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Software Metrics: A Rigorous and Practical
Approach (2nd edition)
Published by PWS ISBN (0534-95429-1), 1998
THIS
BOOK IS OUT OF PRINT: THE NEW THIRD EDITION WAS PUBLISHED NOVEMBER
2014. SEE HERE.
(originally published by International
Thomson Computer Press,
1996)
(If you have a copy of this book
see Errata list)
Although
not always acknowledged as essential to good software engineering,
software metrics play an important role. Measurement is used to assess
situations, track
progress, evaluate effectiveness, and more. But the gap between how we do
measure
and how we could measure is still larger than it should be. A
key reason for this
gap between potential and practice has been the lack of a coordinated,
comprehensive
framework for understanding and using measurement. The rigorous
measurement framework
introduced by the highly successful first edition of Software
Metrics: A Rigorous
Approach in 1991 has helped to advance the role of measurement by
inspiring
discussion of important issues, explaining essential concepts, and
suggesting new
approaches for tackling long-standing problems.
As one of the first texts on software metrics, the first edition broke
new ground by
introducing software engineers to measurement theory, graph-theoretic
concepts, and new
approaches to software reliability. This second edition brings the
coverage of software
metrics fully up-to-date. The book has been comprehensively re-written
and re-designed to
reflect changing developments in software metrics, most notably their
widespread
acceptance in industrial practice. This edition stresses the original
framework for
software metrics, but emphasizes its practical applications. Based on
measurement theory
and a classification of entities as products, processes and resources,
the framework has
been expanded to include notions of process visibility and
goal-directed measurement. The
theory is liberally illustrated with case studies and examples to
illustrate the
application of each idea and technique.
The new edition also reflects classroom and industrial feedback about
the first edition.
Thus, the text now includes extensive case studies, and more worked
examples and
exercises. Every section of the book has been improved and updated,
including new sections
on process maturity and measurement, the Goal-Question-Metric paradigm,
metrics planning,
experimentation, empirical studies, object-oriented metrics, and
metrics tools. The book
continues to provide an accessible and comprehensive introduction to
software metrics, now
an essential facet of the software engineering process.
This book is designed to suit several audiences. It is structured as
the primary text book
for an academic or industrial course on software metrics and quality
assurance. But it is
also a useful supplement for any course in software engineering.
Because of its breadth,
the book is a major reference book for academics and practitioners, as
it makes accessible
important and interesting results that have appeared only in
research-oriented
publications. Researchers in software metrics will find special
interest in the material
reporting new results, and in the extensive annotated bibliography of
measurement-related
information. Finally, the book offers help to software managers and
developers who seek
guidance on establishing or expanding a measurement program; they can
focus on the
practical guidelines for selecting metrics and planning their use.
The book is arranged in three parts. Part I offers the reader a basic
understanding of why
and how we measure. It examines and explains the fundamentals of
measurement,
experimentation, and data collection and analysis. Next, Part II
explores software
engineering measurement in greater detail, with comprehensive
information about a range of
specific metrics and their uses, illustrated by a wealth of examples
and case studies.
Finally, Part III provides a management perspective on software
measurement, explaining
how to plan a measurement program, what has been successful in other
organizations, and
how measurement can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of techniques
and tools. The
book also includes an annotated bibliography, a glossary, and answers
to selected
exercises from the main chapters.
If you have a copy of this book see
Errata list
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