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From: pyoung@axion.bt.co.uk (Pete Young)
Newsgroups: alt.sources.wanted,comp.sources.wanted,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: WANTED: "C" code line counter program
Message-ID: <1991Mar12.163607.18799@axion.bt.co.uk>
Date: 12 Mar 91 16:36:07 GMT
References: <2969@inews.intel.com>
Sender: news@axion.bt.co.uk
Reply-To: pyoung@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk
Organization: British Telecom Research Labs
Lines: 36

From article <2969@inews.intel.com>, by bhoughto@pima.intel.com (Blair P. Houghton):
> In article <1991Mar11.182848.26693@comm.wang.com> lws@comm.wang.com (Lyle Seaman) writes:
>>Counting semi-colons is a pretty good approach, as that counts C 
>>statements.  Lines is kind of less meaningful.  Counting '{' is 
>>an interesting one, too.

> {{{{{{{{printf("Oh, if I were a rich man... ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\n");}}}}}}}}


Tee Hee.

Good point though.

Counting lines, or semicolons, or braces is much more meaningful if
you have some kind of standard to compare your figures with. In this
instance such a standard might take the form of a set of guidelines
about the use of symbols in comments, layout and indentation of code
etc. Or even a machine to generate the code from a specification
(don't scoff too loud, it might happen one day!)

It seems to me (although I am quite prepared to admit I'm wrong) that
there are two generic questions about gathering metrics. The first is,
"what do I want to know about this
program/specification/bridge/whatever?" The second is "What can I
measure to get this information?"

Counting statements is a possible answer to the second question. So,
has the first question been satisfactorily answered? In many cases, I
suspect not. But counting lines of code is a lot easier than thinking
about useful measures of the size and complexity of a program.



  ____________________________________________________________________
  Pete Young         pyoung@axion.bt.co.uk        Phone +44 473 645054
  British  Telecom  Research Labs,  Martlesham Heath   IPSWICH IP5 7RE