08 - Measurement

A collection of flashcards focusing on key vocabulary and concepts related to measurements and metrics in software quality.

Measurement

The empirical, objective assignment of numbers to attributes of objects or events to describe them.

Metrics

Functions that take software data as input and provide a numerical value indicating the degree to which software possesses a given attribute affecting its quality.

Maintainability Index

Calculates an index value between 0 and 100 representing the ease of maintaining code, with higher values indicating better maintainability.

Halstead Volume

A software metric introduced by Maurice Howard Halstead to approximate the size of code based on the number of operators and operands.

Cyclomatic Complexity

A software metric proposed by McCabe that measures the number of linearly independent paths through a program based on its control flow graph.

Normalization

The process of adjusting measurements to allow for fair comparisons, such as normalizing lines of code across programming languages.

Confounding Variable

A variable that affects both the dependent and independent variable, potentially leading to misleading conclusions about causal relationships.

Operationalization

The process of defining a measurement instrument and determining how to accurately capture information.

Validity of Measurements

The extent to which a metric measures what it intends to measure, encompassing construct, predictive, and external validity.

GQM (Goal-Question-Metric)

A framework for defining measurement goals, creating questions to evaluate progress towards these goals, and determining the necessary metrics for assessment.