Definition
Code maintainability measures how easily software can be understood, modified, extended, and debugged over time — tracked via metrics like duplication, refactoring frequency, code reuse, and churn.
Key Points
- GitClear/GitKraken 2023–2026 analysis: 623M code changes show declining maintainability alongside AI tool adoption
- Key shifts: less code movement/reuse, more copy-paste, reduced legacy refactoring
- “Obfuscation” pattern (+47%): error-catching code that masks root causes without fixing them
- Distinct from velocity metrics — faster commits can worsen long-term codebase health