install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install lizard-analyzer

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install lizard

MacPorts ports tree · archivers/lizard/Portfile · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Extensible Cyclomatic Complexity Analyzer

Project links

Commands and aliases

lizard

history

Project history and usage

Lizard is a Python-based cyclomatic-complexity and static-analysis command-line tool. Its package history is mildly confusing because Homebrew names this formula lizard-analyzer while the executable is lizard, avoiding collision with a separate compression utility also named lizard.

Project history

The terryyin/lizard repository was created on GitHub in June 2012. The README describes the tool as an extensible cyclomatic complexity analyzer for many programming languages, with an emphasis on scanning C/C++ without needing complete header search paths and Java without resolving all imports.

Over time the tool expanded beyond basic cyclomatic complexity counts into duplicate-code detection and other static-code metrics. Its language list in the README spans C/C++, Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Rust, Swift, Solidity, Zig, and other languages.

Adoption history

The README documents both direct script usage and installation through pip, which made Lizard convenient for CI jobs and local quality gates before language-specific static-analysis suites were always present in package-manager workflows.

Homebrew packaging under lizard-analyzer gives macOS users a CLI install path while avoiding the formula-name collision with the unrelated lizard compressor.

How it is used

Lizard is commonly used as a lightweight metric pass over source trees: run lizard on a path, optionally select languages, exclude paths, and fail builds when complexity or parameter-count thresholds are exceeded.

Because it intentionally measures how complex code looks rather than trying to fully compile or semantically resolve a project, it fits quick scans, pre-commit checks, and repository audits where low setup cost matters.

Why package nerds care

The formula is a small example of package-manager disambiguation: the upstream project, command name, and common Python package name are lizard, but Homebrew has to call the formula lizard-analyzer because brew:lizard is already the compression tool.

It also shows how scripting-language tools enter Unix package managers even when pip installation is available, because packaging the CLI gives users a repeatable system-level binary without managing a Python environment by hand.

Timeline

2012: terryyin/lizard repository created on GitHub.
2026: GitHub releases 1.20.0 and 1.23.0 were published for the analyzer.
2026: Homebrew formula lizard-analyzer identified the executable as lizard and the package as an extensible cyclomatic complexity analyzer.

Related projects

The package sits near linters, static analyzers, and code-metric tools such as cloc, radon, cppcheck, and language-specific complexity plugins.
It is unrelated to brew:lizard, the compression utility packaged in the same batch.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`lizard`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version1.23.0

manager updated2026-06-03

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/terryyin/lizard

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/terryyin/lizardnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:lizard-analyzer
Version	1.23.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/lizard-analyzer
Homepage	https://github.com/terryyin/lizard
Repository	https://github.com/terryyin/lizard
Upstream docs	https://github.com/terryyin/lizard#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/5b/94/4967d0868e7db39a72fa2dbef9a798c4d661178f3836bfec58091606f0f3/lizard-1.23.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-03T09:53:20Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	python@3.14
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	lizard-analyzer
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Conflicts With	lizard
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

MacPorts94%

lizard

sudo port install lizard

installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Lizard

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: archivers/lizard/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/lizard-analyzer.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install lizard-analyzer with Homebrew, MacPorts