header reflecting the same.

Built by Strange Days Tech — México.