An Empirical Test of Object-Based Output Measurement Metrics in a Computer Aided Software Engineering (Case) Environment

Existing output measurement metrics for cost estimation and development productivityneed to be re-examined to determine their performance in computer aided softwareengineering (CASE) development environments. This paper critiques and empiricallyevaluates four approaches to the measurement of outputs. Two of the metrics, rawfunction counts and function points, are based on the function point analysis methodologypioneered by Albrecht and Gaffney at IBM (ALBR83). The second two, object countsand object points, are based on a new approach -- object points analysis -- that isintroduced here for the first time. The latter metrics are specialized for outputmeasurement in object-based CASE environments that include a centralized objectrepository. Estimation results for nineteen large-scale CASE projects show that the newmetrics have the potential to yield as accurate, yet easier to obtain estimates thanfunction points-based measures