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From: daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Dave Straker)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: What's "Average" in Software? (was Re: bridge building and discipline)
Message-ID: <36650014@hpopd.pwd.hp.com>
Date: 18 May 91 10:47:52 GMT
References: <1991May16.152429.27870@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard CCG-PWD, UK.
Lines: 15

>object to useful measurements of code such as branch coverage.  I do
>object to metrics that are invalid for their intended purpose,
>unreliable and full of unrealistic assumptions.  Why do people think

The trouble with many unrealistic assumptions is that you don't know
they're unrealistic until you try them. There is also a matter of degree:
some moderately unrealistic assumptions (eg. lines of code) can be used
to help make really useful decisions.

A danger with the word 'unrealistic' is when it is used to discount
things which are not understood. 

Dave Straker            Pinewood Information Systems Division (PWD not PISD)
[8-{)                   HPDESK: David Straker/HP1600/01
                        Unix:   daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com