Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!apple!cambridge.apple.com!emory!stiatl!srchtec!johnb
From: johnb@srchtec.UUCP (John Baldwin)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Determining C Complexity
Keywords: C, complexity, metrics, cyclomatic complexity, McCabe
Message-ID: <157@srchtec.UUCP>
Date: 27 Jul 90 13:50:56 GMT
References: <1050@ashton.UUCP> <142@srchtec.UUCP> <2592@dataio.Data-IO.COM>
Distribution: na
Organization: search technology, inc.
Lines: 30

In article <2592@dataio.Data-IO.COM> bright@Data-IO.COM (Walter Bright) writes:
>....[excerpted]...
> There is no substitute for an organized code review.

Agreed.  In my posting on the use of complexity metrics, I did not mean to
suggest that metrics be used to the exclusion of code reviews or walkthroughs.
We are using both design walkthroughs and code walkthroughs on the project I
am currently involved with, and I instituted a review process with a previous
employer.  In that previous environment, I found that the metrics were helpful
just for the nonsubjective input they provided in the review process, even
though the interpretation was subjective.  Some friends of mine in other
organizations have mentioned that metrics, when properly used, allowed team
leaders to continue to maintain a reasonable "situation assessment" even
when unreasonable time constraints prevented thorough reviews of all code.

Perhaps I was too subtle earlier, but I also wanted to make the point that
when using imperfect tools such as code metrics, it is vitally important
that the user differentiate between ACCURACY and PRECISION.  For those who
work in organizations where you are required to submit metrics or other
"statistics" (I use the term very loosely here) to nontechnical management,
it may be very helpful to express your numbers in the form "value (+|-) err".
If I have some measurement that I know is only accurate to within 50% of
its value, I will very likely reduce a number such as "6.12214" to the form
"6 (+|-) 3".  [Interpret "(+|-)" as the over/under plus-or-minus symbol :-)]

-- 
John T. Baldwin                      |  johnb@srchtec.uucp
Search Technology, Inc.              |  johnb%srchtec.uucp@mathcs.emory.edu
standard disclaimer:                 |  ...uunet!samsung!emory!stiatl!srchtec..
opinions and mistakes purely my own. |  ...mailrus!gatech!stiatl!srchtec...