Software Metrics and Software Metrology

Description

Software Metrics and Software Metrology - Kindle edition by Abran, Alain. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Software Metrics and Software Metrology. Review: COSMIC is still alive and well in the 21st century - This book is divided in to three primary parts. The first part describes the rigorous methods and theory necessary to develop a functional size measurement. The second part discusses the limitations of functional size measurements and measures, such as the IFPUG function points, and the Use Case Points. The third part provides an illuminating inside story into the nuts to bolts development of the COSMIC functional size measurement (FSM). I'm what the writer refers to as a practitioner, and as a practitioner, or software cost estimator, I thoroughly enjoyed the content of this book. The ideas and concepts were logically presented, and the material on COSMIC very much supplements the available material on the public domain site [...]. This book has given me a new found respect for COSMIC. The challenge that all software cost estimators face with using functional size measurement is the fact that the majority of entities in the world are at CMMi level 2 or lower. What this means is that the functional user requirements that are critical to the successful development of FSM are less than optimal, and thus presents a challenge to the practitioner in developing a valid and defensible cost estimate of a software intensive system. There needs to be a way of coming up with backfired COSMIC points, so that there can be an automated way of backfiring these points much the same way as has been done with the unadjusted IFPUG function points. The simplicity and mathematical compatibility of the way the metrology is designed into COSMIC should, along with the contents of this book would be perfect ingredients for a software designer to come up with a computer software algorithm that can automatically calculate COSMIC function points. In my opinion, the lightness of the Agile methods, and as a result the simplified yet compelling written use cases are capable of being translated into COSMIC function points better than the IFPUG unadjusted function points. Unfortunately, IFPUG was the first established functional size measurement organization, and it is still very alive and well. IFPUG has a very strong heritage, and according to the results contained in the ISBSG database, IFPUG function points are the most abundant. In short, a plan that is not perfect that is executed to the completion of the project is still better than a perfect plan that is rarely, if ever executed. Is IFPUG the Qwerty keyboard, and COSMIC the more efficient, but less used Dvorak keyboard? The answer to this question will be provided in the fullness of time. Was this book worth the price paid? To me, it definitely was, and any interested reader who wants to gain a better more grounded insight into how the COSMIC FSM method was developed must procure this invaluable resource.