Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!ads.com!saturn!jgautier From: jgautier@vangogh.ads.com (Jorge Gautier) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: Counting semicolons (was: Re: WANTED: "C" code line counter program) Message-ID: Date: 22 Apr 91 04:24:02 GMT References: <36650004@hpopd.pwd.hp.com> Sender: usenet@ads.com (USENET News) Organization: Advanced Decision Systems, Mountain View, CA 94043, +1 (415) 960-7300 Lines: 13 In-Reply-To: daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com's message of 16 Apr 91 17:04:59 GMT In article <36650004@hpopd.pwd.hp.com> daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Dave Straker) writes: > Before you measure anything, you should ask: Why am I doing this? > What am I going to do with the information? What questions will > it help answer? What decisions will it help me make? I hope you mean not only to ask, but to answer as well. I would also add questions on validity and reliability of the measures. Using metrics without answering these questions is the worst of the pseudo-sciences that comprise "software engineering." -- Jorge A. Gautier| "The enemy is at the gate. And the enemy is the human mind jgautier@ads.com| itself--or lack of it--on this planet." -General Boy DISCLAIMER: All statements in this message are false.