Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!convex!killer!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!rutgers!rochester!ritcv!ark
From: ark@ritcv.UUCP (Alan Kaminsky)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: COCOMO software estimating model
Message-ID: <685@ritcv.UUCP>
Date: 29 Jul 88 14:41:59 GMT
References: <569@csdgwy.csd.unsw.oz>
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Lines: 41

> The book, "Software Engineering Economics' by B.W. Boehm discusses for some
> 50 pages a software estimating model called COCOMO. I believe some suppliers
> have developed programs which provide COCOMO estimates. I have not been
> able to find a supplier in Australia who can sell me one. A US supplier
> called Sotstar Systems in New Hampshire sells COSTAR which is a PC version.
> Perhaps someone on the net can tell me how I might be be able to buy a COCOMO
> program.

In my opinion, any specialized COCOMO program is a waste of money.  I advise
you to spend your money on a general-purpose spreadsheet program, then take
an hour or so to program the COCOMO model into it.  The resulting "COCOMO
program" will be far more flexible than a specialized program, since you
have all the capabilities of the spreadsheet at your disposal as well as
the COCOMO model.

I have programmed the Intermediate COCOMO model into the Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet for the Apple Macintosh computer.  Excel has extensive business
charting capabilities as well as the usual spreadsheet features.  So my
"COCOMO program" not only gives me the numbers, it gives me a pie chart
showing the breakdown of total effort in each phase, a project profile
graph showing staffing level versus time, and any other graphic depiction
of the numbers I want.

With the spreadsheet, it's also very easy to investigate the effect of
changing one of the model parameters, say, the effect on total effort of
the level of usage of software tools.  Simply copy the spreadsheet formulas
into a new column, and change the software tool usage parameter.  Do this
several times and you have a sensitivity analysis.  You can even display a
graph of total effort vs. software tool usage.

I doubt that many specialized COCOMO programs are as flexible as this.
Also, most specialized COCOMO programs I have seen cost more than spreadsheet
programs.  For calculating a software cost estimation model, a spreadsheet
offers the better value.
-- 
Alan Kaminsky
Rochester Institute of Technology
P. O. Box 9887
Rochester, NY  14623
716-475-5255
ark@cs.rit.edu