Lecture 3

Software Measurement
Overview
• Software Process and Product Measurement
• Quality of Measurement Result
• Software Information Model
• Software Process Measurement Techniques
 Software Measurement

• Software measurement is a fundamental aspect of

software engineering that involves quantifying and
understanding various attributes of software artifacts
throughout the development lifecycle.
• Software measurement plays a crucial role in improving
the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of software
development processes.
• By quantifying various attributes of software artifacts
and processes, organizations can make informed
decisions, mitigate risks, and continuously improve their
practices.
 Principles of Software Measurement
• Relevance: Measurements should be relevant to the specific
goals and objectives of software development or process
improvement.
• Consistency: Measurements should be consistent and
reproducible to ensure reliability.
• Objective: Measurements should be based on objective
criteria rather than subjective judgments.
• Cost-effectiveness: Measurement processes should be
designed to achieve desired results without excessive cost or
effort.
• Traceability: Measurements should be traceable back to their
source to ensure their validity and reliability.
 Software Metrics

• Software metrics are quantitative measures derived from

software measurement.
• Different types of software metrics include product metrics,
process metrics, and project metrics.
– Product metrics assess the quality and characteristics of the
software product itself.
– Process metrics evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the
software development process.
– Project metrics monitor various aspects of project management
and resource utilization.
 Types of Software Metrics

• Process Metrics: These metrics focus on aspects of the

software development process itself, such as effort expended,
time taken, productivity, defect density, and adherence to
schedules and budgets.
• Product Metrics: Product metrics assess the quality and
characteristics of the software product itself, including size,
complexity, reliability, performance, and maintainability.
• Project Metrics: Project metrics provide insights into project
management aspects such as resource allocation, schedule
adherence, and budget variance.
Commonly Used Software Metrics
• Product Metrics
– Lines of Code (LOC)
– Cyclomatic Complexity
– Code Coverage
– Function Point Analysis
• Process Metrics
– Defect Density
– Time to Fix Defects
– Review Efficiency
– Productivity Metrics
• Project Metrics
– Schedule Variance (SV)
– Cost Variance (CV)
– Earned Value Metrics
– Quality Metrics
 Key Software Metrics
• LOC (Lines of Code): This metric measures the size of the
software codebase by counting the number of lines of code.
• Cyclomatic Complexity: Cyclomatic complexity quantifies the
structural complexity of software by counting the number of
independent paths through the code.
• Defect Density: Defect density measures the number of defects
or bugs present in a specific unit of software code or functionality.
• Code Coverage: Code coverage measures the percentage of code
lines or branches executed during testing.
• Effort Variance: Effort variance compares the actual effort
expended on a project with the planned effort.
 Challenges and Considerations

• Choosing relevant metrics that align with project goals and

provide actionable insights is crucial.
• Over-reliance on metrics without considering their limitations
or misinterpreting results can lead to measurement
dysfunction.
• Metrics should be interpreted in the context of specific
projects, organizational goals, and industry standards.
• While quantitative metrics provide objective data, qualitative
aspects such as user satisfaction and innovation should also
be considered.
 Quality of Measurement Result

• In the realm of software development, accurate measurement is essential

for evaluating progress, identifying areas for improvement, and making
informed decisions.
• However, the quality of measurement results can significantly impact the
effectiveness of these processes.
• Challenges in Ensuring Quality Measurement Results includes Subjectivity,
Inaccurate data, Lack of standardization and Tool limitations.
• Strategies for Ensuring Quality Measurement Results contains
– Define clear objectives
– Standardize measurement processes
– Train personnel
– Validate data
– Use multiple metrics
– Continuously improve
 Software Information Model

• The SIM is a conceptual framework that defines the

structure and organization of information in the
software development process.
• It encompasses all artifacts, documents, data, and
knowledge involved in software development.
• SIM serves as a foundation for various software
development methodologies and processes.
 Components of the Software Information Model

• Artifacts: These are tangible outputs of the software

development process, including requirements documents,
design diagrams, code files, test cases, and user manuals.
• Entities: These represent the key elements within the
software process, such as stakeholders, developers, testers,
and project managers.
• Relationships: Connections between artifacts, entities, and
other components of the software process, reflecting
dependencies, associations, and interactions.
• Attributes: Characteristics or properties associated with
artifacts and entities, providing additional context or
metadata.
 Benefits of SIM
• Clarity and Organization: SIM provides a clear and organized
representation of the data structure within a software system,
making it easier for developers to understand and work with
the system.
• Scalability: By defining entities, attributes, and relationships,
SIM facilitates the scalability of software systems.
• Maintenance: A well-defined SIM simplifies the maintenance
of software systems by providing a structured approach to
making modifications or updates to the data model.
• Data Integrity: SIM helps maintain data integrity by enforcing
constraints and normalization techniques, thereby reducing
the risk of data inconsistencies or errors.
 Software Process Measurement Techniques

• Software process measurement involves quantifying various

aspects of the software development process to assess and
improve its efficiency and effectiveness.
• It provides valuable insights into the software development
lifecycle, enabling better decision-making, process
optimization, and quality assurance.
• Importance:
– Facilitates process improvement initiatives.
– Enables project managers to track progress and identify bottlenecks.
– Assists in benchmarking against industry standards.
– Helps in predicting project outcomes and resource allocation.
 Software Process Measurement Techniques
 Direct Measurement Techniques:
• Effort Estimation: Estimating the effort required for
completing specific tasks or projects.
• Schedule Estimation: Estimating the time required for
completing tasks or projects.
• Defect Counting: Counting the number of defects found
during development or testing phases.
 Indirect Measurement Techniques:
• Function Points: Quantifies the functionality provided to the
user based on the user's perspective.
• Cyclomatic Complexity: Measures the complexity of a
program based on the control flow.
• Halstead Complexity Measures: Quantifies program size and
complexity based on the number of operators and operands.
 Software Process Measurement Techniques
• Productivity Measurement Techniques:
– Lines of Code (LOC): Measures the size of software based
on the number of lines of code written.
– Function Point Analysis (FPA): Measures the functionality
provided by software based on user requirements.
 Popular Software Process Measurement Techniques
• Function Points Analysis (FPA):
– Measures the functionality provided to the user based on inputs,
outputs, inquiries, and files.
– Helps in estimating project size and effort.
• Cyclomatic Complexity:
– Measures the complexity of a program by counting the number of
independent paths through its source code.
– Useful for assessing code maintainability and identifying areas prone
to errors.
• Defect Density:
– Calculates the number of defects per unit of software size (e.g., lines
of code).
– Indicates the quality of the software and the effectiveness of testing
processes.
 Software Process Measurement Techniques

• Cost of Quality (COQ):

– Measures the costs incurred due to poor quality practices, including
prevention, appraisal, and failure costs.
– Helps in identifying areas for quality improvement.
• Earned Value Management (EVM):
– Integrates project scope, schedule, and cost to assess project performance.
– Measures progress against the planned baseline and predicts future
performance.
• Software Metrics Suites:
– Comprehensive sets of metrics tailored to specific software development
processes.
– Examples include the Goal Question Metric (GQM) approach and Balanced
Scorecards.
 Activity
• Why Software Process Measurement?
• Explain the difference between metrics and indicators in the
context of software measurement.
• What are some best practices for implementing software
measurement effectively within an organization?
 Ended
Thank You!