PRODUCTS, PROCESSES AND METRICS

The paper reviews developments in the arena of software engineering product metrics, with special reference to system architecture metrics. Some of the weaknesses of current approaches are examined, in particular the very weak notion of process embodied by a product metric. It is argued that the consequence of this oversight is uncertainty in the application and interpretation Of metrics. This in turn has led to a slow uptake of product metrics by the software industry. The paper then demonstrates, by means of a simple design metric example, that the application of concepts from the area of software process modelling to product metrics can help overcome many of these deficiencies; it also results in quantitative process models that have potential for the design and construction of software tools and environments.