PowerPoint and complexity

ABSTRACT

Everyone talks about software bloat, feature creep and the ever-increasing complexity of software. Each new version of a software package adds in new features. Very rarely, features are removed. But what really happens as software evolves?

This animated film illustrates the evolution of PowerPointover seven versions from 1987-2001. With each version the user has faced increasing application complexity. Knowing how software evolves is of increasing importance as we move to building ultra-large scale software and developing software in the context of software ecologies.

This film uses abstract graphical representations of the application features and relationships between features. Time-lapse animation of these abstract representations are used to convey an understanding of how this application has evolved. This animation is based on data from a project that is mapping the user interface and application functionality available in every release of Microsoft PowerPoint for the Macintosh. To date this study spans 7 releases of this application.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.m Miscellaneous

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.8 Metrics
          Subjects: Complexity measures

General Terms:
Design, Measurement

Keywords:
human factors, software complexity, software evolution