Indirect method to measure software quality using CK-OO suite

Abstract

In this paper, we consider experiential evidences in support of a set of object-oriented software metrics. In particular, we look at the object oriented design metrics of Chidamber and Kemerer, and their applicability in different application domains. Many of the early quality models have followed an approach, in which a set of factors that influence quality and relationships between different quality factors, are defined, with little scope of measurement. But the measurement plays an important role in every phase of software development process. The work, therefore, emphasizes on quantitative measurement of different quality attributes such as reusability, maintainability, testability, reliability and efficiency. With the widespread use of Object Oriented Technologies, CK metrics have proved to be very useful. So we have used CK metrics for measurement of these qualities attributes. The quality attributes are affected by values of CK metrics. We have derived linearly related equations from CK metrics to measure these quality attributes. Different concepts about software quality characteristics are reviewed and discussed in the Dissertation. We briefly describe the metrics, and present our empirical findings, arising from our analysis of systems taken from a number of different application domains. Our investigations have led us to conclude that a subset of the metrics can be of great value to software developers, maintainers and project managers. We have also taken an empirical study in Object Oriented language C++.