1.1 DEFINITION OF SOFTWARE METRICS

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Software Metrics can be defined as:

"the continuous application of measurement-based techniques to the software development process and its products to supply meaningful and timely management information, together with the use of those techniques to improve that process and its products."

As you will see, this definition covers quite a lot.

Software Metrics is all about measurement which in turn involves numbers; the use of numbers to make things better, to improve the process of developing software and to improve all aspects of the management of that process. Software Metrics are applicable to the whole development lifecycle from initiation, when costs must be estimated, to monitoring the reliability of the end product in the field and the way that product changes over time with enhancement. It covers engineers or programmers using techniques to spot error-prone components before they get as far as coding and controlling a project as it progresses so that the fact that it is going to be six months late is recognized as early as possible rather than the day before delivery is due. It even covers organizations determining which of its software products are the cash cows and which are the dogs.

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