Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!lowell
From: lowell@tc.fluke.COM (Lowell Skoog)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: C source lines in file
Keywords: C
Message-ID: <10511@fluke.COM>
Date: 21 Aug 89 16:58:02 GMT
References: <35120@ccicpg.UUCP> <10707@smoke.BRL.MIL> <257@opel.UUCP> <16019@vail.ICO.ISC.COM>
Sender: news@tc.fluke.COM
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Lines: 18

> A count of non-commentary source lines says nothing about the amount
> of actual code produced, nor about productivity.  In fact, it's worse
> than that:  If you tell people their productivity will be judged (in
> part) on NCSL, their coding style will change--probably for the
> worse.

Then that's your own fault for mis-applying the metric.  If you set
out to use metrics to rate programmer productivity, then you're
asking for trouble.  Instead you should use metrics to characterize
your software development process so that you can improve the process
and predict future performance.  When used consistently in this
manner, even simple NCSL metrics can be quite valuable.  By
dismissing metrics completely you are throwing the baby out with the
bath water.

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