Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!know!pluto.hemel.bull.co.uk!ewoods From: ewoods@hemel.bull.co.uk (Eoin Woods) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: Software Quality Message-ID: <1991Mar26.125032.2120@hemel.bull.co.uk> Date: 26 Mar 91 12:50:32 GMT References: <1991Mar20.043236.1236@ox.com> <10412@orca.wv.tek.com> Sender: @hemel.bull.co.uk Distribution: comp.software-eng Organization: Bull HN UK Lines: 36 Nntp-Posting-Host: brno dougs@baldwin.WV.TEK.COM (Doug Schwartz;685-2700;61-252;Baldwin) writes: >In article <1991Mar20.043236.1236@ox.com> jih@ox.com (John Hritz) writes: >>Although I agree with your three premises, I would not rule out the use of >>metrics as a method for quality improvement. Without an objective >>measurement by which to gauge success, you're just taking pot shots at >>the defect issue. As I think you are asserting, quality starts from the >And of course we are forgetting that there can be different levels of defects >or the code can function in a manner that some of us might call defective: > Returns incorrect value [ ... deleted ... ] > Trips switch to start WWIII >Although all could be considered defects, I think the last is more serious than >any of the previous (or all combined). What about defects by omission? >How do we rate them? e.g. if you don't test for divide-by-zero, is this a >defect? So? - we attempt to classify defects and then assess our software quality taking the relative severities of the defects found into account (e.g. A - major system defect rendering it un-usable; B - intermediate defect requiring actual user action to work around; C - minor defect that while it does not require the user to take action to avoid it, should not be present). Obviously systems with many type 'A' faults are worse than those with many type 'C' (and should never see customers in that state anyway). As to defects by omission, they can mostly be classified in the same way. Eoin. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Eoin Woods, Software Development Group, Bull HN Information Systems, ~ ~ Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7DZ, UK. ~ ~ Tel : +44 442 232222 x4823 Fax : +44 442 236072 ~ ~ < Eoin.Woods@hemel.bull.co.uk or ...!uunet!ukc!brno!ewoods> ~ ~ < When do we start news group comp.os.emacs ? :-) > ~