Authors

John Coppick

Publication Date

5-1990

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Thomas Cheatham, John Crenshaw, Kenneth Modesitt

Degree Program

Department of Computer Science

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Within this thesis the application of software complexity metrics in the object-oriented paradigm is examined. Several factors which may affect the complexity of software objects are identified and discussed. The specific applications of Maurice Halstead’s Software Science and Thomas McCabe’s cyclomatic-complexity metric are discussed in detail.

The goals here are to identify methods for applying existing software metrics to objects and to provide a basis of analysis for future studies of the measurement and control of software complexity in the object-oriented paradigm of software development.

Halstead’s length, vocabulary, volume, program levels and effort metrics are defined for objects. A limit for the McCabe cyclomatic complexity of an object is suggested. Also, tools for calculating these metrics have been developed in LISP on a Texas Instruments’ Explorer.

Disciplines

Computer Sciences | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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