Functional size measurement revisited

ABSTRACT

There are various approaches to software size measurement. Among these, the metrics and methods based on measuring the functionality attribute have become widely used since the original method was introduced in 1979. Although functional size measurement methods have gone a long way, they still provide challenges for software managers. This article identifies improvement opportunities based on empirical studies we performed on ongoing projects. We also compare our findings with the extended dataset provided by the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG).

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.8 Metrics
          Subjects: Product metrics

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.9 Management
          Subjects: Cost estimation
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

Keywords:
COSMIC FFP, Functional size measurement, MkII FPA, software benchmarking, software estimation